What Are You (Really) Saying?

ByShaul Wertheimer

מגילה ל״א א:ט׳

בראש השנה ... ומפטירין (שמואל א ב, א) בחנה

Megillah 31a:9

The baraita continues: On Rosh HaShana ....they read as the haftara from the account of Chana (I Samuel 1:1–2:10).

רש"י על מגילה ל״א א:ט׳:ב׳

מפטירין בחנה - לפי שפקידתה היתה בראש השנה ועקידת יצחק מזכירין כדי שתזכר לנו היום במשפט:

Rashi on Megillah 31a:9:2

The reason we read the story of Chana on Rosh Hashana is because it was the day she conceived [Shmuel the Prophet].

שמואל א א׳:י׳

וְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־ה' וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃

I Samuel 1:10

In her wretchedness, she prayed to the LORD, weeping all the while.

שמואל א א׳:י״א

וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר ה' צְבָא֜וֹת אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה ׀ בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽה' כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמוֹרָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

I Samuel 1:11

And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Why do you think that immediately after praying for a child, Chana said that if her prayer was granted, she would dedicate his life to Hashem (as a Nazirite)?

שמואל א א׳:י״ב

וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י הִרְבְּתָ֔ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י ה' וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃

I Samuel 1:12

As she kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

רש"י על שמואל א א׳:י״ב:א׳

שומר את פיה. מצפה מתי תפסיק, כך תרגמו יונתן: ועלי אוריך לה עד דתפסוק:

Rashi on I Samuel 1:12:1

Watched her mouth. He waited for her to stop, as Targum Yonoson renders, 'and Eili waited until she stopped.'

If Eli HaKohen thought that Chana was doing something wrong, why didn't he interrupt her?

שמואל א א׳:י״ג

וְחַנָּ֗ה הִ֚יא מְדַבֶּ֣רֶת עַל־לִבָּ֔הּ רַ֚ק שְׂפָתֶ֣יהָ נָּע֔וֹת וְקוֹלָ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמֵ֑עַ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ עֵלִ֖י לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃

I Samuel 1:13

Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

שמואל א א׳:י״ד

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ עֵלִ֔י עַד־מָתַ֖י תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִ֑ין הָסִ֥ירִי אֶת־יֵינֵ֖ךְ מֵעָלָֽיִךְ׃

I Samuel 1:14

Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!”

How could Eli have mistaken Chana's heartfelt prayer for drunken intoxication?

שמואל א א׳:ט״ו

וַתַּ֨עַן חַנָּ֤ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֔י אִשָּׁ֤ה קְשַׁת־ר֙וּחַ֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וְיַ֥יִן וְשֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י ה'׃

I Samuel 1:15

And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to the LORD.

ברכות ל״א א:כ״ז

אמר רב המנונא כמה הלכתא גברוותא איכא למשמע מהני קראי דחנה וחנה היא מדברת על לבה מכאן למתפלל צריך שיכוין לבו רק שפתיה נעות מכאן למתפלל שיחתוך בשפתיו וקולה לא ישמע מכאן שאסור להגביה קולו בתפלתו ויחשבה עלי לשכרה מכאן ששכור אסור להתפלל

Berakhot 31a:27

Rav Hamnuna said: How many significant halakhot can be derived from these verses of the prayer of Hannah? As it says: “And Hannah spoke in her heart, only her lips moved and her voice could not be heard, so Eli thought her to be drunk” (I Samuel 1:13). The Gemara elaborates: From that which is stated here: “And Hannah spoke in her heart,” the halakha that one who prays must focus his heart on his prayer is derived. And from that which is stated here: “Only her lips moved,” the halakha that one who prays must enunciate the words with his lips, not only contemplate them in his heart, is derived. From that which is written here: “And her voice could not be heard,” the halakha that one is forbidden to raise his voice in his Amida prayer as it must be recited silently. From the continuation of the verse here: “So Eli thought her to be drunk,” the halakha that a drunk person is forbidden to pray. That is why he rebuked her.

Rosh Hashana is the day when we crown Hashem the King. Likewise during the daily prayer, one is to view themselves as standing before the King.

How is it appropriate to ask for one's own needs at such a time?

תהילים ק״ז:ה׳

(ה) רְעֵבִ֥ים גַּם־צְמֵאִ֑ים נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם בָּהֶ֥ם תִּתְעַטָּֽף׃

Psalms 107:5

(5) Hungry and thirsty, their spirit failed.

כתר שם טוב א׳:קס״א:א׳

פי' בכאן סוד גדול והוא למה ברא הקב"ה דברי מאכל ומשקה שאדם תאב להם. והטעם שהם ניצוץ אדה"ר שהיו מתלבשים בדצח"ם ויש להם חשק להדבק בקדושה והם מעוררים מ"נ בסוד אין טפה יורד מלמעלה שאין טפיים עולה כנגדה וכל אכילה שאדם אוכל ושותה הם ממש חלק ניצוצות שלו שהוא צריך לתקן. וז"ש רעבים גם צמאים שאדם רעב וצמא להם. למה זה. ואמר נפשם בהם תתעטף בסוד גלות בלבוש ויחשבה לזונה כי כסתה פניה וכל הדברים שהיו משמשין לאדם הם ממש בסוד הבנין שלו שהלבישו והבן:

Keter Shem Tov 1:161:1

Why did Hashem create us with desires for food and drink? The secret is that everything has a spark of holiness within, and these sparks yearn to be elevated from within their husk and cleave to holiness. The desire for everything that one eats and drinks stems from the spiritual connection to the food and drink that he needs to rectify. That is what the verse in Tehillim means, "hungry and thirsty," namely, that when a person is hungry or thirsty, this is because [as the verse continues], "their souls within them weakened" [that is, a person's hunger & desire to eat is really motivated by his soul's desire to utilize the food in the service of Hashem and thereby uplift it].