Commentary for I Samuel 15:3
עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד־חֲמֽוֹר׃ (ס)
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’ .
Rashi on I Samuel
Oxen and sheep. They were sorcerers, and they would change themselves to appear as animals.2 Radak suggests another reason for destroying the animals. The Torah specifies that the memory of Amoleik should be erased. Therefore, Shmuel instructed that not even an ox or a sheep should remain about which one might say ‘this animal belonged to Amoleik.’
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