Komentarz do Samuela I 1:11

Adonoy of Hosts. Why was this Name designated here? She [Chana] said before Him, "Lord of the universe, You created two hosts in Your world. The heavenly beings neither multiply nor do they die; the earthly beings both multiply and die. If I am of the earthly beings, let me multiply and die, and if I am of the heavenly beings, let me not die." I found [this explanation] in the Aggadah of R. Eliezer the son of R. Yose Haglili. Our Rabbis in Maseches Berachos,¹⁷ expounded what they expounded: —Until then, there was no one person who called the Holy One, Blessed is He, [Master of] Hosts. She said thus before Him; "Lord of the universe, of all the hosts which You created in Your world, is it difficult for you to grant me one son?"

Upon the affliction: Upon that which I am afflicted with pain and grief.

And she made a vow: I wonder how her vow attached itself upon her son, such that he be a nazerite? Moreover, he was not in the world, so how could the vow attach itself to him? And even if he was in the world, behold they said (Sotah 3:8), "A man can vow that his son be a nazirite, but a woman cannot vow that her son be a nazirite!" And even with a man, they did not find a reason, but rather said it is a law [transmitted without explanation] in the case of a nazerite. And if you would say that Elkanah also made the vow after he heard [it] from his wife - we have not seen this! And how did the verse leave out the main vow and write the vow of Channah, which is not a [true] vow? That is remote. And I wonder [even] more how our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, did not say anything about this thing. For I did not find anything at all about this in their words, not in the Midrash and not in the Talmud.

If You look at. In Maseches Berachos,¹⁸Ibid. our Sages expounded what they expounded.

And You will remember me and not forget: It repeated the thing with different words for further clarification and in the way of those praying.

O Lord of hosts: Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, expounded - since until then, we did not find one person who called the Lord, the Lord of Hosts. For what it stated above (I Samuel 1:3), "to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh," is the narrative from the writer of the book. Hence they said, "Why did this name come specifically here? Channah said before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'You created two hosts in Your world. The heavenly beings neither multiply nor do they die; the earthly beings multiply and die. If I am of the earthly beings, let me multiply, and if I am of the heavenly beings, let me not die." And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, also said, "Rav said, 'The steps of the pilgrims were going up. Channah said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the worlds, From all of these masses that you have before You, can you not remember me with one of them?"'"

Your maidservant. [The word 'maidservant'] is stated three times in this verse, corresponding to the three mitzvos which a woman is commanded to observe.¹⁹They are the laws of: 1. Menstruation .2 נִדָּה Separation of the dough .3 חַלָּה Kindling of the Shabbos lights [הַדְלָקַת הַנֵּר].

The offspring of men: Meaning to say, male children.

If You will surely look (lit., look, you will look): They expounded because of the doubling (of the word, look). But it is not necessary, for this is the way of the language, to join the infinitive with verbs, like (Jeremiah 17:24), "if you will surely listen (lit., listen, you will listen). And it said [it], because this combination is to strengthen the matter. And they, may their memory be blessed, expounded about it (Berakhot 31b), "If You will look, fine; but if not, You will look: I will go and have Elkanah, my husband, be jealous of me, and I will give birth, as You have written in Your Torah, (Numbers 5:28), 'But if the woman was not defiled and she is pure [... and shall bear seed].'"

Male offspring. I.e., righteous men, as it is written, "Two men [אֲנָשִׁים] who were righteous."²⁰I Melachim 2:32.

Then I will give him to the Lord: Meaning to say, I will take it upon myself as a vow that I will give him to the Lord.

Upon the affliction of your maidservant: [The word, "your maidservant," appears] three times in the verse; like [Noach, in] "These are the generations of Noach" (Genesis 6:9); and Israel, five times, in the verse (Numbers 8:19). For this is the way of the Scriptures, to embellish. But they expounded about it (Pesikta Rabbati 43:1) - Channah said, "A woman is commanded with three commandments, and I have not transgressed [even] one of them."

Males. I.e., important men,²¹ See Maseches Berachos 31b. as it is written, "wise… and known men ]אֲנָשִׁים[.²²Devarim 1:13.

All the days of his life: Meaning to say, he will always dedicate himself to the service of the Lord.

And You will remember me and not forget your maidservant: The repetition is to strengthen the prayer and the request. And likewise (Deuteronomy 25:17-18), "Remember that which Amalek did to you [...] do not forget," is to strengthen the commandment. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Pesikta Rabbati 43:1), "'And You will remember me,' with males; 'and not forget your maidservant,' with females."

Then I will give him to Adonoy. I.e., that he be fit to be given to Adonoy.

And a razor, etc.: He will be a nazerite forever without shaving, and like the law of a nazerite.

The offspring of men: Its explanation is males; and that which it stated, "and a razor shall never come on his head," shows that she said it about males. For this is not said about females. And Yonatan translated it [in the Targum] as, "a son amidst people." And in the homiletical teachings: The offspring of men, that their faces not be similar to a monkey, nor to a eunuch. Another explanation - the offspring of men, wise men, as you say (Deuteronomy 1:13), "wise and understanding men"; men, prophets, as you say (Numbers 11:26), "And two men remained." And they also said, offspring that is equivalent to two men. And who were they? Moshe and Aharon, as it is stated (Psalms 99:6), "Moshe and Aharon among His priests, and Shmuel among those who call His name."

And a razor.²³See Maseches Nazir 66a where the very same difference of opinion is discussed. R. Nehorai renders מוֹרָה meaning a razor as Scripture states regarding Shimshon, in Shoftim 13:5, “the razor [מוֹרָה] must not be wielded on his head.” And R. Yose holds that [מוֹרָה] is a connotation referring to the fear of man. Targum Yonoson renders, "and the fear [וּמַרְוַת] of man will not be upon him."

Then I will give him to the Lord: That he should be a holy nazirite before the Lord. And Yonatan translated it [in the Targum] as, "and I will give him over to serve before the Lord." But if it is like his words, what did Channah give to Him; are not all Levites given to the Lord? We can [however] explain that the other Levites would come to the service of the Lord from twenty-five years old, whereas she gave him to the Lord "all his days." And in the homiletical teachings: They said to Channah, "Why are you requesting the offspring of wise men, the offspring of prophetical men?" She said to them, "So that he be suitable to give him to the Lord."

And a morah: It is a razor, like (Judges 13:5), "And no razor (morah) shall come upon his head," about Shimshon. But Yonatan translated the one about Shimshon [in the Targum], "razor," and this one, "and there shall be no fear of people upon him." And its content, according to his opinion, is like it would be with an alef [at the end of the word, instead of a hey]. And there is a disagreement about this in the words of our Rabbis (Nazir 9:5): Rabbi Nehorai says, "Shmuel was a nazirite, as it is stated, 'and no morah shall come upon his head.' Just as that which is stated with regard to Shimson [means he was] a nazirite, so too morah that is stated with regard to Shmuel [means he was] a nazirite." Rabbi Yose said, "Morah means nothing other than [the fear of] flesh and blood." [Rabbi Yosef said, "Like whom do we translate, 'and there shall be no fear of people upon him?' Like whom? Like Rabbi Yose."] And in the homiletical teaching, it explains why a razor is called a morah: Rabbi Ammi said, "'The fear yiratof worm and snail will not come there' (Isaiah 7:25) - just as this stalk only fears iron, so too does this hair only fear iron."