פרשת ויקרא תשכ"ב - הפטרה לשבת זכור

I regret that I have set up Sha᾽ul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and he has not performed my commandments. And it grieved Shemu᾽el; and he cried to the Lord all night.

And also the Eternal One of Yisra᾽el will not lie nor change his mind: for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.

And Sha᾽ul said, They have brought them from the ῾Amaleqi: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

And He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping thing, and fowl of the heaven; and they were blotted out from the earth; and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark.

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Behold, obeying His command is better than a choice offering.²³‘ה prefers the fulfillment of His command over the offering of voluntary sacrifices. To hearken [is better] than the fat of rams. This refers to, "Behold, obeying [is better] than a choice offering, and to hearken [is better] than the fat of rams."

And as Shemu᾽el turned about to go away, he laid hold of the corner of his robe, and it tore.

And he grabbed the corner of his robe. According to the simple meaning, it seems that when Shmuel turned to leave Shaul, Shaul grabbed the corner of Shmuel's [robe], since Shaul was asking him to return until he would prostate himself in Gilgol, where the Tent of Meeting was. In Midrash Aggadah, however, Amora'im differ; some say that Shaul tore Shmuel's robe, and some say that Shmuel tore Shaul's robe,²⁸As a symbol of his loss of kingship. Another version is that Shmuel tore his own robe as a gesture of dismay. giving over to him this sign, that whoever will tear a corner of his robe, would reign in his place. And that is what Shaul said to Dovid on the day he tore [Shaul's] robe, 'I know that you will surely reign.'²⁹ Below 24:21. See Rashi’s commentary there.