Commentary for I Samuel 1:3
וְעָלָה֩ הָאִ֨ישׁ הַה֤וּא מֵֽעִירוֹ֙ מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֔ימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֧ת וְלִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּשִׁלֹ֑ה וְשָׁ֞ם שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עֵלִ֗י חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣נְחָ֔ס כֹּהֲנִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃
And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto the LORD.
Rashi on I Samuel
This man would go up. This is the present tense, i.e., he would go up from one appointed season to another, to Shilo.8He would go to Shiloh on the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. The Midrash Aggadah [renders] that the route he followed this year he did not take the next year in order to publicize [his pilgrimage] to the Bnei Yisroel that they should do likewise.9See Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos 9:5.
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Metzudat David on I Samuel
This man used to go up: His custom was always to go up to Shiloh every year, to bow down and sacrifice to God.
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Ralbag on I Samuel
On a set basis. The intention is either yearly or each festival as the Torah commands. The more correct interpretation is that every year he would ascend there with his wives and children. And this is the intention when it says "This man would ascend from his city on a set basis". That once every year he would ascend from his city, in a way that there remained no one in his house. Even women and children.
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