Rebbetzin Chava Kuperman
So, the army has assembled, the sacrifices have been offered, and the messengers who brought news of the war are sent back with instructions: “Tell the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead this: Tomorrow, when the sun grows hot, deliverance will come to you” (I Samuel, chapter 11, 9).
“And the messengers came and told the inhabitants of Jabesh, and they rejoiced” (I Samuel, chapter 11, 8). Indeed, they had reason to rejoice: they had held little hope that anyone would come to save them.
We have an entire body of rules governing warfare.
One of them concerns the timing of an operation. Ideally, it should begin between midnight and morning, on three fronts at once rather than just one, to disconcert the enemy.
Why choose such an unusual time? The night is divided into three watches (according to one opinion, four; there is a disagreement about the number of shifts). At the moment when the angels relieve one another, they sing hymns to the Almighty. Exodus (14:24) says: “And it came to pass, during the morning watch...”
It is precisely at this time that the greatest victories take place.
Incidentally, it was at this time that the Almighty drowned the Egyptians who had rushed into the passage through the sea that had parted for the Jews. They saw dry land before them but found themselves in a death trap—buried in the depths of the sea. (At this time, the Almighty forbade the angels to sing. There should be no hymns while people are drowning, even if they are enemies of the Jewish people.)
The predawn watch is preferred for an offensive because the soldiers in the enemy camp are sleepy and sluggish, making it very difficult for them to muster their strength and repel an attack.
Saul did everything according to the rules. He divided the Jewish army into three units so that they could advance from three flanks at once; the Jews charged into the enemy camp and, as promised, defeated the Ammonites before the midday heat. The mighty army, armed to the teeth, scattered in terror. As it says: “...the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them remained together” (I Samuel, chapter 11, 11).
The people saw that Saul was a strong king, capable of standing up for the Jewish people and winning. Even the remote outlying areas could feel safe with such a king at the head of the state!
Nothing like this had happened since the invasion of Eretz Yisrael under Joshua's leadership. Now there was indeed reason to rejoice and praise the valiant and virtuous king!
We read: “And the people said to Samuel: ‘Who was it who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring those men here, and we will put them to death!’” (I Samuel, chapter 11, 12).
But Saul said that no one would be put to death on this day of victory, for today the L-rd had brought about a great deliverance in Israel.
Then the prophet Samuel called out to the people: “Let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there! And all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king there before the L-rd in Gilgal, and they slaughtered peace offerings there before the L-rd, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly there” (I Samuel, chapter 11, 15).
This marks the third stage of Saul's coronation as king, when the entire people finally accepted him.
(Interestingly, Gilgal was the first stop within the territory of Israel when the people entered the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership.)
This concludes chapter 11 of the first book of Samuel.