Shaul’s failure to defeat Amalek (Shmuel I, Chapter 15)

 This is not so timely, as we have started Sefer Melachim in our cycle.  But I wrote it while recently in Israel, and we read Shmuel I, Chapter 15 it for last week's Haftarah, so here it is.  I will endeavor to catch up.

“God sent me to anoint you as king over his nation, over Israel.  So listen now to the voice of the words of God.”

So does Shmuel introduce his command to King Shaul to wage war and destroy Amalek, including every human being therein, as well as all their livestock.  

The story is very clear that Shaul failed, and it is because of this failure that the kingship is torn from him.  He failed because he spared some of the animals, and spared Agag, the king of Amalek.

Why is this sin so horrible that God decides that it merits the removal of Shaul from his position as king?

After all, we are told that Shaul and the nation “had compassion” on Agag and the best of the animals, and that Shaul intended to sacrifice the animals to God!   Furthermore, Shaul does not even seem to be aware that he failed—he tells Shmuel upon first meeting him “I have fulfilled the word of God”.

Here are 3 answers:

1) The plain meaning of the text is that Shaul disobeyed God and substituted his own judgment for God’s clear will which had been communicated to him by a prophet. 

2) Additionally, there seems to be a clear indication that Shaul lacked the leadership qualities necessary to be king.   Thus, he lays the blame at the feet of the people (they wanted the animals”.    Shmuel rebukes him that even though Shaul doesn’t think much of himself, he is the king and must lead.  And finally, Shaul admits that he was afraid of the people.    Thus, his sin was not mere disobedience to God, but also disobedience that was motivated by fear and an inability to lead the people.  And if the king cannot lead the people to serve God, then he is not worthy to be king.

3) Finally, the destruction of Amalek is an unusual commandment, because the actions involved are normally considered the most heinous of sins—murder.   Thus, a failure—by sparing Agag and the animals--- to fulfill the commandment completely means that the commandment was not followed—Amalek was not wiped out.    And if this is the case, then when Shaul killed the thousands of Amaleki people, his actions essentially became murder.

On a different note, I wonder about the following:   Could Shaul have beseeched God on behalf of Amalek, as Avraham did for the people of Sedom?  Would such an entreaty have been Abrahamic in its merit, or impermissible in this particular case?