Difference between revisions of "Channah's Prayer/2"
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<point><b>Reference to enemies:</b><ul> | <point><b>Reference to enemies:</b><ul> | ||
<li>According to these sources, the enemy mentioned refers to Penina (and others like her), who had upset Channah yearly regarding her barren state.<fn>One might question whether the usage of the word "enemy" to describe Penina is too strong a choice for the gentle Channah.</fn></li> | <li>According to these sources, the enemy mentioned refers to Penina (and others like her), who had upset Channah yearly regarding her barren state.<fn>One might question whether the usage of the word "enemy" to describe Penina is too strong a choice for the gentle Channah.</fn></li> | ||
− | <li>R"A Bazak,<fn>See his article, <a href="http://etzion.org.il/he/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A7-%D7%91-%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%AA-%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%94">"תפילת חנה"</a>.</fn> instead, suggests that this line of the song is not directly related to Channah's circumstances. He posits that Channah did not compose her own prayer but rather utilized a preexisting song of thanksgiving since it had a passing reference to her specific situation.<fn>This would be analogous to someone today reciting a psalm when in distress, even if not all the details of the psalm are applicable.</fn>   As such, certain aspects of the song actually have little to do with Channah's personal story.<fn>A difficulty with this approach relates to the mention of a king at the end, since the original author of the prayer | + | <li>R"A Bazak,<fn>See his article, <a href="http://etzion.org.il/he/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A7-%D7%91-%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%AA-%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%94">"תפילת חנה"</a>.</fn> instead, suggests that this line of the song is not directly related to Channah's circumstances. He posits that Channah did not compose her own prayer but rather utilized a preexisting song of thanksgiving since it had a passing reference to her specific situation.<fn>This would be analogous to someone today reciting a psalm when in distress, even if not all the details of the psalm are applicable.</fn>   As such, certain aspects of the song actually have little to do with Channah's personal story.<fn>A difficulty with this approach relates to the mention of a king at the end, since the original author of the prayer would also not have been living during the monarchic period. This leads R"A Bazak to suggest that this line might have been added to the song afterwards.  As support for such a possibility he points to an opinion brought by Ibn Ezra to explain Psalm 51. The opening of the psalm suggests that it was said by David after his sin with Batsheva, but the ending alludes to a Jerusalem which needs rebuilding.  Ibn Ezra cites a possibility that the line was added much later.<br/>R. Bazak must nonetheless explain why the prophet decided to include the later addition, if Channah had never said it. He suggests a structural reason. The Book of Shemuel ends with David's song to Hashem, which closes with the words "מִגְדּוֹל יְשׁוּעוֹת מַלְכּוֹ וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחוֹ". As such, the two mentions of a king/anointed one form bookends for Sefer Shemuel as a whole.  To see a discussion of other parallels between the two songs, see <a href="Channah's Prayer and David's Song" data-aht="page">Channah's Prayer and David's Song</a>.</fn></li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>"רָחַב פִּי"</b> – Abarbanel explains the choice of language "and my mouth has widened" as a contrast to Channah's quiet ways when she was distressed. He points out that those who are full of sorrow tend to speak quietly, without their voices being heard. Thus, too, Channah had previously prayed in silence ("שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ"). Now, though, she opened her mouth wide to rejoice in Hashem's aid.</point> | <point><b>"רָחַב פִּי"</b> – Abarbanel explains the choice of language "and my mouth has widened" as a contrast to Channah's quiet ways when she was distressed. He points out that those who are full of sorrow tend to speak quietly, without their voices being heard. Thus, too, Channah had previously prayed in silence ("שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ"). Now, though, she opened her mouth wide to rejoice in Hashem's aid.</point> |
Version as of 04:27, 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. It relates to both her earlier travails as a barren woman and her present happiness in the birth of her son.
- According to these sources, the enemy mentioned refers to Penina (and others like her), who had upset Channah yearly regarding her barren state.2
- R"A Bazak,3 instead, suggests that this line of the song is not directly related to Channah's circumstances. He posits that Channah did not compose her own prayer but rather utilized a preexisting song of thanksgiving since it had a passing reference to her specific situation.4 As such, certain aspects of the song actually have little to do with Channah's personal story.5
- Rashi and R. Yosef Kara, following Bavli Berakhot,6 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 R. Yosef Kara and Radak mention of the future king was prophetic.12 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.13
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 coming of the Mashiach.
Immediate Future
The song focuses exclusively on the time period of Shemuel, speaking of events related to both his birth and his future prophetic career.