Whose Robe Tore - Samuel, Saul, and the Grief of the Righteous

"And Samuel turned about to go away, and he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore" (1 Samuel 15:27). The skirt of whose robe? Rav and Levi: one said the skirt of Saul's robe, and one said the skirt of Samuel's robe. [And it stands to reason like the one who said the skirt of Samuel's robe,] for such is the way of the righteous, to be grieved [at the moment] when their planting is not praiseworthy. And similarly: "And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment, etc." (1 Kings 11:30). Whose garment? Rav and Levi: one said the garment of Jeroboam, and one said the garment of Ahijah. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: the matter appears that it was the garment of Ahijah, for such is the way of the righteous, to be grieved at the moment when there is a division of the house of David. And similarly: "And the redeemer said to Boaz, etc., [and he drew off his shoe]" (Ruth 4). Whose shoe? Rav and Levi: one said the shoe of the redeemer, and one said the shoe of Boaz. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: the matter appears that it was the shoe of Boaz, for such is the way of the buyer, to give a pledge. And similarly: "And Jeroboam recovered strength no more in the days of Abijah; and the Lord smote him, and he died" (2 Chronicles 13:20). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: what do you suppose, that it is Jeroboam? It is none other than Abijah. And why did He smite him? Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: [Rabbi Yochanan] said, because he suspected them publicly, as it is said, "and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods" (2 Chronicles 13:8). And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, because he scorned the honor of Ahijah the Shilonite and called him a son of Belial, as it is said, "and there were gathered to him vain men, sons of Belial" (2 Chronicles 13:7). And the Rabbis said, because idolatry came into his hand and he did not abolish it; this is what is written, "And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el [with the towns thereof]" (2 Chronicles 13:19), [and it is written, "and he set the one in Beth-el" (1 Kings 12:29)]. And behold, the matter is an a fortiori argument: if the king who wronged a king, Scripture smote him, a commoner [who wrongs a commoner], how much more so. And similarly: "And his allowance was a continual allowance, etc. [all the days of his life]" (2 Kings 25:29). The days of whose life? Rav and Levi: one said the days of Jehoiachin's life, and one said the days of Evil's life. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: the matter appears that it was the days of Jehoiachin's life, for when the Holy One, blessed be He, gives tranquility to the righteous, He does not take it from them any more from then on, until He brings it in with them into the Garden of Eden.