Difference between revisions of "Channah's Prayer/2"
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<p>Channah's prayer is a personal song of thanksgiving to Hashem for granting her request for a child.  It revolves around both her earlier travails as a barren woman and her present happiness in the birth of her son.</p> | <p>Channah's prayer is a personal song of thanksgiving to Hashem for granting her request for a child.  It revolves around both her earlier travails as a barren woman and her present happiness in the birth of her son.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RashiShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>,<fn>Radak also brings the opinion of Targum Yonatan below that the prayer is in essence a prophecy relating to the entire nation.</fn> <multilink><a href="HoilMosheShemuelI2-10" data-aht="source">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="HoilMosheShemuelI2-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:10</a><a href="R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Hoil Moshe)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RashiShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakShemuelI2-1-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:1-10</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>,<fn>Radak also brings the opinion of Targum Yonatan below that the prayer is in essence a prophecy relating to the entire nation.</fn> <multilink><a href="HoilMosheShemuelI2-10" data-aht="source">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="HoilMosheShemuelI2-10" data-aht="source">Shemuel I 2:10</a><a href="R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Hoil Moshe)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
− | <point><b>"וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל חַנָּה"</b> – This position must posit that this verse is somewhat exceptional in its usage of the root פלל, as most occurrences of the word in Tanakh refer to petitionary prayer rather than thanksgiving.<fn>See, for instance, Bereshit 20:7, Bemidbar 21:7 and Devarim 9:26. However, see also Shemuel | + | <point><b>"וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל חַנָּה"</b> – This position must posit that this verse is somewhat exceptional in its usage of the root פלל, as most occurrences of the word in Tanakh refer to petitionary prayer rather than thanksgiving.<fn>See, for instance, Bereshit 20:7, Bemidbar 21:7 and Devarim 9:26. However, see also Shemuel II 7:27 where the root appears in the context of David thanking Hashem for promising him a dynasty. [It should be noted, however, that David's words there also include a request that Hashem keep His promise and bless David's house.]</fn></point> |
<point><b>"עָלַץ לִבִּי בַּי"י רָמָה קַרְנִי בַּי"י"</b> – The opening lines of praise to Hashem are appropriate for the occasion.  Channah gives thanks to Hashem for raising her from despondency. Whereas in her barrenness she had been sad and lowly, now her heart was filled with joy and she had the pride to raise her head.</point> | <point><b>"עָלַץ לִבִּי בַּי"י רָמָה קַרְנִי בַּי"י"</b> – The opening lines of praise to Hashem are appropriate for the occasion.  Channah gives thanks to Hashem for raising her from despondency. Whereas in her barrenness she had been sad and lowly, now her heart was filled with joy and she had the pride to raise her head.</point> | ||
<point><b>Reference to enemies</b><ul> | <point><b>Reference to enemies</b><ul> |
Version as of 01:32, 29 September 2016
Channah's Prayer
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Commentators struggle to determine whether Channah's prayer is one of praise or petition, and whether it is personal in nature or relates to the nation as a whole. Rashi prefers to read the whole song as a thanksgiving prayer relating to Channah's individual circumstances and the birth of her son. This requires reinterpreting some of the imagery, but has the advantage of the song fitting in nicely with the surrounding chapters.
Targum Yonatan, in contrast, attempts to read the prayer as related to the fate of the nation, suggesting that Channah prophesied about Israel's future victories over its foes. Though this nicely explains the many references to war, it is not clear why Channah would be sharing such news at the moment of her son's birth.
A third approach suggests that the mixture of personal and national in the song is intentional. Channah rejoices in the birth of her son, but simultaneously requests from Hashem that he grow to provide the nation with much needed leadership and salvation from their enemies.
Personal
Channah's prayer is a personal song of thanksgiving to Hashem for granting her request for a child. It revolves around 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.3
- R"A Bazak,4 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.5 As such, certain aspects of the song actually have little to do with Channah's personal story.6
- Rashi and R. Yosef Kara, following Bavli Berakhot,7 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. 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
National
Channah's song contains prophetic material relating to the nation as a whole. It speaks of events throughout the nation's history from the defeat of the Philistines by the hand of Shemuel until the coming of the Mashiach.
Personal and National
Channah's prayer relates to both her personal life and to the fate of the nation. She simultaneously thanks Hashem for a son, and requests that her child grow up to usher in a new era of leadership for Israel.
- External – According to Ralbag, the enemies refer to the Philistines whom Shemuel is to defeat. Since there is a spark of prophecy in Channah's words, she can speak as if the salvation has already occurred.
- Internal – R. Silber, in contrast, claims that Channah is speaking of the corrupt leaders of Israel whom Shemuel is to replace. He could say that Channah speaks in the past tense despite this being a request, in the manner of many psalmists who do the same, thereby expressing confidence that the desired outcome will come to fruition.