Shemuel Alef Chapter 2
This chapter opens with the famous Tefillat Hannah, the prayer of thanksgiving that Hanna recited after being blessed with a child and bringing him to the Mishkan to leave him there. The prayer reflects on the instability of human fortune and emphasizes that only the Creator ultimately determines our fate. It concludes with a request that the enemies of Hashem be decimated and that true leaders – specifically, a chosen King of Israel – be uplifted and strengthened.
The sons of Eli are well known for their insensitivity, unabashed corruption and mafia-style tactics of managing the affairs of the sanctuary at Shiloh. They demand more of the sacrificial animals’ flesh than the portions to which they are entitled. Even more disturbingly, they refuse to show the slightest deference to the sanctity of the religious services and at least wait until the rituals are completed before partaking of the meat.When their instructions are not carried out, they take what they want by brute force. Rumors swirl that they have even engaged in inappropriate liaisons with women who come to visit the Temple precincts.
Needless to say, the sons of Eli have a terrible reputation in Israel and are the object of the animosity and resentment of their fellow Jews. They are a prime example of desecration of Hashem’s name, representing the Almighty in a negative way and conveying the impression that the service of God is just another manifestation of materialism, avarice and selfishness. The “religion” of the sons of Eli has nothing to do with transcendence or holiness.
In the meantime, Shemuel grows both in his knowledge and devotion to Hashem and in his popularity among the people. His parents visit him yearly and his mother Hanna, repeatedly blessed by Eli HaKohen for her noble act of dedicating Shemuel’s life to Divine service, has five more children.
Eli HaKohen makes a feeble and unsuccessful attempt to rebuke his sons and correct their behavior. Unsurprisingly, his efforts have little or no effect. A prophet visits Eli and informs him that because his sons have brought shame upon the priesthood and defiled the offerings of God, his descendants will be cursed with short lifespans and severe poverty. The two sons of Eli are destined to die on the very same day and to be replaced by a trustworthy and honorable Kohen who (together with his children) would restore dignity to the office of the priesthood, the institution of the Temple and the Torah of Hashem.
There is much to comment upon in this chapter but for the sake of brevity I will suffice with a single observation. The prayer of Hanna is often misunderstood as being unrelated to the specific content of her story and to have minimal relevance to the narrative of the book of Shemuel. Some reputable scholars and rabbis (for instance, Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom) have even suggested that it was a generic hymn that people would recite on occasions of salvation and deliverance and that it merely became associated with Hanna because she chose to use it to celebrate this milestone in her life.
Our understanding of the introduction to the Book of Shemuel, however, leads us to precisely the opposite conclusion. The greatness of Hanna was that she saw the universal significance of her particular story. It makes perfect sense that her thanksgiving ode to Hashem would likewise reflect the broad principles she felt were exemplified by her plight and Hashem’s answer to her prayer and that they wouldn’t be bogged down with the details of her personal life.
Because Hanna rose above the limitations of her own family drama and diagnosed the spiritual illness of the nation as a whole, she took the bold steps that actually resolved the crisis that had gripped the Jewish people for generations. In her prayer, she presents us with a “big picture” perspective on Divine providence as well as expressing her hope that the actions she had taken would eventuate in the establishment of a stable and successful monarchy in the land of Israel.