שמואל א כ״ח:ג׳-י״ד

ושמואל מת. הרי כבר נאמר וימת שמואל, אלא לפי שבא לדבר בשאול שהוצרך לדרוש בבעלת אוב, פתח ואמר ושמואל מת, שאילו היה קיים, ממנו היה שאול דורש, ושאול הסיר האובות, והוצרך לבקש אשה בעלת אוב:

Shmuel had died. It was already stated, "and Shmuel died,"¹Above 25:1. but since [Scripture] came to speak about Shaul, that he had to ask of a medium of אוֹב,²See Maseches Sanhedrin 65b for description of אוֹב., it begins by stating, "and Shmuel had died," for had he been alive, Shaul would have inquired of him. But since Shaul had abolished the אוֹב mediums,³Pursuant to the prohibition stated in Vayikra 19:31. Shaul removed the mediums after Shmuel died. Before that, it was not necessary for him to do so because while Shmuel was alive, prophecy was widespread in Yisroel, so no one sought out the medium of אוֹב or יׅדְּעֹנִי. he had to seek out find an אוֹב medium.

ויספדו לו כל ישראל ויקברוהו ברמה ובעירו. (תרגום:) וספדו עלוהי כל ישראל וקברוהי ברמתא וספדו עלוהי אנש בקרתיה; 'ובעירו' מוסב על 'ויספדו לו', ספדוהו ברמה כשקברוהו, וספדוהו איש בעירו:

And all of Yisroel mourned him and buried him in Romoh, in his city. And all Yisroel mourned him and buried him in Romoh, and each person mourned him in his own city; and 'in his city' is connected with 'and they mourned him,' i.e., they mourned and buried him in Romoh, and each person mourned him in his own city.⁴In the same manner as he was mourned in his home town of Romoh.

גם באורים. לפי שהרג נוב עיר הכהנים, לא נענה:

Nor through the Urim. Because he had slain [the kohanim of] Nov,⁵See above Chapter 22. the City of Kohanim, he was not answered.

ויתחפש שאול. שינה בגדיו, וכן (מלכים-א כב ל): התחפש ובא במלחמה ; וכן (איוב ל יח): ברב כח יתחפש לבושי, וכן תרגם יונתן: ואשתני שאול:

Shaul disguised himself. He changed his clothes, and similarly, 'disguise yourself [הִתְחַפֵּשׂ] and come into battle,'⁶II Melochim 22:30. and similarly, 'its intensity makes me change [יׅתְחַפֵּשׂ] my clothing.'⁷Iyov 30:18. And so did Targum Yonoson render, 'and Shaul changed.'

ויבאו אל האשה לילה. יום היה, אלא מתוך צרתם היה דומה להם לילה, כך דרש רבי תנחומא (פרשת אמור ב):

They came to the woman at night. [They actually came] during the daytime, but because of their distress, it seemed to them as night. So did R. Tanchuma expound.

מתנקש. מבקש תקלה:

To entrap. Seek a stumbling block [i.e., trap].

ותזעק בקול גדול. שראתהו עולה שלא כדרך העולים, שהמעלה בזכורו, עולים רגליהם למעלה, וזה עולה ראשו למעלה, בשביל כבודו של שאול (תנחומא שם):

She screamed loudly. For she saw him ascending not in the usual manner⁸Radak suggests that the moment the woman saw the manner in which Shmuel came up, she realized that the man who had come to her was Shaul, and that is why she screamed. of those who ascend [through the אוֹב medium], for when one conjures up [the dead], they ascend with their feet upward, while this one was ascending with his head upward, in honor of Shaul.⁹Vayikra Rabboh 26:7.

אלהים ראיתי עולים מן הארץ. מלאכים שנים, משה ושמואל, שנתיירא שמואל שמא אני מתבקש בדין, והעלה משה עמו (כדאיתא בחגיגה ד ב):

I saw a godly man rising from the earth. Two angels, Moshe and Shmuel,¹⁰This is alluded to in the words אִישׁ זֲקִן עֹלֶה וְהוּא עֹטֶה מְעִיל, ‘an old man ascends [i.e., Moshe] and he is wearing a robe [i.e., Shmuel].’ for Shmuel feared, 'Perhaps I am being summoned for judgement,' and he therefore brought Moshe up with him,¹¹Each person must face judgment within twelve months of his death. Shmuel wanted that Moshe testify on his behalf. as it is stated in [Maseches] Chagiga and Ta'anis.¹²

מה תארו. שלשה דברים נאמרו באוב: המעלה אותו, רואהו ואינו שומע קולו, והנשאל לו, שומעו ואינו רואהו, ולפיכך שאל מה תארו, ואחר, לא רואהו ולא שומעו (תנחומא שם):

What does he look like. Three things were said regarding אוֹב: The one who conjures him [the dead] up, sees him, but does not hear his voice; the one who inquires of him, hears him, but does not see him, and therefore, he [Shaul] asked, 'What does he look like?', and the others neither see or hear him.

והוא עוטה מעיל. שהיה רגיל ללבוש מעיל, שנאמר (לעיל ב יט): ומעיל קטן תעשה לו אמו, ובמעילו נקבר, וכן עלה, וכן לעתיד לבא יעמדו בלבושיהם (תנחומא שם):

He is garbed in a robe. For he was accustomed to wear a robe, as it is stated, "and his mother would make him a small robe."¹³Above 2:19. He was buried with his robe, and so he arose. And so in the future [Resurrection of the Dead], they will rise with their garments.