In the book of 1 Samuel, we read about a story where King Saul, out of desperation from not hearing from the L-rd, consulted a medium (the witch of Endor) on how to deal with his situation concerning the Philistines. During which, she raised Samuel from the dead per Saul's request. Many refer to this story as scriptural evidence that those who have died are still conscious and able to be interacted with (a position held by Catholicism). Or perhaps that the righteous dead are "alive" in heaven. However, we must do a full overview of the text before drawing any conclusions.
"Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land. So the Philistines assembled and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in Gilboa. When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, either in dreams, or by the Urim, or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor.” 1 Samuel 28:3-7
The first thing to note concerning this story is that it's meant to serve as an example for us on what not to do. Saul's decision to seek out a medium is not condoned in the story, and in fact, is a direct violation of the Torah.
"Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:31)
"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is going to drive them out before you." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
So, why did Saul want to enquire of the medium? From what we can see in verses 3-7, Samuel had passed away, Saul had removed all the mediums and spiritists from the land, the camp of the Philistines worried him, and the Lord did not answer him. Saul felt he had no other option but to turn to witches for guidance in this situation, so, he followed through with it and met with the witch of Endor.
Then Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “Consult the spirit for me, please, and bring up for me the one whom I shall name for you.” But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, that he has eliminated the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then setting a trap for my life, to bring about my death?” So Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” (1 Samuel 28:8-11)
In verse 8-11, we read that Saul had disguised himself during his meeting with the witch, and asked her to bring Samuel up from the grave, assuring here in the name of the Lord that no harm would come upon her. The Midrash Rabbah expounds upon what it means that Saul had "disguised" himself, stating it means he had become free in regard to the kingship.
“Saul disguised himself [vayitḥapess]” (I Samuel 28:8) – he became free [ḥofshi] of the kingship. “He donned other garments” (I Samuel 28:8) – plain garments." Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 26:7
This is symbolic, as Saul removing his kingly garments during his act of sin represents the throne being stripped away because of it.
"When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” But the king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up from the earth.” He said to her, “How does he appear?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid" (1 Samuel 28:12-14)
According to the Sages, when a spirit is brought up by a necromancer, it rises face down. However, if a spirit is being brought up in the presence of a king, it rises face up.
“The woman saw Samuel, and she cried out in a loud voice, [and the woman spoke to Saul, saying: Why have you deceived me, and you are Saul?]” (I Samuel 28:12). How did she know he was Saul? It is because the way that [a spirit] ascends to a commoner is not like the way it ascends to a king. To a commoner, it ascends face down and to a king it ascends face up." (Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 26:7)
This is the reason why the woman cried out with a loud voice out of fear, as the way in which the spirit ascended revealed Saul's true identity. This also led her to believe that Saul was attempting to trap her in the act of necromancy to rid her from the land. However, this was not the case, as Saul was genuinely seeking her help.
"And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am very distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has abandoned me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or in dreams; therefore I have called you, so that you may let me know what I should do.” Samuel said, “But why ask me, since the Lord has abandoned you and has become your enemy?" (1 Samuel 28:15-16)
Samuel rebukes Saul, asking why he had disturbed him by bringing him up. If it were true that the righteous dead were aware of the activities on the earth, than it would not have been a surprise to Samuel that Saul had summoned him. Moreover, "bringing him up" implies that he was dwelling below Saul. A reference to the grave (sheol). Which the Master himself stated was in the heart of the earth.
""For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40 NASB)
"And he said, 'I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.'"(Jonah 2:2)
Samuel continues, saying:
"And the Lord has done just as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. Just as you did not obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Furthermore, the Lord will also hand Israel along with you over to the Philistines; so tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed, the Lord will hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines! Then Saul immediately fell full length to the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words; there was no strength in him either, because he had eaten no food all day and all night. The woman came to Saul and saw that he was utterly horrified, and she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. So now you too, please listen to the voice of your servant, and let me serve you a piece of bread, and eat it, so that you will have strength when you go on your way.” (1 Samuel 28:17-22)
Samuel tells Saul that he is being punished by the Lord for not killing Agag the Amalekite when the Lord told him to do so, and that he and Israel will be given over to the Philistines because of it. The moral of this story is not that the dead are looking out for us, and should be asked for favors and communicated with. Rather, it should serve as a warning for the consequences in disobeying the Lord. Saul's sin in beseeching the witch of Endor is one of reasons for his death, and the crown being stripped away from him and given to David.
"So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of her, and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse." (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)
So, was this really Samuel? The Sages are divided on this question. Abarbanel provides a concise summary of the various viewpoints on if this was truly Samuel, or some form of deception.
"One Opinion: The act of the necromancer (ov) was false and mere empty words, and it is unlikely that Samuel would ascend from his grave at all. However, the woman performed all this deceitfully because she immediately recognized Saul and acted as if she did not know him, as her wisdom revealed to her that it was him. Therefore, she cried out, "Why have you deceived me, you are Saul," to indicate that through the necromancer's act she recognized him. This was her deception because she recognized Saul and saw him terrified and alarmed. It was known throughout the land that the next day there would be war. All of Israel was in great fear because they knew what Saul had done—that he killed the priests of the Lord. All Israel knew that a decree had been issued against Saul that his kingdom would be torn away because he did not listen to the Lord's word concerning Amalek. They also knew that Samuel anointed David and that he would rule after Saul. Since all this was publicized in Israel, the woman agreed to disguise herself as Saul and said that she had summoned Samuel and saw him, and that Saul requested it; she herself spoke all these words in Samuel's name because Saul did not see or hear the words, but the woman said them. What the scripture says, "And Samuel said to Saul," are the words the woman spoke, revealing that she was telling Samuel, but she lied. Therefore, she said, "The Lord has turned away from you, and the Lord has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your neighbor David as you did not listen," etc., all of which she spoke from her heart based on what she heard, and it became publicized in Israel. She said, "Tomorrow it will be you and your sons and Israel will be in the hands of the Philistines, according to the explanation," since she knew that tomorrow there would be war, and the enemies were numerous in number and similar in appearance to her, and she prophesied that this would indeed happen. Saul was affected by her words, thinking that Samuel was speaking to him. This opinion was brought by Rav Shmuel ben Hafani, a great sage of blessed memory. However, according to the straightforward interpretation, it appears that this is what the scripture said, "He will not trouble them," and it contradicts the words of the Sages of blessed memory and does not agree with the correct interpretation. According to the scripture, it says explicitly, "And Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you provoked me to ascend...'" and the scripture tells that Saul said, "I am very sorry," etc., and Samuel replied, "Why do you ask me? The Lord has turned away from you and you shall not live," etc., all these things were said according to the woman's words, as the scripture testified that Samuel said them, just as it testified about Saul's words. Moreover, it also contradicts the words of the Sages of blessed memory who believed in the reality of the necromancer's act and said in Tractate Sanhedrin (Chapter 4, "Death," page 47a): the necromancer is one who speaks from among the parts (perakim) and from among the nobility of the hands (perhaps meaning 'from hidden or authoritative places') and produces a low voice, as it is said (Isaiah 29:4), "And your voice shall be like the voice of a ghost from the land."
Second Opinion: The woman disclosed these prophecies, brought Samuel to life, and raised him from his grave both in body and soul. Indeed, this would not have been possible through necromancy (ov), but rather that the Creator, blessed be He, brought Samuel back to life so that he could recount the future events to Saul. The woman did not know all of this, which is why she panicked and cried out loudly, and thus said, "By God, I saw someone ascending from the earth," recognizing that this was not an act of necromancy but a divine matter, and its truth would not be obtained otherwise. This is the opinion of Rav Saadia and our teacher Rabbi Chaim (the Ari), and even some of the Christian sages tend towards it. However, this opinion is also far from the truth because if it had been God's will to inform Saul of the end of the wonders, why didn't He inform him through dreams, visions, or the prophets? We have to attribute the power to this witch (mekhashefa), and the verses also do not agree with this, because behold, Saul went to ask the woman, knowing that she could inform him of the future with her wisdom. She also asked him, "To whom shall I summon for you?" It is clear that she had the power to summon anyone she wanted. If we say that she could not summon a prophet of God, then when Saul said, "Summon me Samuel," why did the woman not say, "I cannot do so, for the spirit of the Lord speaks through him"? Moreover, the woman did not cry out that the matter was a divine miracle, but rather that the inquirer was Saul. And as she said, "Why have you deceived me, you are Saul," but all of this is delusional and without truth.
Third Opinion: What I heard attributed to the great name of the Christian sages, Augustine, who said that Samuel did not ascend at all but rather a demon in the form of Samuel ascended. This is indeed a foreign opinion because how then could the scripture have called him Samuel? And if raising Samuel was impossible but a demon, why did the woman say, "To whom shall I summon for you," and Saul say, "Samuel"? According to the truth, Samuel would not ascend except a demon in his likeness, and what is the need for him to come in one form or another? Since the one who ascends and speaks is a demon, not Samuel, how could the demon say, "Tomorrow you and your sons and Israel will be in the hands of the Philistines"? Saul and his sons would not be with demons. But this is indeed a nullified opinion, nullified by itself.
Fourth Opinion: Found in recent authors, and Rav Levi ben Gershon (the Ran) elaborated on it in his book Milchamot HaShem (Wars of the Lord), Chapter 42. In his interpretation of this section, he said that in truth, Samuel did not speak to Saul, but it was all the product of Saul's imagination, along with Saul's isolation in his imagination and his awakening regarding what Samuel had spoken to him many times: "The Lord has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your neighbor," and what he saw of David's successes and that the Holy One, Blessed be He, was with him, it all sank deeply into his imagination, making it seem to him as if it were said to him. This was the low voice that the inquirer heard, like a ghost from the land, which was entirely the product of his imagination and its strengthening through isolation. It was like what happens to the sick or the mentally weak, whose imagination strengthens and they see things in their eyes as if they are external. Therefore, they said (as mentioned in Parashah 24), "The one who needs it is the one who hears the words, and the one who summons is the one who sees and does not hear." This is because he was in isolation in the necromancer's water (mi who summons). This strong imagination caused the necromancer to appear as if seeing something that is not external, and the inquirer thought he heard something that is not an external sound. The other people there would not see or hear because it would not distract their own imaginations, and that the woman, the necromancer's wife, being isolated and thinking about the man who asked her to summon Samuel, had in her heart that he was Saul. Therefore, she cried out, "Why have you deceived me, you are Saul," not having seen anything tangible in reality. Maimonides, may he live, also holds this opinion, that he thought it was all the product of imagination and that there was no perceptible acquisition in seeing or hearing at all. He saw her words, saying that the act of necromancy involved stretching out her arms, holding a branch of a willow in her hand and swinging it, and she was speaking clearly in known matters after burning incense known to them, until the inquirer heard as if a man was speaking to him and responding to his questions in such a manner, that it was like under the ground in a low voice. He did not hear it in his ear except in thought, feeling it internally. Therefore, the Rabbi intended that all these matters are empty words and that the communication and voice are the product of imagination, and thus she said as if a man was speaking to him. And she said, "And it is not a perceptible thing to the ear but in thought," indicating that all this was a simulated matter, according to Rav Levi ben Gershon. Moreover, this opinion is very far from the truth, because every healthy person can distinguish between the tangible and the imagined. Whoever cannot distinguish and thinks that what their imagination produces is tangible to the ear is an intellectually confused person, like those whose imagination overpowers them, thinking they see things that are not external—they are not of sound mind but are very sick and weak. If Saul was in this way, thinking he heard what his imagination fabricated, behold, we have made him impaired and of no intellect, so that he could not disappoint with his imagination. He was an advisor and a wise, prudent man, and healthy, but all day his sin was against him constantly. He used to think many times about what had been decreed upon him and about David's success. Nevertheless, he did not think he would hear a voice speaking to him while he was in the product of his imagination. And even if we admit that he was so affected, that it seemed to him that he heard a voice but did not actually hear it, can he tolerate that his imagination so overpowered him that it seemed to him he heard a voice that wasn't, and that he felt things were cut and that there was a question and answer? This cannot be understood except as a foolish, insane person, a person whose mind is completely lost.
Fifth Opinion: The majority of our Sages of blessed memory and the opinions of the Sages agreed that the woman who was a necromancer truly summoned Samuel. For this is how it happened to her through the power of the necromancer's act (ov), which indeed had the ability.." (Abarbanel on 1 Samuel 28)
The first 4 of these opinions explore various hypothetical avenues by which to dismiss the authenticity of the necromancers ability to summon the dead. Ultimately, these interpretations lack contextual basis and often conflict with the plain reading of the text (of which the majoirty of the Sages agree upon).That this witch truly possessed the ability to perform necromancy, and Saul actually conversed with Samuel. The Torah forbids such a practice, because G-d recognizes its authenticity.
Rabbis such as Rashi, Radak, and Ralbag are among the consensus of interpreters that believe Samuel truly rose from the dead. And in fact, believed that it was the day of judgement for which he was being "resurrected", and therefore brought Moses up with him.
" 'I saw a godly man rising from the earth'. Two angels, Moshe and Shmuel, for Shmuel feared, 'Perhaps I am being summoned for judgement,' and he therefore brought Moshe up with him, as it is stated in [Maseches] Chagiga and Ta'anis." (Rashi on 1 Samuel 28:13)
This interpretation works strongly against the common position in Christianity that after Yeshua's resurrection, all saints were "moved to heaven". As Samuel believed the only reason he was being summoned from the grave was to be judged by Hashem. All of the righteous dead who have passed away in the L-rd, are looking toward the resurrection of the dead.
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind does, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB)
In conclusion, Interpretations of the encounter with the witch of Endor which promote a type of "practical atheist" outlook which denies the existence, reality, and efficacy of witchcraft by suggesting that either madness, demonic influence, make believe, or slight of hand was the means by which the encounter between Saul and the witch progressed ultimately struggle to find support among the sages of rabbinic Judaism and widespread agreement on the plain reading of the text. Most such interpretations either suffer from problems of internal logic and consistency, or directly conflict with the specific wording of the text. The inherent conclusion which is most organically arrived at from this passage is two fold. This passage makes plain that abilities and powers which defy the laws of physics in the natural world are a biblical truth. That Magic is real and those who practice it truly can achieve results by means of their craft. The passage also makes plain that even the righteous who die and "sleep in the dust" remain in a place where they can be awakened and recalled by the previously mentioned witchcraft. That perhaps on the other side of the veil, they remain on this plain of existence.
Smooth, comprehensive, academic, insightful!