Did Shemuel Come Back to Life/2
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Did Shemuel Come Back to Life?
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Shemuel Came Back to Life
Ba'alat HaOv Brought Shemuel Back to Life
Ba'alat HaOv had powers to bring Shemuel back to life.
Powers of Ba'alat HaOv – Ba'alat HaOv has powers to bring people back to life but she can only see the person that was revived and the questioner can only hear him. See Chazal's general view of magic.
Powers of evil –
Can prophets be brought back to life – The Midrashim have no problem in saying this1. The Malbim on the other hand does not want to take the approach that magic can control on prophets. Instead he says that the holy spirit was not brought back to life.
Ba'alat HaOv knowing Shaul – Ba'alat HaOv knew that it was Shaul because when a king requests to revive someone the person comes out of the ground with their head first while for a regular person the legs come out first.
Until when did the Ov exist? – See the Malbim that people used the Ov even in the time of Chazal.
Shemuel speaking and prophesizing – Shemuel really spoke and prophesized to Shaul.
Hashem Brought Shemuel Back to Life
Only Hashem brought Shemuel back to life and not Ba'alat HaOv.
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A Demon was Created
Powers of Ba'alat HaOv –
The Demon –
Usages of the Ov in Tanakh –
Shemuel speaking –
Shemuel's prophecy –
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No One Came Back to Life
Shaul Imagined That Shemuel Came Back to Life
It was all in Shaul's imagination that Shemuel came back to life and nothing happened in the real world.
The story – Shaul was just imagining that Shemuel was talking to him and thought that it was happening.
Shaul imagining a prophecy – According to the approach one has to explain how did Shaul imagine something in the future? Ralbag explains that Shaul had some prophetic power that told him he will die. In addition Shaul knew that Hashem left him and was thinking of his death so it is not hard to say that he imagined Shemuel telling him about his death.
Prophecy –
Powers of evil –
Why by Ba'alat HaOv – Abarbanel asks why did Shaul need to go to Ba'alat HaOv to imagine what will happen. Ralbag says that Ba'alat HaOv told the Shaul the look of Shemuel which helped him start imagining that Shemuel was speaking.
Shaul believing in his imagination – Abarbanel questions that Shaul would differentiate between his imagination and what is really happening and saying this would make Shaul into a sickly person.
Ba'alat HaOv knowing Shaul – Ba'alat HaOv guessed that the only person asking for Shemuel would have been Shaul.
Ba'alat HaOv Lied That Shemuel Came Back to Life
Ba'alat HaOv pretended that she saw and heard Shemuel and really nothing happened.
Sources: R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon
Shemuel speaking – R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon says that the conversation was between Ba'alat HaOv and Shaul. When it says "וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל" it means that Ba'alat HaOv said that Shemuel said. He notes that there are many cases in which the language of speaking is used when no one is speaking2. Rasag disagrees with this interpretation.
The prophecy – Ba'alat HaOv guessed that Shaul will die soon because she knew that Hashem left him. In addition she guessed based on the forces of the Philistines that the Isralites will lose the coming battle.
Knowing that it is Shemuel – In addition R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon asks how can the verse say that Shaul "know" that it was Shemuel when it was not him? He explains that "וַיֵּדַע" means to believe.
Knowing it was Shaul – Ba'alat HaOv knew from the beginning that it was Shaul. She pretended that she knew it was Shaul because of the Ov to make Shaul believe that something was happening.
Shaul believing and falling down – Abarbanel asks on this approach from the aftermath of the conversation. We hear that Shaul gets frightened from Shemuel's words. How can Shaul who was smart be misled to thinking that Ba'alat HaOv really saw Shemuel? Also, if Shaul did not see anything by himself why would he fall down with no energy left in him?
