THE PROPHET
Samuel was the last of the so-called "Judges." Between the leadership of Joshua and the naming of Saul as the first king of Israel, the Judges ruled over the Israelite people. Their leadership lasted several centuries. Samuel is considered to have been a very capable. It was under his leadership that the Israelite tribes finally were united. The people asked Samuel to appoint a king to rule them. He was reluctant to do so, but was ultimately convinced. In the Biblical text, God identifies Saul as the king whom Samuel was to anoint.

FROM TORAH TO HAFTARAH: MAKING THE CONNECTION
In this week's Torah portion, Korach leads a rebellion against Moses which many of the Israelites supported. In the haftarah, the people ask for the institution of the Judges to be replaced with a monarchy. In both instances the people reject their leader whom God had chosen.

FOCUS
"Then Samuel said to all Israel: I have listened to your pleas and done everything you asked of me, and set a king over you." (1 Samuel 12:2)

COMMENTARY
The Judges were the leaders of the Israelites after the death of Joshua and before the establishment of the Israelite monarchy. These judges served in many ways beyond the common conception of judges as arbiters of justice and the law. These judges were also powerful military commanders, "heroes upon whom 'rested the spirit of God' and who led single tribes or groups of tribes in military campaigns to free Israel from oppression by foreign powers." (Encyclopedia Judaica p.442)

Samuel is the last of the Judges and in this week's haftarah he speaks to the people, reviewing his career and describing the appointment of Saul as the first king.

In this Haftarah, Samuel was not just saying goodbye to the people but he spoke about the conclusion of an entire era. Joshua had begun the conquest of the Promised Land, but did not complete it -- this task was left to the Judges. They too were not totally effective in carrying this out. The Israelites were still facing aggression from the surrounding nations. They wanted a new type of leader who would perhaps be completely successful in establishing their claim. Popular opinion concluded that the institution of the Judges had outlived its usefulness and was not responding adequately to the needs and desires of the people.

Samuel was ambivalent on the subject of a king. He felt that the people were personally rejecting him through their request. Samuel was so disturbed that he prayed to God for guidance. In response, God told Samuel it was not Samuel they were rejecting, but God. God tells Samuel to heed the voice of the people and grant them a king. However, Samuel was also to warn them about the implications of the monarchy. This was done with a detailed description of the royal protocol. For example, Samuel explained that a king would take away their sons to serve in his armies, appoint others to farm for him, and make the tools of war. The king would also take daughters to work as perfumers, cooks and bakers. The new king would confiscate their best vineyards and olive trees. The people were advised that the king would take a tenth of their crops and sheep, and that they would be, in many ways, the king's slaves. Despite these warnings the people still insisted on having a king. (See I Samuel 8:8-8:22)

The midrash teaches that "Rabbi Eliezer said: 'the elders of the generation made a proper request when they said, "Give us a king to lead us' (1Samuel 8:6). But the people in Israel spoiled it by adding, 'That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may rule us, and go out before us, and fight our battles' " (1Samuel 8:20) The Book of Legends, Sefer Ha-Aggadah 730:82

In this midrashic text, the people who spoiled the request for a king are called am ha-aretz, a Hebrew expression meaning a person who is common and uneducated. Despite lacking sophistication and education, these "common" people were still able to change the course of Israelite society and history.

KEEP TALKING

1. There is a saying, "It is easy to go up to a dais [the place of leadership], tough to come down" (Yalkut). How might this expression explain Samuel and his feelings about appointing a king?
2. Despite all the warnings, the people were intent on having a king appointed over them. The people had an overwhelming desire to be just like other nations. What might have been so enviable about these other nations? Take another look at the COMMENTARY section, what was the state of Israelite society at this time? What were the motivating factors that would lead the people to issue their demand to Samuel? Despite the warnings to demand a king? What problems might they have believed that a king could resolve that the Judges had been unable to solve?
3. Is it so terrible that the Israelites wanted to be "like the other nations?" What were they rejecting with this request? When have you had a strong desire to be just like other people? What is being accepted and what is being rejected in desiring to imitate those around us? When have you disagreed with a request to be like everyone else?
4. Do you think you could depend on a divine King alone? Could society? Could the Israelites? Does this make their request more or less understandable?
5. In the Talmud it reads, "according to one opinion, the character of a generation is determined by its leader. According to another opinion, the character of its leader is determined by the generation" (Babylonian Talmud Arakhin 17a). Apply this statement to the protocol of the king as described by Samuel. What does this say about the people? What does it say about the king?
6. Consider the Talmudic statement in question 5. With which opinion do you agree and why?

TAKING A STAND on Jewish study and leadership by visiting the website of The Washington Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values at http://www.wijlv.org. The homepage of this organization explains that The Washington Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values is dedicated to the renewal of American Jewish life through the integration of Jewish study, tikkun olam (repair of the world), and civic engagement. It accomplishes its work through seminars, workshops, teacher training, and publications. It serves high school, college, and adult constituents.

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This week's Family Shabbat Table Talk was written by Barbara Binder Kadden, who said a sheh-he-che-ya-nu and gave tzedakah when her daughter reached Israel safely earlier this week and her son had no broken bones when he visited the emergency room on the first day of summer vacation!