Tosfos in Avodah Zarah 21a says that according to Rashi kivush rabim needs urim vi'tumum and 600000 people and therefore kivush suria was kivush yachid. Why was there not 600000 peole by kivush suria? In sefer Shmuel it says that Dovid took a census and it came to 1.5 million so there was alot more then 600000 people?
Joel,
Hi Joel,
Thank you for your question(r)
It seems from many sources that the understanding of Rashi is pretty technical. The army that Dovid sent to Surya, wasn't 600,000 soldiers, and even though there is no battle that the whole population takes part, the meaning of that number is that the army is sort of a Shaliach of the nation, and the battle is meant for the nation's security or benefit. Here, the intensions of Dovid were private (le'Tzorko) and the army sent to conquer Surya was on his private mission rather than a national one.
See Rashi on Gittin 8a d"h Kibush Yachid, along with the Rashi here d"h Surya. It seems that after we see both Rashis, what I wrote is a good Pshat to combine the two.
Kol Tuv,