The Events Of Chapter 1 Of The Book Of Shmuel—A Brief Review
A man named Elkanah had two wives, Peninah and Hannah, the latter of whom was childless. Elkanah had a general custom of going once a year to Shiloh, to worship at the Mishkan, the precursor of the Bet haMikdash. Despite Elkanah’s great love for Hannah and his attempts to comfort her, the co-wife’s taunting brought her to a crisis point. Bitter at heart, she went to the Mishkan, and prayed to God for a child, promising that the child would be given to God all his life.

Contrary to common practice, Hannah prayed silently, and used an unusual form of address, “Hashem Tseva’ot, Lord of Hosts.” Eli, seeing her unusual prayers, decided she was drunk and rebuked her; she, insulted by his assumption, corrected him, eliciting a blessing that her prayers be answered.

Soon after, Shmuel is born; Hannah decides not to join Elkanah’s annual pilgrimage until the baby is weaned; two years later, she brings him to Eli and informs Eli that this boy is “shaul la-Shem, loaned to God,” all the days of his life.

First Discussion—The Elkanah Family
We might consider why the book opens with the description of the family at all; the prophet seems to be implying that the pre-story of his birth is relevant to the book as a whole. I believe the answer lies in chapter 3’s pointing out that “devar Hashem,” the Word of God, was “yakar, rare” in those days. The atmosphere of the nation was one in which God’s Word was not a directly experienced reality.

Given that context, Elkanah and his family become more remarkable. Elkanah makes a yearly pilgrimage, a concern with God out of synch with the rest of society. One strand of Midrash thinks that Peninah teased Hannah in order to spur her co-wife into asking God for help. Hannah, of course, makes God central when she prays to God for a child, when she promises the child to God, and when she thanks God after his birth. The backstory, then, gives us an understanding of how it came to be that this family produced the prophet who would bring back the common closeness of people to God.

The Prayer And Conversation With Eli
In Hazal’s opinion, Hannah is the first to use the title “Hashem Tseva’ot, Lord of Hosts.” Rashi also notes that Eli mistook her for a drunkard because she prayed silently, in contrast to the prevailing custom of praying out loud. Hannah reminds us of the possibility of innovation within prayer, of discovering new ways to approach God. They need to be unsullied by improper motives, but proper innovations can fruitfully expand tradition’s understanding of how to relate to the Creator.

Note also that we do not know most of what Hannah said. We are told that she poured out the bitterness of her heart to God, but Scripture only records verbatim the part about Samuel being dedicated to God. That suggests that prayer involves preparation, even saying words that are not the essence of the prayer, but put us in the frame of mind that where we can identify and articulate just the right words and feelings to tell God what is deepest in our hearts.

Shmuel A Nazir?
The Mishnah records a debate about what Hannah promised with the words that she would give the child to God, and “morah lo ya`aleh `al rosho.” The Hebrew “morah” can either mean a razor, in which case she is promising he will never cut his hair, like a nazir, or the word can mean afraid, in which case she is asserting that he will not cower before people. In the latter case, Hannah is reminding us of the importance of fearlessness for servants of God (and, perhaps, communal leaders generally).

Hannah’s willingness to give up the baby she longs for so greatly might mislead a reader into thinking she cared about the physical experience of having a child, not raising or relating to one. Her actions after the boy’s birth belie that. She keeps Shmuel with her until he is weaned, a time in which she can set the foundations for his later life. In a section we do not read on Rosh HaShanah, the navi goes out of its way to mention that she would also regularly bring him a new coat, a sign of their continuing connection to each other.

Hannah’s Prayer
After she brings Shmuel to Eli, Hannah recites a poem that the navi introduces with the verb “va-titpalel, and she prayed.” There is no request in her words, suggesting that some prayers might only express joy, even though we usually think of prayer as needing some kind of request.

Some commentators see Hannah’s words as a prophecy, a description of what will happen in the course of Shmuel’s life and leadership of the Jewish people. If so, we have another interesting component of her relationship with her son the prophet. Since the navi tells us that God’s word was rare in that time, knowing that his mother was a prophet suggests that his own service in that role was a continuation of a family tendency. His mother, trailblazer of prayer, also showed the way to prophecy.

Radak adds another dimension to the definition of “va-titpalel,” claiming that Hannah’s words were a warning to those who are too secure in their station in life. As Hannah notes in the poem/prayer/prophecy, the tides of Fortune can shift dramatically and suddenly. If so, “va-titpalel” must mean something more along the lines of articulating understandings of the world, ones that can remind contemporaries of truths they have forgotten.

The multiplicity of meanings we see in the word “palel” helps explain why we read this selection on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, in addition to the usual answers. As we envision God sitting on a throne of judgment, our haftarah reminds us that judgment, prayer, prophecy, and the proper understanding of how to live are intertwined with each other. We can only hope that the judgment we are undergoing this day will turn out for all of us, individually and collectively, to take us to a future where we feel the need to sing the kind of song of thanksgiving Hannah so eloquently offered when her life turned from a nightmare into a blessing she would never even have dared dream. Ketivah ve-Hatimah Tovah.

1 Samuel
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1Sam.1
[1] Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
[2] And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
[3] And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
[4] And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
[5] But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
[6] And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
[7] And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
[8] Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
[9] So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
[10] And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
[11] And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.
[12] And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
[13] Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
[14] And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
[15] And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
[16] Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
[17] Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
[18] And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
[19] And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
[20] Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
[21] And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
[22] But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.
[23] And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
[24] And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
[25] And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
[26] And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
[27] For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
[28] Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.
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1Sam.2
[1] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
[2] There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
[3] Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
[4] The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
[5] They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
[6] The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
[7] The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
[8] He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
[9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
[10] The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.