Sefer Shemuel is taught by Mrs. Marjorie Salem, teacher at Allegra Franco Teachers Seminary
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A Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union:
Now that Shaul had been crowned king, Shemuel was ready to withdraw from his role as Judge. (He would still serve as prophet, but he was no longer the head of the government or the military.) Shemuel asked if anyone had any complaints against him; nobody did. Shemuel then reminded the people that it was G-d Who sent Moses and Aaron, and Who saved them from Egypt. But when the nation forgets G-d, He allows foreign powers like Sisera and the Pelishtim to oppress them. However, when the people return to G-d, He sends redemption through great leaders. Here Shemuel named the lesser Judges: Gideon, Samson and Yiftah.
However, Shemuel still maintained that the people erred in demanding a king to lead them, rather than Hashem Himself. The fact that G-d had granted their request was no proof that it was necessarily a good thing, as Shemuel would proceed to demonstrate. It was summer, when it doesn’t rain in Israel, and the wheat was standing in the fields. Shemuel called out to Hashem and a heavy thunderstorm rained down. The people were afraid that they had sinned by asking for a king and they asked Shemuel to pray for them. He told them not to worry, just to continue by listening to the Word of Hashem. If they follow Hashem, they will be His people. If they stray, both they and the king they requested are done for. |
TanachStudy.com
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