slaughter. Maybe Shmuel was exaggerating HaShem’s command, perhaps. Might it be his, Shaul’s, duty, that despite the clear command from HaShem, he, Shaul, should nevertheless show some compassion. After all, such wanton destruction is a sin! If already one unsolved murder calls forth a whole ceremony of expiation, how much more wrong is it to kill so many people and such valuable livestock — which can be used in sacrifices to HaShem! But our Chachommim teach from here, “Do not be overly righteous!” They warn that “anyone who is merciful when he has to be cruel, in the end turns out to be cruel when he should be merciful.” See how Shaul was merciful to Aggag and some of his henchmen — and then ended up pursuing to the death the innocent Dovid!
10. From this sad figure of the fallen king we learn too how a person becomes attached to power and honour. Our Chachommim point out for us how when Shmuel came to anoint Shaul as king, he hid away, so much did he dislike being in a position of authority over others. In fact, Shaul was humble to a fault, as indeed Shmuel rebuked him, “Even though you are a small person in your own eyes, remember! you are the leader of the Tribes of Israel!” Yet once he was king, and then that kingship was taken away from him by express command of HaShem through His Novvi, he struggled to hold on to power. He could not bear that his power and his authority should be taken from him and he thus viewed Dovid as a traitor deserving to be killed. In the words of Rabbi Yehudah ben Tabbai (Pirkei d’Rabbi Nosson, Chapter 10, Paragraph 3): If anyone would have told me before I came to this high position (of Rosh Yeshiva) “Take the position!” I would have harassed him to death! But now that I am in this high position, anyone who tells me, “Get down!” — I would pour a kettle of boiling water over his head — so great is the attraction of power! For as difficult as it might be to assume power, it is more difficult to relinquish that power.”
11. It must be emphasised that despite his shortcomings, Shaul was a righteous man. As said above, at the time when HaShem chose him to be the first ever King of the Chosen People, there was no one who was greater than he in Torah and fear of G-d in the entire Nation. He was a true servant of HaShem and dedicated his life to HaShem’s People. Eventually he gave his life for them, too. With all that, the greater the person, the greater his responsibility and because he did wrong, he was rejected by HaShem from being king of the Jewish People.
