Shmuel I Chapter 15 | Shaul and Amalek

Sha’ul is tasked with fulfilling the Torah's command to blot out Amalek. Initially, it seems that Sha’ul is successful, destroying the Amalekites and sparing no one: “He utterly destroyed the entire people by the sword” (15:8). However, Sha’ul disobeys God’s command by sparing Agag and the best livestock. The chapter includes a critical dialogue between Sha’ul and Shmuel, addressing essential themes:

1. Compassion: “But Sha’ul and the men spared Agag and the best of the sheep, cattle, fat calves, and lambs” (15:9). The sages note Sha’ul’s misplaced mercy: “Rabbi Eleazar said: Anyone who becomes merciful upon the cruel one will end by being cruel to the merciful: It is written (I Samuel 15:9), ‘But Saul had pity upon Agag and upon the best of the sheep and the cattle’; and it is [also] written (I Samuel 22:19) about Nov the city of priests, ‘And he smote Nov the city of priests with the edge of the sword’“ (Midrash Tanchuma, Metzora). Sha’ul’s later massacre of Nov, the city of priests, raises the question whether moral compassion was truly present when dealing with Agag and the livestock.

2. Blaming the People:  Sha’ul defends his actions by shifting blame: “The men spared the best” (15:15). Shmuel sharply rebukes him, reminding Sha’ul of his divine appointment while using Sha’ul’s very own words from before the anointing: “Though you may seem small in your own eyes, you are the head of the tribes of Israel” (15:17). We find here sharp criticism of Saul's humility, which, in recent chapters, effectively translates into Sha’ul being swayed by the people and acting against God’s will. The combination in Sha’ul’s personality — standing taller than anyone else but hiding among the baggage — is applied in precisely the opposite way of what is needed: toward the people, Sha’ul shows humility and retreat, while in situations where it is less desirable, Sha’ul emerges as an initiator and leader. What once was positive has now become a weakness that leads him to follow the people rather than God. Sha’ul’s humility, once his strength, has now become a weakness.

3. Sacrifices vs. Obedience: Sha’ul justifies sparing the livestock by claiming they were meant for sacrifices. However, in doing so, he repeats the same mistake he made earlier when he sacrificed offerings at Gilgal (in Chapter 13), against God’s will. Here, Shmuel repeats the famous message he has consistently emphasized since the beginning of the book, countering the perspective of the House of Eli - "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obedience to the Lord’s voice? Behold - obedience is better than sacrifice, and compliance than the fat of rams.'" (15:22).

Two additional points arise in our chapter, though we won’t elaborate on them:

1. Who tears whose garment at the end of the chapter? And what is the significance of the ambiguity surrounding this? Included are the thoughts of Rav Amnon Bazak on this matter. It might indeed be possible to understand that a part of Shmuel’s own robe was also torn, symbolically. Pay attention to Shmuel's personal emotions throughout the chapter in light of Sha’ul's removal from kingship. This point will continue to accompany us as we observe Shmuel’s position when David is anointed as king.

2. The blotting out of Amalek – the moral question: Included are the extensive and comprehensive reflections of Rav Medan on this significant topic.