Rebbetzin Chava Kuperman
And once again, we return to Shmuel.
First, he reminds the Jews of their history and under whose protection they had been.
“The L-rd, ...appointed (over you) Moshe and Aharon and ...brought your forefathers out of the land of Egypt! ...and I will contend with you before the L-rd over all His acts of kindness, which He has shown you and your forefathers” (12:6-7) When things were bad for you, Shmuel says, the Almighty sent you judges who always saved you, but now that problems have arisen, you did not want a judge—you wanted a king.
But what was wrong when the judges were saving you? Shmuel reminds them: first Moshe and Aharon, then Yerubbaal, Bedan and Yiftach, and Shmuel—“Through them, the L-rd delivered you from the hands of the enemies surrounding you, and you lived in safety” (12:11).
Interestingly, Shmuel speaks about himself in the third person. Why? Because when a prophet prophesies, he is not fully aware of himself; he is like an instrument for conveying information, a transmitter for the Almighty. (This was true of all the prophets except Moshe and Yeshayahu, who remained aware of themselves. So Shmuel still fell a little short of Moshe's level.)
The oral tradition and Rashi state that Yiftach was the least respected of the judges, whereas Shmuel is considered the most respected. Having mentioned Moshe and Aharon twice, Shmuel lists in verse 11 the names of the judges who were with the people throughout their subsequent history. Guided by special marks and commas, the oral tradition places Moshe, Aharon and Shmuel in one group of judges, and Yerubbaal, Bedan and Yiftach in another. The judges in the two groups are “parallel.” That is, Yerubbaal is “parallel” to Moshe, Bedan is “parallel” to Aharon, and Yiftach to Shmuel. This is the source of the saying that Yiftach in his generation is like Shmuel in his. The conclusion drawn is that every leader should be treated as though he were on the highest level.
Shmuel rebukes the Jews for preferring a king to G-d's judgment. And at the wrong time, too! Still, the deed is done and the choice has been made: “And now, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you requested; and behold, the L-rd has appointed a king over you. If you fear the L-rd and serve Him, and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commands of the L-rd, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow the L-rd, your G-d. But if you do not listen, …then the hand of the L-rd will be against you and against your forefathers” (12:13-15). Thus, Shmuel says, turning away from the Almighty will bring punishment not only upon those now living, but also upon their ancestors. From this we learn that our ancestors in the World of Souls suffer when we act unrighteously.
The events described take place during the wheat harvest (at Shavuot), when it no longer rains in Israel.
Rain at this time would threaten to destroy people's harvest. To make it clear to the people what a mistake they had made by demanding a king at the wrong time, Shmuel says: I will now ask G-d for a thunderstorm, and there will be a thunderstorm. This actually happens: a terrible downpour begins, with thunder and lightning. The people are terrified and plead: pray for us so that we do not perish; we understand that we behaved badly by asking for a king. Shmuel called out to the Almighty, and the rain stopped.
We draw this conclusion: if someone asks your forgiveness for an offense or a wrongful act, you must forgive them and even pray for the person who hurt you.
But why is rain used as a symbol of something terrible? In Israel, rain is a blessing; rain is life, and right now we are praying for it. Yet if rain comes at the wrong time, it brings death.
The same was true of the first king, whom the people pleaded for at the wrong time. And yet King David was born on Shavuot!
And finally, Shmuel said: “...Do not be afraid. Although you have committed all this evil, do not turn away from the L-rd, but serve the L-rd with all your heart… For the L-rd will not abandon His people for the sake of His great name, because the L-rd was pleased to make you His people. As for me, far be it from me to sin against the L-rd by ceasing to pray for you; fear the L-rd and serve Him faithfully, with all your heart, for consider how much He has done for you. But if you do evil, both you and your king will perish” (I Samuel, 12: 20-25).