Be Chana!

The Haftara for the first day of Rosh HaShana (Shmuel I:1:1-2:10) tells the story of Chana and how she yearned for a child. In Shmuel I:1:9-11 we read:

Chana stood up after eating in Shilo and after drinking; Eli the Kohen was sitting on the chair, near the doorpost of the Lord’s Sanctuary. Wretched and bitter, she prayed to the Lord, weeping all the while. She then made a vow and said, “Lord of Hosts, if You look down with sympathy on the misery of Your handmaid and recognize me; if You do not forget Your handmaid and grant Your handmaid a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor will not pass over his head.”

Rabbi Elazar in the Talmud, Brachot 31b explains that Chana was the first person to call God by the name “Lord of Hosts.” What did she intend by addressing God in this way?

Chana said: “Master of the Universe! From all of the legions upon legions of creatures that You have created in Your universe, is it difficult in Your eyes to grant me one son?

By way of an analogy, to what is the matter comparable? To a king of flesh and blood who made a feast for his servants. A poor person came and stood by the door, He said to them: “Give me one piece of bread.” But they didn’t listen to him. He pushed his way in and entered until he was in the proximity of the king. He said to the king: “My lord, the king! Out of the entire feast that you have made, is it difficult in your eyes to give me one piece of bread?”

Chana wanted a child so badly that she was willing to confront God and even offer the son that God would give her to serve in the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Chana had a tremendous amount of Kavana (intent) and spoke from her heart and God listened to her and granted her wish and she was blessed with a baby, Shmuel, who was brought to serve in the Mishkan immediately after he was weaned.

Rabbi Yitzchak of Kartignin explains in the Talmud, Brachot 29a that the nine blessings of the Rosh HaShana Musaf (additional prayer) correspond to the nine mentions of God’s name that Chana said in her Thanksgiving Prayer when she brought Shmuel to serve in the Mishkan (Shmuel I:2:1-10).

We learn from Chana that we have the power to pray for what we want and that we are encouraged to speak from the heart even if it means confronting God.

May all of our prayers be answered.