מדרש אויף שמואל א 2:22

Who causeth the grass to spring forth for the cattle (ibid., v. 14). There are three things a man does not wish to have happen to him: weeds in his field; a woman among his sons; and ferment within his wine. Yet all three were created to meet the needs of the world. And thus it is said: O Lord my God, Thou art very great (ibid., v. 1). Another comment on O Lord my God, Thou are very great: Thou art very great refers to the wondrous deeds You performed for man when you gave him old age and a hoary head. If this had not been done, men would not know whom to honor. The word very alludes only to old age, as it is said: Eli was very old (I Sam. 2:22). Thou art clothed with glory and majesty (Ps. 104:1). Glory signifies the strength with which I clothed you at the sea, as is said: The Lord is my strength and my song (Exod. 15:2). R. Judah the son of Ilai said: He praised Me and I praised him (Israel). Majesty alludes to the majesty with which you were adorned through Me at Sinai above all the nations of the world. R. Judah the son of Simon stated: Because they declared: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do and hear (Exod. 24:7), Scripture speaks of them at that moment As a lily between the thorns (Song 2:22). Another comment on Thou art clothed with majesty and glory. This refers to the adornment with which you crowned the head of Abraham when you gave him the crown of old age, as it is said: And Abraham was old.

R. Samuel b. Nachmeini in the name of R. Jonathan, said: "Whoever says that the children of Eli sinned errs, because it it said (I Sam. 1, 3.) And at that place were the two sons of Eli, Chaphni and Phineas, priests of the Lord. He agrees with Rab who said that Phineas did not sin. [And since the Scriptures put both Phineas and Chaphni on an equal footing, we understand through this that] just as Phineas did not commit any sin, so also Chaphni did not commit a sin. But what does the passage (I. Sam. 2, 22) signify? Because they prolonged the work of the confinement offerings, the Scriptures censure them in this way. This is the substance of the text. Rab said: "Phineas did not sin, for it is said (Ib. 14, 3.) And Achiyah, the son of Achitub, the brother of Echabod, the son of Phineas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord. etc. Is it possible that the Scriptures would describe minutely the genealogy of a man who committed a sin? Behold it is said (Mal. 2, 12.) The Lord will cut off unto the man that doth this, sons and grandsons, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that bringeth near an offering unto the Lord of Hosts [which was thus explained]: 'If he is an Israelite, he shall have none who would be master among the sages, nor a scholar among the disciples; and if he is a priest, he shall have no son, who will bring near an offering.' " Is it not to be concluded from this that Phineas did not sin? But behold, it is written (I Sam. 2, 22.) How they lay with the women. Yish Kaban (he lay) is written (referring to one). But is it not written (Ib. b.) Nay, my son, for it is no good report that I have? R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "Benni (my son) is written." Is it not written, Ye make the Lord's people to transgress? R. Huna the son of R. Joshua said: Maabiram (you make the people transgress) is written. But is it not written (Ib.) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial? Because Phineas should have protested against Chaphni's action, and he did not do so. Scripture considers it as though committed by himself (Fol. 56a).

Chapter 41: Prophets [1] And Eli was very old. "And he heard all that his sons did" (1 Samuel 2:22). "Fortunate is the man who listens to me, etc., for whoever finds me, etc. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul, etc." (Proverbs 8:34-36). What caused Eli to live a long life and age greatly? It was because he was engaged in Torah study, as it is written, "And Eli the priest was sitting on the seat [by the doorpost of the temple]" (1 Samuel 1:9), which is the meaning of "Fortunate is the man, etc." (Proverbs 8:34). Why did it say "whoever finds me, etc." and "but he who sins, etc." and "all who hate me love death" (Proverbs 8:36)? These are the sons of Eli, as it is written, "The sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:12). Therefore, a righteous person may be called wicked because of his children, as it is written, "sons of worthlessness" (1 Samuel 2:12), as if to say "the sons of a worthless person." In all of the Torah, he is wicked, and all of Israel hated him because of his sons, as it is written, "The judgment of the priests, etc." (1 Samuel 2:17), "even before the fat was burned, etc., the sin of the young men was great and they had no regard for the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:13-17). And Israel saw them and said to each other, "See how the priests of the Lord use these offerings," but a heavenly voice answered them, "They do it for themselves," as it is written, "But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul, all who hate me love death" (Proverbs 8:36). And it is written, "On that day both of Eli's sons shall die" (1 Samuel 2:34), because they hated life and loved death, and because of this distress, an old woman leaped upon Eli. And Eli was very old.