Why does it say "va'Chamor", and not veha'Chamor?
Radak: Some say that the prefix Hei (indicating that it is the known donkey) is included in the prefix Vov (with a Patach), just like we say about ba'Chamor, ka'Chamor and la'Chamor 1 .
Radak: The prefix Hei is not needed, for it was already mentioned twice. Likewise, it says "va'Yisrof Alav Beis Melech" (16:18), because it previously was mentioned with the prefix "Armon Beis ha'Melech" (ibid). 2
Radak: This is wrong! Hei is included only in the prefixes Beis, Chaf and Lamed, but not in the prefix Vov!
Normally there is the prefix 'veha', even if it was mentioned before with a Hei! E.g. it says "veha'Pishtah" twice in Shemos 9:31, and it says "veha'Barad" three times in that Perek! (PF)
Why did Hashem cause the lion to kill the Navi, but not the donkey, and not to eat him?
Radak: This teaches together a Tzadik's reward and punishment in this world. He was killed, but the lion did not eat his body (to enable him to be buried), just like Hashem stopped the lions from eating Daniel (Daniel 6:23). Also the donkey on which the Navi rode was rewarded (the lion did not kill it), for the Navi's honor. There is reward and punishment also for animals in this world, like I explained in Tehilim (145:17).
Malbim: (a) This shows that it was a punishment from Hashem. If the lion was hungry, it would have eaten him. If it was angry, it would have killed also the donkey. (b) The lion guarded the body until it would be buried, and the donkey did not flee amidst fear of the lion, in order to carry the body on it. (c) This hints that the lion, a foolish animal 1 , guarded Hashem's Mitzvah and did not eat against Hashem's will - all the more so Ish ha'Elokim should have heeded [Hashem's word]!
I do not know a source that a lion is foolish. Perhaps Malbim means that a lion is foolish like [Stam] animals. (PF)
