The Reading
The Summary
Shemuel Alef Chapter 15
The prophet Shemuel approaches King Shaul and directs him to fulfill the commandment of the Torah to exterminate the people of Amaleq. The Torah indicates that when the Jewish people have achieved stability and security in their land, they must proceed to eliminate the evil (Amaleq) from their midst; the Rabbis explain that his means that once a monarchy is established, it is the responsibility of the king to carry out this task. All of the Amaleqites must be killed and their animals and possessions destroyed.
It is beyond the scope of a brief summary to enter into a deeper discussion of the commandment to annihilate Amaleq and to explore its moral and ethical dimensions. It should suffice to say that Amaleq was a culture of “piracy”; the Amaleqites traveled throughout the land preying on the weak and defenseless, killing and plundering them indiscriminately. Their unjust and corrupt lifestyle was anathema to Torah and stood in absolute contradiction to the principles of truth, justice and compassion that Judaism promotes. Therefore, the King of Israel was obligated to remove them from the land of Israel in order to demonstrate the commitment of the Jewish people to the establishment of a just and holy society.
Shaul follows the instructions of Shemuel and musters the necessary troops for the military effort. He sends word to the Kenites, allies of the Israel, and asks them to distance themselves from the battlefield so they do not suffer any harm during the conflict. The war is successful; the king of Amaleq is captured alive, and the troops help themselves to the spoils. They comply with the commandment to destroy the inferior items but decide to keep the high quality animals and goods for sacrifice and for personal use.
As Shaul prepares to celebrate the national victory, Shemuel arrives. Shaul greets the prophet enthusiastically and informs him that the commandment of Hashem has been fulfilled; Amaleq has been defeated. Shemuel counters that this is not the case – he himself can hear the bleating of the goats that were illegally kept alive. Shaul explains that the best of the animals were preserved in order to be offered as sacrifices to the Almighty.
Shemuel then delivers the message that Hashem had sent him to convey (and which the prophet himself had spent all night crying and praying about): Shaul may be insignificant in his own eyes and therefore accommodating of the desires and wishes of others, but he is now the king of Israel and must act as leader, not follower. Because he failed to implement the law of Hashem and once again capitulated to the people, he would now lose the privilege of being their monarch. Shaul again insists that what he allowed the people to do was to serve and honor Hashem through sacrifice; Shemuel responds that “service of God” means abiding by His instructions, not innovating one’s own modes of religious expression.
Shaul finally acknowledges that he erred because he was intimidated by the will of the people, but asks Shemuel to forgive his trespass and accompany him in prayer before departing. Shemuel refuses to do so, reiterating that Hashem has rejected Shaul as the anointed king of Israel because of his sin. Shemuel tears the garment of Shaul and emphasizes that this decision of the Almighty is irrevocable; Shaul again asks that Shemuel accept his apology and worship with him. Shemuel follows Shaul for the service but does not participate with him.
The prophet then requests that the King of Amaleq be brought to him, and Shemuel kills him on the spot. Shemuel and Shaul part ways and never see one another again for the rest of their lives. Shemuel once had high hopes for Shaul and will spend the rest of his life mourning over the tragic loss the nation sustained as a result of the fact that Shaul squandered his tremendous leadership potential.
Shaul’s pro forma apologies to Shemuel appear artificial and empty. Each time he acknowledges his mistake only to ask, in the same sentence, that Shemuel honor him or accompany him. The implication is that his repentance was neither sincere nor heartfelt. It is actually reminiscent of the “repentance” of the Pharaoh of Egypt, who would “apologize” to Moshe and immediately follow up with a request that the plague afflicting his kingdom be stopped.
Shaul does not seem to fully grasp the significance of his error and therefore perceive Shemuel’s reaction as exaggerated and hyperbolic. His asking for forgiveness is merely intended to placate Shemuel and prevent further escalation of the drama so that he can continue comfortably with his victory celebration.
Because Shaul does not understand how deeply rooted and dangerous his character flaw is, he does not even entertain the possibility that Hashem has removed him from his throne as a result of it. He does not believe that he has been relieved of his monarchy by Divine command and this explains why he fights mightily to hold onto that power for the rest of his life.