Parshat Vayikra Shabbat Zachor (1 Samuel 15:1-34) March 19, 2005

Samuel cannot abide Saul's not acting like a king, allowing the people to stray from the will of God. He expects leaders to lead without falling prey to populist yearnings. Rabbi David Kimche (Provance 12th century) captures Samuel's consternation: "You [Saul] were anointed king over them to lead them down the straight path and to keep them from sin. How did you allow them to transgress God's words? It was not their sin; rather it was your sin for you had the ability to object to their behavior but did not object. Consequently, it appeared that their acts had your approval and that you "coveted the booty and swooped down upon it." (See verse 19) Targum Yonathon translated verse 17 this way: "Did you not rise up from your beginnings and yet you feel yourself insignificant; The merit of the tribe of Benjamin, your forefather, brought about your becoming king of Israel, for they wanted to be the first to cross the sea [upon leaving Egypt] in order to lead the people of Israel [out of Egypt]. For this reason, God made you the king of Israel." This Targum is corroborated by a story in the Talmud: "The tribe of Benjamin sprang forward and descended into the sea first… Then the tribe of Judah started to stone them and Nachshon ben Aminadov (from the tribe of Judah) descended into the sea first instead. (see Sotah 35b-36a) (adapted translation of Kimche)

Kimche's interpretation, based on the Targum and Talmud, sought to use the model of Saul's tribe's behavior at the sea to provide him with a leadership model. Leaders must lead the people to do what is right rather than follow the lead of the popular will which potentially contains the seeds of their downfall. It is this tragic lesson which Samuel sought to transmit to Saul.