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https://thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoughts/amalek-and-haman/
- For my teacher, Dr. Esther M. Shkop, from whom comes the drash on the names of Shmuel and Shaul, as well as the importance of the regicide taboo in biblical narratives. And for my father Dr. Ted Karp, alav ha-shalom, who said it just goes to show how fast a woman can get pregnant.
(יט) וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י ה` וַיָּשֻׁ֛בוּ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־בֵּיתָ֖ם הָרָמָ֑תָה וַיֵּ֤דַע אֶלְקָנָה֙ אֶת־חַנָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַֽיִּזְכְּרֶ֖הָ ה`׃ (כ) וַֽיְהִי֙ לִתְקֻפ֣וֹת הַיָּמִ֔ים וַתַּ֥הַר חַנָּ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמוֹ֙ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י מֵה` שְׁאִלְתִּֽיו׃
(19) Early next morning [after all the heartfelt prayer at the Sanctuary], they bowed low before GOD, and they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Channah and GOD remembered her. (20) Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Shmuel, meaning, “I asked GOD for him [sh'il-tiv].”
- Consider Channah's grammar. If she wishes to name her child, Shmuel, "God has heard," her story should, in fact, read more like Leah Immeinu's:
(לג) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע ה` כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃
(33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because GOD heard [shama'] that I was unloved and has given me this one also”; so she named him Shim'on.
- The name that matches Channah's description of her feelings is not actually Samuel, but Saul.
- My teacher, Dr. Esther Shkop, believes the fault was not Channah's: Hashem switched the souls on purpose.
- This spiritual connection, that of twinned souls separated at birth, explains the extraordinary sympathy that the prophet Shmuel has for the young man whom he anoints as king. Shmuel takes Shaul's failings personally. The verb he uses to rail at God protesting Shaul's impending loss of his crown is the same verb used by the Jewish people to bewail their oppression in Egypt under Pharaoh. For the rest of Shmuel's life (and afterward!), his relationship with his young protegee will deteriorate into constant nagging and sniping, as Shmuel attempts to correct Shaul's personal flaws before the younger man destroys himself, and neither of them can forgive each other when this plan does not succeed.
(י) וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־ה` אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יא) נִחַ֗מְתִּי כִּֽי־הִמְלַ֤כְתִּי אֶת־שָׁאוּל֙ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ כִּי־שָׁב֙ מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔י וְאֶת־דְּבָרַ֖י לֹ֣א הֵקִ֑ים וַיִּ֙חַר֙ לִשְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּזְעַ֥ק אֶל־ה` כׇּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ (יב) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧ם שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל לִקְרַ֥את שָׁא֖וּל בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜ל לֵאמֹ֗ר בָּֽא־שָׁא֤וּל הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙ וְהִנֵּ֨ה מַצִּ֥יב לוֹ֙ יָ֔ד וַיִּסֹּב֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔ר וַיֵּ֖רֶד הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃
(10) The word of GOD then came to Samuel: (11) “I [find it is] a pity that I made Shaul king, for he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was distressed and he wailed & yelled GOD all night long. (12) Early in the morning Shmuel went to meet Shaul. Shmuel was told, “Shaul went to Carmel, where he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.”
It is often necessary for the modern reader to explore God's antipathy to Shaul's mercy. Shaul leaves one man alive, and Hashem objects. How moral is that? I will call on a certain professional woman from Endor to articulate the difference between good, evil, and our modern shed-no-blood-of-named-characters aesthetic:
(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל אֹתִ֨י שָׁלַ֤ח ה` לִמְשׇׁחֳךָ֣ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ עַל־עַמּ֖וֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֣ה שְׁמַ֔ע לְק֖וֹל דִּבְרֵ֥י ה`׃ (ב) כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ ה` צְבָא֔וֹת פָּקַ֕דְתִּי אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה עֲמָלֵ֖ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בַּעֲלֹת֖וֹ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (ג) עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּיתָ֜ה אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד־חֲמֽוֹר׃ (ד) וַיְשַׁמַּ֤ע שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וַֽיִּפְקְדֵם֙ בַּטְּלָאִ֔ים מָאתַ֥יִם אֶ֖לֶף רַגְלִ֑י וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים אֶת־אִ֥ישׁ יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ה) וַיָּבֹ֥א שָׁא֖וּל עַד־עִ֣יר עֲמָלֵ֑ק וַיָּ֖רֶב בַּנָּֽחַל׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֣וּל אֶֽל־הַקֵּינִ֡י לְכוּ֩ סֻּ֨רוּ רְד֜וּ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עֲמָלֵקִ֗י פֶּן־אֹֽסִפְךָ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֞ה עָשִׂ֤יתָֽה חֶ֙סֶד֙ עִם־כׇּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּעֲלוֹתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֥סַר קֵינִ֖י מִתּ֥וֹךְ עֲמָלֵֽק׃ (ז) וַיַּ֥ךְ שָׁא֖וּל אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֑ק מֵֽחֲוִילָה֙ בּוֹאֲךָ֣ שׁ֔וּר אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ח) וַיִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ אֶת־אֲגַ֥ג מֶלֶךְ־עֲמָלֵ֖ק חָ֑י וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֥ים לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃ (ט) וַיַּחְמֹל֩ שָׁא֨וּל וְהָעָ֜ם עַל־אֲגָ֗ג וְעַל־מֵיטַ֣ב הַצֹּאן֩ וְהַבָּקָ֨ר וְהַמִּשְׁנִ֤ים וְעַל־הַכָּרִים֙ וְעַל־כׇּל־הַטּ֔וֹב וְלֹ֥א אָב֖וּ הַחֲרִימָ֑ם וְכׇל־הַמְּלָאכָ֛ה נְמִבְזָ֥ה וְנָמֵ֖ס אֹתָ֥הּ הֶחֱרִֽימוּ׃
(1) Shmuel said to Shaul, “I am the one GOD sent to anoint you king over Israel—God’s people. Therefore, listen to GOD’s command! (2) “Thus said GOD of Hosts: I am exacting the penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the road, on their way up from Egypt. (3) Now go, attack Amalek, and eradicate all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, babies and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys!” (4) Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 as Judah’s contingent. (5) Then Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the wadi. (6) Shaul said to the Kenites, “Come, withdraw at once from among the Amalekites, that I may not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they left Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites. (7) Shaul destroyed Amalek from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is close to Egypt, (8) and he captured King Agag of Amalek alive. He eradicated all the [OTHER] people, putting them to the sword; (9) but Shaul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the second-born, the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not eradicate them; they eradicated only what was cheap and worthless.
- Dr. Shkop explains that in ancient times, the divine right of kings gave rise to an unassailable regicide taboo, as explained by Agag himself in the story:
- I could not resist throwing a nod to David here, proving that Agag is wicked and manipulative, as dangerous as a poisonous snake, but in this, he was not technically mistaken:
- To reiterate, Shaul slaughters nursing babies without pause, but maintains the regicide taboo in the face of God's command. It is this horrible war criminal whom Shaul wishes to spare, not the most blameless among his people. This is not just, nor is it mercy: it is regal insecurity. Shaul is too willing to be led by the mob: whereas he breaks his oath and spares his son, the deserving hero, from the consequences of King Shaul's ill-informed words in Chapter 14, the king now spares a war criminal with blood on his hands from the edict of God's well-informed order.
- (Read more about the Kenites here, in my other story.)
(יב) וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧ם שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל לִקְרַ֥את שָׁא֖וּל בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜ל לֵאמֹ֗ר בָּֽא־שָׁא֤וּל הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙ וְהִנֵּ֨ה מַצִּ֥יב לוֹ֙ יָ֔ד וַיִּסֹּב֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔ר וַיֵּ֖רֶד הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (יג) וַיָּבֹ֥א שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל־שָׁא֑וּל וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ שָׁא֗וּל בָּר֤וּךְ אַתָּה֙ לַֽה` הֲקִימֹ֖תִי אֶת־דְּבַ֥ר ה`׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וּמֶ֛ה קֽוֹל־הַצֹּ֥אן הַזֶּ֖ה בְּאׇזְנָ֑י וְק֣וֹל הַבָּקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃ (טו) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י הֱבִיא֗וּם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָמַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַל־מֵיטַ֤ב הַצֹּאן֙ וְהַבָּקָ֔ר לְמַ֥עַן זְבֹ֖חַ לַה` אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְאֶת־הַיּוֹתֵ֖ר הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל הֶ֚רֶף וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לְּךָ֔ אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר ה` אֵלַ֖י הַלָּ֑יְלָה (ויאמרו)[וַיֹּ֥אמֶר] ל֖וֹ דַּבֵּֽר׃ {ס}(יז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הֲל֗וֹא אִם־קָטֹ֤ן אַתָּה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ רֹ֛אשׁ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אָ֑תָּה וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ֧ ה` לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (יח) וַיִּשְׁלָחֲךָ֥ ה` בְּדָ֑רֶךְ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֵ֣ךְ וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֞ה אֶת־הַֽחַטָּאִים֙ אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֔ק וְנִלְחַמְתָּ֣ ב֔וֹ עַ֥ד כַּלּוֹתָ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃ (יט) וְלָ֥מָּה לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּק֣וֹל יהוה וַתַּ֙עַט֙ אֶל־הַשָּׁלָ֔ל וַתַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י ה`׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ בְּק֣וֹל ה` וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַ֣נִי ה` וָאָבִ֗יא אֶת־אֲגַג֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמָלֵ֔ק וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖ק הֶחֱרַֽמְתִּי׃ (כא) וַיִּקַּ֨ח הָעָ֧ם מֵהַשָּׁלָ֛ל צֹ֥אן וּבָקָ֖ר רֵאשִׁ֣ית הַחֵ֑רֶם לִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַה` אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃ {ס}(כב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הַחֵ֤פֶץ לַֽה` בְּעֹל֣וֹת וּזְבָחִ֔ים כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל ה` הִנֵּ֤ה שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח ט֔וֹב לְהַקְשִׁ֖יב מֵחֵ֥לֶב אֵילִֽים׃ (כג) כִּ֤י חַטַּאת־קֶ֙סֶם֙ מֶ֔רִי וְאָ֥וֶן וּתְרָפִ֖ים הַפְצַ֑ר יַ֗עַן מָאַ֙סְתָּ֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר ה` וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (כד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֤וּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ חָטָ֔אתִי כִּֽי־עָבַ֥רְתִּי אֶת־פִּֽי־ה` וְאֶת־דְּבָרֶ֑יךָ כִּ֤י יָרֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע בְּקוֹלָֽם׃ (כה) וְעַתָּ֕ה שָׂ֥א נָ֖א אֶת־חַטָּאתִ֑י וְשׁ֣וּב עִמִּ֔י וְאֶֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה לַה`׃
(12) ...Early in the morning Shmuel went to meet Shaul. Shmuel was told, “Shaul went to Carmel, where he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.” (13) When Shmuel came to Shaul, Shaul said to him, “Blessed are you of GOD! I have fulfilled GOD’s command.” (14) “Then what,” demanded Samuel, “is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?” (15) Shaul answered, “They were brought from the Amalekites, for the troops spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen for sacrificing to the ETERNAL your God. And we eradicated the rest.” (16) Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what GOD said to me last night!” “Speak,” he replied.
(17) And Shmuel said, “You may look small to yourself, but you are the head of the tribes of Israel. GOD anointed you king over Israel, (18) and GOD sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and eradicate the sinful [plundering] Amalekites; make war on them until you have exterminated them.’ (19) Why did you disobey GOD and swoop down on the spoil in defiance of GOD’s will?”
(20) Shaul said to Shmuel, “But I did obey GOD! I performed the mission on which GOD sent me: I captured King Agag of Amalek, and I eradicated Amalek, (21) and the troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen—the best of what had been proscribed—to sacrifice to the ETERNAL your God at Gilgal.”
(22) Shmuel said:
“Does GOD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As much as in obedience to GOD’s command?
Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice,
Compliance than the fat of rams.
(23)For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
Defiance, like the iniquity of oracle idols.
Because you rejected GOD’s command,
[God] has rejected you as king.”
(24) Shaul said to Shmuel, “I did wrong to transgress GOD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them. (25) Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to GOD.”
- It was difficult for me as an author to wrestle with a reason why this prayer was not accepted, either by Shmuel or by Hashem. Deep into studying of the mind-numbing rituals in Seder Kodshin, courtesy of Daf Yomi, I notice that Shaul mentions worship but not actual t'shuvah or changing his ways.
(כז) וַיִּסֹּ֥ב שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל לָלֶ֑כֶת וַיַּחֲזֵ֥ק בִּכְנַף־מְעִיל֖וֹ וַיִּקָּרַֽע׃ {ס}(כח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל קָרַ֨ע יהוה אֶֽת־מַמְלְכ֧וּת יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵעָלֶ֖יךָ הַיּ֑וֹם וּנְתָנָ֕הּ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ הַטּ֥וֹב מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ {ס}(כט) וְגַם֙ נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יִנָּחֵ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֥א אָדָ֛ם ה֖וּא לְהִנָּחֵֽם׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חָטָ֔אתִי עַתָּ֗ה כַּבְּדֵ֥נִי נָ֛א נֶ֥גֶד זִקְנֵֽי־עַמִּ֖י וְנֶ֣גֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשׁ֣וּב עִמִּ֔י וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֖יתִי לַיהוה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (לא) וַיָּ֥שׇׁב שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אַחֲרֵ֣י שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ שָׁא֖וּל לַיהוה׃ {ס}
(27) As Shmuel turned to leave, Shaul seized the corner of his robe, and it tore. (28) And Shmuel said to him, “GOD has this day torn the kingship over Israel away from you and has given it to another who is worthier than you. (29) Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not deceive or have a change of heart, for [God] is not human to have a change of heart.”
(30) But [Shaul] pleaded, “I did wrong. Please, honor me in the presence of the elders of my people and in the presence of Israel, and come back with me until I have bowed low to the ETERNAL your God.” (31) So [despite God's unrevoked decreed] Shmuel followed Shaul back, and Shaul bowed low to GOD [in humility and rising insecurity].
- The prophet does not hold that the regicide taboo was meant to protect war criminals with blood on their hands.
(לב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הַגִּ֤ישׁוּ אֵלַי֙ אֶת־אֲגַג֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמָלֵ֔ק וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֵלָ֔יו אֲגַ֖ג מַעֲדַנֹּ֑ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲגָ֔ג אָכֵ֖ן סָ֥ר מַר־הַמָּֽוֶת׃ {ס}(לג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁכְּלָ֤ה נָשִׁים֙ חַרְבֶּ֔ךָ כֵּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל מִנָּשִׁ֖ים אִמֶּ֑ךָ וַיְשַׁסֵּ֨ף שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל אֶת־אֲגָ֛ג לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃ {ס}
(32) Shmuel said, “Bring forward to me King Agag of Amalek.” Agag approached him with faltering steps; and Agag said, “Truly, the bitterness of death is at hand!” (33) Shmuel said:
“As your sword has bereaved women,
So shall your mother be bereaved among women!”
Shmuel cut down Agag before GOD at Gilgal.
The following verse, is, of course, fictional, and is meant to describe the societal decline from Agag's zero-production all-consuming raiding behavior.
אלה תולדות אגג, אשר היולד ביום מאסתה את דבר יהוה׃ שופעה הולידה את אגג ואגג הוליד את גבור־חיל׃ וגיבור־חיל הוליד את אודיסאיה ואודיסאיס הוליד את עבד־ות׃ ועבדות הוליד את תעניה ועניה[sic] ועניה הוליד את שנאה׃ ושנאה הוליד את המדתא והמדתא הוליד את המן:
"These are the generations of Agag, who was conceived on the day the LORD's will was rebuffed (?). Shupha bore Agag, and Agag begat Man-of-Arms. Man-of-Arms begat Odysseus the Thieving Hero, and Odysseus the Hero begat Slavery. Slavery begat Mourning and Lamentation, and Lamentation begat Hatred. Hatred begat Haman's father, who in turn, begat Haman."
The verb מאסתה in the last verse hides another grammatical "error" that clues in the careful reader that I, the author, am not blaming King Shaul for what happened with Shupha's family. Yes, Shmuel HaNavi blames him, but Shmuel HaNavi has God's words in his ear, divine reassurance that what looks like a massacre is a necessary sting operation; I have no such reassurance myself. I have the greatest of sympathy for King Saul, a man with manic mood swings and mental health difficulties which I can envision only too well. He was promoted to a job he never wanted, and that job is consuming him in the face of his impostor syndrome. Had every other person in Israel, slave and free, done their duty to God, Shaul's mistake would have been lost in an endnote to history.
- Had Bat-Ya'anah not refused to bring water to the soldiers and sent a girl she hated into danger in her place, our protagonist would never have caught the attention of Avner and Agag, and Agag would have been attended by a fellow man, who would have kicked him and spat on him. Dayenu.
- Had Hammutal disciplined Bat-Ya'anah for her bullying and forced her to serve the soldiers as was her duty... Dayenu.
- Had even one woman in the entire camp of Israel been a friend to an indentured girl who was not pretty and could not cook, that girl would have spent the night laughing and gossiping with her friend(s), heaping scorn on the war criminal mocking his words. Had even one slave repudiated Bat-Ya'anah for her bullying or sent her back a sharp reply, our protagonist would have had nothing to admire in the war criminal, the only man who ever put the bully in her place. Dayenu.
- Had Avner ben Ner, general of Israel, upheld the Law of Moshe and not sold an indentured servant girl whom he had no plans to wed or bed, but returned her to her father's home after seven years, Young Agag would have been born in a military camp of Israel. He would have channeled his aggressive tendencies into the Israelite army and died a hero at the age of 25, fighting for King David and sincerely mourned by all three of his on-again/off-again slave girlfriends. Dayenu!
- Had Shaul HaMelech performed God's will and enforced discipline in his camp and kindness throughout all his people, Haman would never have been born. But we, the people, are responsible for noticing his royal failings and correcting them in our own levels of society. It could be enough for us!