[I Samuel, 1:1–2:10]
“There was a man from Ramathaim” [1:1]. There was a man who was called Elkanah, from the city of Ramot. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other, Peninah. Hannah had no children and Peninah had children.
“This man used to go up from his town” [1:3]. Elkanah went every year to Shiloh for the festival. He was righteous and he called many people on the way to go with him to Shiloh and he brought sacrifices to the city of Shiloh.1Radak, I Samuel, 1:3. Since Jerusalem did not yet exist to bring sacrifices there, everything was brought to Shiloh. The priest called Eli had two children. One was called Hophni and the other was called Phinehas.
The Midrash writes: Rabbi Abba says in the name of Rabbi Isaac. The prayer was in place of the sacrifice. It is written, “to worship and to sacrifice” [1:3]. This means, to bow down and to slaughter sacrifices. He compares bowing in prayer to slaughtering sacrifices. The rabbis say that it is better to bow to God than to bring sacrifices. He first says to bow down to God and afterwards he writes about bringing sacrifices.2Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 77.
“One such day Elkanah offered a sacrifice” [1:4]. When Elkanah offered sacrifices, he gave presents to Peninah and her children. He gave a good present to Hannah in the hope that she would not be upset, since she was sad and unhappy that she did not have children. Peninah caused Hannah to be upset and cry because she had no children. She always spoke to her husband Elkanah. Why did you not give a coat to the oldest son or a shirt to the other son? That is to say, she did this to torment Hannah. Some sages say that she angered Hannah so that she would pray for children. That is why Peninah tormented her, so that she should take it to heart and pray to the Holy One to have children.3Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 77. Hannah was always crying and did not want to eat in the city of Shiloh. Her husband Elkanah said to her, why do you not want to eat? I am to you like the ten children that Peninah has. That is to say, I love you like the ten children from Peninah.
“Hannah rose” [1:9]. Hannah rose after the meal in the city of Shiloh. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair in the House of God. She was sad and she prayed to God and cried and she made a vow and said, “Lord of Hosts” [1:11]. That is to say, Lord of the Universe, you have created many multitudes of angels in the heaven. None of them have children, but they live forever. You have also created many multitudes on the earth. They do have children, but they die. Therefore, I ask you. Am I one of the angels who have no children, then let me live forever. If I am one of the people who are on the earth who die and have children, then let me have children.4Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78.
Our sages say. That is why she said, “Lord of Hosts.” Therefore, You, God, have many people and creatures and out of all these people you do not want to give me a son. Hannah said: If you do not want to give me children, then I will conceal myself in a room with a strange man. Then Elkanah will have to bring me to drink the “spell inducing water” [Numbers, 5:24] to test me if I did not sleep with a strange man. If I had not slept with him, the “spell inducing water” will not harm me, and the Holy One will bless me after the drinking that I will have children.5B. Berakhot, 31b; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78.
Thus has God promised. When the woman will be just and was put to shame before the people with drinking what the priest gave to drink. Because of this, the Holy One will give her good children. Therefore, Hannah prayed, look at my pain and remember me with a son and with a daughter and You should not forget me. Give me a son, like other people, and I will give him to serve in God’s house forever. It is obvious that he must serve God. He would be a levite? The explanation is that other levites are supposed to serve in God’s house from the age of twenty years. However, I will give my son to serve in the Temple as soon as he is two years old. She prayed this before the Holy One and Eli the priest thought that the woman, Hannah, was drunk. Her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. She was praying very slowly. Eli said to her: you drunken woman, what do you want to do here? Go home to sleep off your drunkenness. Hannah responded to Eli: you are not a proper prophet. You say that I am drunk, but I am a woman who has great troubles and pain. I have not drunk any wine. I was praying to God and do not think about me that I am a loose woman and a slut. Rather, because of the great troubles that Peninah caused me by mocking me with her children. That is why I am praying to God.
“Eli responded” [1:17]. Eli responded to Hannah and said: go in peace. The Holy One will give you what you desire. Hannah thanked him and she went on her way. She ate and her anguish fell from her face. She was full of happiness. Elkanah went from the city of Shiloh to the city of Ramot with his two wives. Elkanah slept with Hannah and she became pregnant with a child.
Our sages learn from here that a guest should not sleep with his wife when he is in a stranger’s house. Therefore, the verse says here that only when Elkanah came to his house did he sleep with Hannah.6B. Ketubot, 65a. A year later, Hannah gave birth to a son and she called him Samuel. She said, I have asked the Lord for him.
“The man Elkanah ascended” [1:21]. Elkanah ascended with his whole household to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and a sacrifice for his son that Hannah had given birth to. Hannah did not go up and waited to wean the son that she had given birth to. She said: when I will wean him, then I will bring him to God to serve Him forever.
Our sages say that Samuel only lived for fifty-two years and then he died. A levite should not serve more than fifty years. 7Numbers Rabbah, 3.8; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78. She said that I will nurse him for two years and afterwards he should serve God forever. This is fifty years that the levites serve in the Temple. Our sages say, he should have lived longer, but because Saul became king through the hands of Samuel and he died soon after. Saul was only king for three years and therefore Samuel had to die so that he would not see the death of king Saul.8B. Ta’anit, 5b.
“May the Lord fulfill His word” [1:23]. The Midrash writes that every day a heavenly Voice is hard that says that a child will be born whose name will be Samuel. He will be very righteous and every woman who has a son will let him be called Samuel. She thinks that this will be the righteous Samuel. When they saw every child named Samuel did not have the good deeds, they said, this is not the righteous Samuel. However, when Samuel the son of Hannah came, the whole world said that this is the correct Samuel the prophet. He has good deeds from childhood.9Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78.
“When she had weaned him, she took him up with her” [1:24]. She brought Samuel up after she had weaned him. She also brought several oxen for sacrifices and to eat. She also brought a measure of flour and a jug of wine to the house of God in the city of Shiloh. The boy was still a child and he was brought to Eli that he should teach him Torah.
Our sages say that Samuel issued halakhic rulings before Eli. He said to Eli: why do you need to call a priest to slaughter the sacrifice? Every Israelite is allowed to slaughter the sacrifice. Nonetheless, Samuel deserved the death penalty for this. Whoever issues halakhic rulings before his teacher, is deserving of death. Eli said to Samuel: you have spoken correctly, but you are deserving of death. Hannah immediately began to scream before Eli. I beg you my lord, I, a poor woman, have prevailed with great suffering, to have this son and you want to kill him. Eli said: I want to kill him and will pray to God that He should give you another son who will be better than this one. Hannah said: I prayed for this son, as you well know. You were present and the Holy One gave him to me. I have lent him to the Holy One that he should serve God. Therefore, you do not have the power to kill him, and she bowed to God.10B. Berakhot, 31b; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 80.
“And Hannah prayed” [2:1]. Hannah prayed and said: my heart that was sad has now become happy. My head, which I could not pick up in front of Peninah, now my head has become elevated with the help of God. My mouth has become expansive before Peninah, to speak and answer her. God has helped me, so that no one is as holy as God and there is no creator other than God. One should pray to Him alone. He can help as He has helped me. At first, I was not worthy to have a child, but now the Holy One made me able to have a child. She said to Peninah and the other enemies who used to torment Hannah. You should not speak mighty or strong words, since God knows well what each person has in their heart. No person can do anything, good or evil, if God does not will it. All the deeds of people are in God’s power and all the deeds of people are counted before God. The mighty warriors who rely on their strong bow, the Holy One makes them very weak. The wealthy and the communal leaders who were here and had enough bread, the Holy One makes them rent themselves out for a piece of bread, out of great poverty. The Holy One makes the poor people rich and sated with much bread. Similarly, when I did not have a child. Now the Holy One has given me seven children. Peninah had ten children, eight of them died, but two remained alive for Peninah.
The Midrash says that when Hannah gave birth to a son, two of Peninah’s children died. When Hannah had her second son, another two of Peninah’s children died. When Hannah had her third son, two of Peninah’s died. When Hannah had her fourth son, two of Peninah’s died. When Peninah saw that Hannah was pregnant with her fifth son, Peninah thought that now the two sons that have been left to me of the ten children would die. She fell down before Hannah and pleaded with her that she should pray that the two children should remain alive. She said: take the two children that they may be yours, that they may remain alive. Hannah prayed and she took the two children and they remained alive. Hannah had a fifth son. Thus, Hannah had seven sons, including the two children of Peninah, who became like her own children.11Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 89.
“The Lord kills and gives life” [2:6]. God causes death and gives life, lowers into the grave and raises him again. God makes rich and makes poor. He makes low and raises up. He raises up the poor from the ash and the garbage and He makes them inherit the seat of honor. The righteous are in God’s hands and the world exists through their merit. The Holy One guards the feet of the righteous and pious. The Holy One cuts down the evildoers in the darkness. A person is strengthened not with strength, but with the will of the Holy One. God causes those who fight with the righteous to break. He storms against them from heaven. God judges the rulers of the land. The Holy One will give strength to His king over Israel and will raise the rule of the Messiah.
We will now write some midrashim about the haftorah. The Talmud writes in [tractate] Ketubot, chapter five. Rabbi Judah says that women should not be given much wine and similar drinks that make one drunk. We learn this from Hannah. It is written, “after they had drunk” [1:9]. This means that she drank little. One should give a beaker to a woman to drink, but when one gives her two beakers to drink, she becomes very disgusting as a result of drunkenness. If one gives her three beakers, she says that one should sleep with her. When she finishes four beakers, even if a donkey would sleep with her, it would not be disgusting to her, as the result of drunkenness. Ravah said: all the things that were said that a woman should not drink to become drunk was only said when her husband is not there. However, when her husband is present, then a woman can drink to become drunk. The Talmud asks a question. Why did Hannah not drink in the city of Shilo? Elkanah, her husband, was with Hannah. The explanation is that Hannah did not drink because she thought that if she became drunk she would want to sleep with her husband, Elkanah. However, a man is not supposed to sleep with his wife while on a journey, in a strange house. Rabbi Judah said: from here we learn that a man should not sleep with his wife when he is a guest.12B. Ketubot, 65a.
The Talmud says in [tractate] Berakhot, chapter five. A person should only rise to pray with awe in his heart and with an earnest head, not with lightheadedness, as it is written here, “she was deeply distressed” [1:10]. She was bitter in her heart and God accepted her prayer. Rabbi Hamnunah said: we can learn many customs about how we should behave during prayer. First, it is written, “she was praying silently” [1:13]. Each person should have intention in their heart toward the Holy One in their prayer. The second is, it is written, “only her lips moved” [1:13]. This means that only Hannah’s lips were moving and fluttering. That is to say, when the person prays, his lips should move and he should mouth the prayer with his lips. The third thing is, it is written here, “her voice was not heard” [1:13]. The sound of her prayers was not heard. The fourth is that it is written here, “Eli thought that she was drunk” [1:13]. Eli thought that she was drunk. From here we learn that a drunk should not pray. The fifth thing we learn from here is that a drunk who prays is like someone who worships foreign gods, as it is written here, “do not consider your servant as a worthless woman” [1:16]. Hannah said: you Eli say that I am drunk and am praying. This is like I would be worshiping foreign gods. This is the meaning of belial, despicable. The sixth thing we learn from here is that if we suspect someone of committing a sin, the person should be able to explain himself to the people, as it is written here. Hannah said: I have not drunk any wine; you suspect me falsely. The seventh is what Rabbi Eliezer said: when a person suspects his friend and he does him an injustice, he must immediately make amends, as it is written, “Eli said, go in peace” [1:17].13B. Berakhot, 31a-b; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78.
“Hannah was praying silently” [1:13]. The Talmud says in [tractate] Berakhot, chapter five. Rabbi Eliezer said: Hannah said to the Holy One. You have created each organ in the person for a purpose. No organ was created empty, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the mouth to speak, the nose to smell, the hands to work. The breast over the heart, for what did you create it? It is certainly for the purpose that a child should suckle milk from it. Therefore, give me a child to suckle. Rabbi Eliezer learns this from this verse. It is written, “and Hannah was talking on her heart”14This is a literal translation of the verse. [1:13]. That is to say, she was saying, for what purpose are the breasts over the heart?15B. Berakhot, 31a-b; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez, 78.