שמואל א, פרק י״ט, פסוק י״ב

In a moment of extreme danger, with guards sent by Saul surrounding the home to kill him, a daring rescue unfolds. Michal chooses to save her husband's life, engineering a creative escape that bypasses the deadly ambush waiting outside.

The rescue takes place through a window [מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators is that this route was chosen because Saul's guards were stationed at the main entrance. The window was located on a different wall, completely hidden from the guards' view [רלב״ג, רד״ק, אברבנאל, מצודת דוד], and was likely situated on an upper floor [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There are differing views regarding the exact layout of the escape. One perspective suggests the house had two gates, allowing David to slip out through a smaller gate while the guards focused on the main entrance. Conversely, another view maintains that the house had only a single gate, which was entirely blocked, leaving no choice but to lower David down through the window [רד״ק].

To ensure the escape was successful and to give David enough time to reach safety, Michal went beyond merely helping him out of the building. She orchestrated a clever diversion designed to stall the guards by tricking them into believing David was still inside [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. She placed items known as teraphim in his bed. Although these objects are sometimes associated with divination, astrology, or idol worship, it is highly unlikely that such things would be found in David's home. Instead, this was simply a human-shaped doll that Michal had crafted in David's likeness out of her profound love for him, carrying no sinful connotations [אברבנאל].

To perfect the illusion that David was lying sick in bed, Michal arranged a pillow made of goat hair at the head of the doll. Another tradition suggests she used a leather wine skin with its animal hair still attached, which in the dark closely resembled human hair [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. This tactic successfully deceived the guards and bought David the precious time he desperately needed to flee. Ultimately, this act highlighted Michal's deep devotion, prompting the Sages to apply the proverb "He who finds a wife finds a great good" to her remarkable actions [אברבנאל].