Tragedy of Shaul

The Haftarah for פרשת זכור is very tragic indeed. The Prophet Shmuel truly believed that Shaul was worthy of being the king of Israel.

He was handsome, tall, modest, brave, and G-d fearing. He was worthy of prophecy because of his character. David always respected him and despite his obsession with killing him, David refused to harm “the anointed one of Israel.”

Shaul’s ultimate downfall came from one simple weakness. He feared the people more than he feared Hashem. For this, Hashem regretted having made him king.

The great leaders among the Jewish people and in the world for that matter, achieved their greatness because they feared G-d more than trying to please the people. In this way, they truly led. May we merit such leaders in our day as well.