Questions: Why is Amalek different than all of the other enemies of Israel, so that only Amalek was ordered to be destroyed? And why was the sin of Saul so great?
(א) אתי שלח ה' בספור הכתובים יבואו גם כן אחת לאחת הטעמים שלא קבל ה' תשובת שאול ולקח המלכות ממנו, ולא כן דוד שחטא גם כן ונמחל לו, וטעם א' כתב העקרים (פכ''ד מאמר ד') כי חטא שאול היה בעניני המלוכה וחטא דוד לא היה בענין המלוכה, ונסביר על ידי משל, שני סופרים שחטאו א' זייף שטרות והשני גלה ערות בשר, שהדין הוא שזה השני ילקה וחוזר לאומנתו, והראשון שחטא באומנתו יפסל מלהיות סופר, וכן דוד חטא באשר הוא אדם לא באשר הוא מלך, ושאול חטא במצוה שנצטוה בה מצד מלכותו, לכן היה הדין שתלקח המלכות ממנו, כמו ששלמה שחטא ברבוי נשים שהיא מצות המלך נקרע מלכותו
The Lord has sent me...: We will also understand why Saul's excuse was not accepted and the kingship was taken away from him, which was not the case with David (who also sinned, but retained royalty).
David sinned a person, Saul sinned as a King.
A scribe who forges documents v. a scribe who is caught in some sexual impropriety.
Like Solomon who's sin was too many wives, his kingdom was torn into two.
To anoint you king: Saying that this command stems from you being anointed king (by god) and just like i was sent to anoint you, so too was I sent with this command...
All wars are fought because of one of five elements: 1) To increase one's land, and this was on the "way." 2) If one comes close to the border, so war is waged to deter. This was waged far from Amalek's boundaries. 3) out of hate and revenge, but Amalek had no relationship with Israel and just ambushed them. 4) To indicate who's boss and to show off their might, but here that was not the case, as they attached the stragglers. and 5) a religious war, where one nation attacked the other because they were unbelievers, but Amalek were not believers themselves
So in essence there was no reason for this war other than 1) they denied God, and since they heard of all the great miracles that were done on Israel's behalf, thereby inducing the nations to become believers, Amalek wanted to show that this "God" was nonsense. 2) because they just didn't like the Jews, an unexplainable hatred seen throughout history etc. And that's why God commanded to erase their memory (by remembering what they did!!)
(undefined) In the crisis that the Land of Israel is [at present] passing through, Providence is again testing us. It is fitting that we openly state that this matter does not just involve Israel’s political future. The evil intentions of the Arabs are not only directed against our national independence but against the continued existence of the Jewish presence in Israel. They aspire to exterminate (God forbid) the Yishuv — men, women, children, infants, sheep, and cattle (cf: I Samuel 15:3). At a meeting of Mizrachi (the Religious Zionists of America), I repeated, in the name of my father (of blessed memory), that the notion of “the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16) is not confined to a certain race, but includes a necessary attack against any nation or group infused with mad hatred that directs its enmity against the community of Israel. When a nation emblazon son its standard, “Come, let us cut them off from being a nation so that the name of Israel shall no longer be remembered” (Psalms 83:5), it becomes Amalek.23 In the 1930’s and 1940’s the Nazis, with Hitler at their helm, filled this role. In this most recent period they were the Amalekites, the representatives of insane hate. Today, the throngs of Nasser and the Mufti have taken their place. If we are again silent, I do not know how we will be judged before God. Do not rely on the justice of the “liberal world.” Those pious liberals were alive fifteen years ago and witnessed the destruction of millions of people with equanimity and did not lift a finger. They are liable to observe, God forbid, the repetition of the bloodbath and not lose a night’s sleep.
He told each one, that they should each take a sheep from the king's stock, and then he counted the sheep, since it is prohibited to count the Jews, as it says "and they won't be counted due to their multitudes."
(ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֣וּל אֶֽל־הַקֵּינִ֡י לְכוּ֩ סֻּ֨רוּ רְד֜וּ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עֲמָלֵקִ֗י פֶּן־אֹֽסִפְךָ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֞ה עָשִׂ֤יתָה חֶ֙סֶד֙ עִם־כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּעֲלוֹתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֥סַר קֵינִ֖י מִתּ֥וֹךְ עֲמָלֵֽק׃
Yitro visited them right after the war with Amalek. and is mentioning it here, since this was was supposed to be Noble, without any interest in the Booty, something which the Jews didn't do here. And that's why maybe in the story of Esther the Jews didn't partake in any of the booty at all (Ralbag)
(ט) וַיַּחְמֹל֩ שָׁא֨וּל וְהָעָ֜ם עַל־אֲגָ֗ג וְעַל־מֵיטַ֣ב הַצֹּאן֩ וְהַבָּקָ֨ר וְהַמִּשְׁנִ֤ים וְעַל־הַכָּרִים֙ וְעַל־כָּל־הַטּ֔וֹב וְלֹ֥א אָב֖וּ הַחֲרִימָ֑ם וְכָל־הַמְּלָאכָ֛ה נְמִבְזָ֥ה וְנָמֵ֖ס אֹתָ֥הּ הֶחֱרִֽימוּ׃ (פ)
(9) but Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the second-born, the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not proscribe them; they proscribed only what was cheap and worthless.
The verb Chemlah indicates a type of mercy in which one questions the purpose of the destruction, as opposed to just having mercy of a poor soul or regret for having to destroy something that one can benefit from. Rachamin, Chus etc. (Malbim)
There is no word like this in the Bible, but it means the healthiest animals...
(טו) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י הֱבִיא֗וּם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָמַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַל־מֵיטַ֤ב הַצֹּאן֙ וְהַבָּקָ֔ר לְמַ֥עַן זְבֹ֖חַ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְאֶת־הַיּוֹתֵ֖ר הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃ (ס)
(כ) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֔ה וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה וָאָבִ֗יא אֶת־אֲגַג֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמָלֵ֔ק וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖ק הֶחֱרַֽמְתִּי׃
I did the basics. I mostly followed it. It doesn't work that way with God.
(כא) וַיִּקַּ֨ח הָעָ֧ם מֵהַשָּׁלָ֛ל צֹ֥אן וּבָקָ֖ר רֵאשִׁ֣ית הַחֵ֑רֶם לִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַֽיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃
Continuing to pass the blame, even though the buck stops with him.
(כב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הַחֵ֤פֶץ לַֽיהוָה֙ בְּעֹל֣וֹת וּזְבָחִ֔ים כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח ט֔וֹב לְהַקְשִׁ֖יב מֵחֵ֥לֶב אֵילִֽים׃
Difference betweeen CHefetz and Rotzon:
Chefetz indicates an inherent will. Razon, a will dependent on something.
(כג) כִּ֤י חַטַּאת־קֶ֙סֶם֙ מֶ֔רִי וְאָ֥וֶן וּתְרָפִ֖ים הַפְצַ֑ר יַ֗עַן מָאַ֙סְתָּ֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (ס)
(כד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֤וּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ חָטָ֔אתִי כִּֽי־עָבַ֥רְתִּי אֶת־פִּֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וְאֶת־דְּבָרֶ֑יךָ כִּ֤י יָרֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע בְּקוֹלָֽם׃
(24) Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress the LORD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them.
(כו) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל לֹ֥א אָשׁ֖וּב עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י מָאַ֙סְתָּה֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה מִהְי֥וֹת מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)
(כז) וַיִּסֹּ֥ב שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל לָלֶ֑כֶת וַיַּחֲזֵ֥ק בִּכְנַף־מְעִיל֖וֹ וַיִּקָּרַֽע׃
(ל) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חָטָ֔אתִי עַתָּ֗ה כַּבְּדֵ֥נִי נָ֛א נֶ֥גֶד זִקְנֵֽי־עַמִּ֖י וְנֶ֣גֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשׁ֣וּב עִמִּ֔י וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֖יתִי לַֽיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
(לג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁכְּלָ֤ה נָשִׁים֙ חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ כֵּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל מִנָּשִׁ֖ים אִמֶּ֑ךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל אֶת־אֲגָ֛ג לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (ס)