Difference between revisions of "Channah's Prayer/2"
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<point><b>"רַגְלֵי חֲסִידָו יִשְׁמֹר"</b> – Channah notes that Hashem watches over the righteous while silencing the wicked. For a king to be successful and merit Hashem's assistance he must always be subservient to Hashem, acting according to His will and doing what is just and right.</point> | <point><b>"רַגְלֵי חֲסִידָו יִשְׁמֹר"</b> – Channah notes that Hashem watches over the righteous while silencing the wicked. For a king to be successful and merit Hashem's assistance he must always be subservient to Hashem, acting according to His will and doing what is just and right.</point> | ||
<point><b>The song as introduction to Sefer Shemuel</b> – Channah' prayer is a very apt introduction to the Book of Shemuel which revolves around finding the proper monarch for Israel. David is chosen because he recognizes the lesson of "לֹא בְכֹחַ יִגְבַּר אִישׁ",  that wars are not won with swords or spears but "בְּשֵׁם י"י צְבָאוֹת".‎<fn>See his words to Golyat: "וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אַתָּה בָּא אֵלַי בְּחֶרֶב וּבַחֲנִית וּבְכִידוֹן וְאָנֹכִי בָא אֵלֶיךָ בְּשֵׁם י"י צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי מַעַרְכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר חֵרַפְתָּ."</fn>  Shaul, in contrast lost his kingship because he let himself be his guide, rather than obeying Hashem's commands.<fn>Shaul initially loses his kingship because he fails to wait for Shemuel, fearing that he will lose his army (and hence the war) if he waited any longer. In contrast to David, Shaul forgets that victory is not related to human might, but Hashem's backing.  He loses the monarchy a second time when he decides on his own to spare the king and sheep of Amalek rather than totally destroying them as commanded by Hashem.</fn> According to R. Silber, Channah's story "stands in the beginning of a book on kingship as a definition of what a king must be, "מַלְכּוֹ", <b>His</b> king".  While David recognized this, Shaul did not.</point> | <point><b>The song as introduction to Sefer Shemuel</b> – Channah' prayer is a very apt introduction to the Book of Shemuel which revolves around finding the proper monarch for Israel. David is chosen because he recognizes the lesson of "לֹא בְכֹחַ יִגְבַּר אִישׁ",  that wars are not won with swords or spears but "בְּשֵׁם י"י צְבָאוֹת".‎<fn>See his words to Golyat: "וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אַתָּה בָּא אֵלַי בְּחֶרֶב וּבַחֲנִית וּבְכִידוֹן וְאָנֹכִי בָא אֵלֶיךָ בְּשֵׁם י"י צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי מַעַרְכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר חֵרַפְתָּ."</fn>  Shaul, in contrast lost his kingship because he let himself be his guide, rather than obeying Hashem's commands.<fn>Shaul initially loses his kingship because he fails to wait for Shemuel, fearing that he will lose his army (and hence the war) if he waited any longer. In contrast to David, Shaul forgets that victory is not related to human might, but Hashem's backing.  He loses the monarchy a second time when he decides on his own to spare the king and sheep of Amalek rather than totally destroying them as commanded by Hashem.</fn> According to R. Silber, Channah's story "stands in the beginning of a book on kingship as a definition of what a king must be, "מַלְכּוֹ", <b>His</b> king".  While David recognized this, Shaul did not.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>The Song and Rosh Hashanah</b> – Channah's prayer is read as the haftarah for Rosh HaShanah.  One of the reasons for the choice might be its focus on the theme of Hashem's dominion and kingship, which is one of the focal points of the day (מלכויות).<fn> | + | <point><b>The Song and Rosh Hashanah</b> – Channah's prayer is read as the haftarah for Rosh HaShanah.  One of the reasons for the choice might be its focus on the theme of Hashem's dominion and kingship, which is one of the focal points of the day (מלכויות).<fn><multilink><a href="BavliRoshHaShanah11a" data-aht="source">Bavli Rosh HaShanah</a><a href="BavliRoshHaShanah11a" data-aht="source">Rosh HaShanah 11a</a><a href="Bavli Rosh HaShanah" data-aht="parshan">About Bavli Rosh HaShanah</a></multilink>, in contrast, connects the choice to the theme of זכרונות, remembering, and the fact that Channah was remembered on Rosh Hashanah. <multilink><a href="BavliBerakhot10a" data-aht="source">Bavli Berakhot </a><a href="BavliBerakhot29a" data-aht="source">Berakhot 29a</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>points to the fact that the nine blessings of the Mussaf prayer relate to the nine mentions of Hashem in Channah's prayer.</fn>  The famous liturgical poem, "ונתנה תוקף", which emphasizes how all is in God's hands even seems to be built off of Channah's song.<fn>Thus the poems' query, "מי יחיה ומי ימות" parallels Channah's words, "י"י מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה".  Similarly,  Channah's reference to the satiated going hungry is alluded to by the poem's question: "מי ברעב ומי בצמא."  Finally, the line "מי יעני ומי יעשר, מי ישפל ומי ירום" matches Channah's "י"י מוֹרִישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁיר מַשְׁפִּיל אַף מְרוֹמֵם".</fn></point> |
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Historical Prophecy | <category>Historical Prophecy |
Version as of 02:31, 27 September 2016
Channah's Prayer
Exegetical Approaches
Personal Praise
Channah's prayer is a personal song of thanksgiving to Hashem for granting her request for a child. This approach subdivides regarding whether the song was authored by Channah and specific to her situation or not:
Channah's Own Prayer
The prayer is of Channah's making and focuses on her personal story. It relates to both her earlier travails as a barren woman and her present happiness in the birth of her son.
- Rashi and R. Yosef Kara, following Bavli Berakhot,3 take this verse out of its simple meaning and read "צוּר" as "צייר". Channah is saying that there is no artist like Hashem who can form a living soul, alluding to the birth of Shemuel.
- Radak more simply reads the word "צוּר" as a metaphor for strength, saying that Channah is praising Hashem's ability to reverse nature and make one who was barren fruitful.
- Prophetic – According to Rav Yosef Kara and Radak mention of the future king was prophetic.9 Channah saw that her son was to later anoint the first king of Israel and ended her prayer with a wish that Hashem give him strength. It is not clear, however, why she should mention this right now.
- Personal – Hoil Moshe, in contrast, claims that the king and anointed one of verse 10 do not refer to a monarch, but to Shemuel himself. The words reflect Channah's hopes that her son grow to be a leader and prophet, strengthened and exalted by Hashem.10
Preexisting Prayer
Channah's song is not her own composition. Rather, in thanking Hashem she utilized a prayer that was prevalent in her day since it had a passing reference to her specific situation. This could be analogous to someone today reciting a psalm when in distress, even if not all the details of the psalm are applicable.
National Request
Channah's prayer relates not to her personal life but to the fate of the nation. It focuses on the themes of dominion and kingship as a segue into her request that Hashem appoint an appropriate leader for the nation.
Historical Prophecy
Channah's song contains prophetic material relating to the nation as a whole. This approach subdivides regarding the time period to which the song refers:
Distant Future
The prayer relates to events throughout the nation's history from the defeat of the Philistines by the hand of Shemuel until the time of Mashiach.
Close Future
The entire song focuses on the time period of Shemuel, weaving present events with future actions to be done by the prophet.