And there was a man. It all follows the order: Moshe gave over the Torah to Yehoshua and Yehoshua to the Elders and each Judge to his successor until it reached Eili who gave it over to Shmuel¹ as we learned (in the Mishnah), "… and the Elders [gave it over] to the Prophets…"²

footnotes: ¹ I.e., the “ו” of וְאֵלֶה links the Book of Shmuel with the preceeding Book of Shoftim and serves as a link between the oral tradition as stated in the Mishnah, “…and the Elders…” ² Maseches Avos 1:1.

From Ramasayim Tsofim. There were two hills each visible to the other.³⁴ Targum Yonoson renders צוֹפִים: "of the disciples of prophets."

footnotes: ³ Elkonoh lived in Romoh, see below verse 19; and he prophesied in Tsofim—Da’as Sofrim. ⁴ Maseches Megillah 14a.

Elkonoh. He was a Levite of the sons of Aviosof, the son of Korach —his ancestry is thus recorded in Divrei Hayomim.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ I Divrei Hayomim 6:19-23.

From the land of Ephrayim. [Targum] Yonoson renders "on the mountain of the house of Ephrayim." The Midrash Aggadah [renders] אֶפְרָתִי —a palace dweller, an important person,⁶ as in "let us extend אַפִּרְיוֹן to Rabbi Shimon,"⁷ [meaning] an expression of favor.

footnotes: ⁶ Rashi emphasizes that אֶפְרָתִי does not mean that he was from the tribe of Ephrayim because it has already been established that he was from the tribe of Leivi. ⁷ Maseches Bava Metzia 119a.

This man would go up. This is the present tense, i.e., he would go up from one appointed season to another, to Shilo.⁸ 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.⁹

footnotes: ⁸ He would go to Shiloh on the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. ⁹ See Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos 9:5.

It happened on the day. It happened on the festive day.

One choice portion. One choice portion which is fit to be accepted with a friendly countenance.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ אַפָּיִם referring to the face rather than to the portion. Ralbag renders “a double sized portion.”

Her rival. Her husband's other wife, Penina.

Frequently anger. Anger after anger, i.e., always.' Therefore it is written 'also [גֵם] anger.' She would say to her, "Did you buy your older son a cloak today, or your younger son, a shirt?"

In order that she should complain. In order to make her complain. Our Rabbis explain, 'in order to make her storm,' that she pray. Penina had good intentions.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ Maseches Bava Basra 16a.

Her womb. Lit., opposite her womb, and so is every expression of the word .¹²בְּעַד

footnotes: ¹² See Rashi, Bereishis 7:16.

He would do this. Elkonoh.

Year after year. He would give her a choice portion to demonstrate to her that he loved her; and her rival, according to the affection which her husband demonstrated to her, would anger her more and more.

Am I not better to you. Don't I love you more dearly.

Than ten sons. That Penina has borne to me.¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Others interpret that Elkonoh did not mean literally ten sons and with reference to Penina, but rather he was expressing his love to Chana and happened to pick that number , as we find the same number in Vayikra 26:26.—Radak

Eating in Shilo. The 'ה' is not dotted and the 'א' is voweled with a short kametz and its [meaning is] 'after eating in Shilo and after drinking,'¹⁴ and this expression is properly used both for masculine and feminine. After אָכְלָה is a gerund. It is constructed like ,¹⁵לְאָכְלָה an expression equivalent to an infinitive [i.e., לֶאֶכוֹל].

footnotes: ¹⁴ Eili therefore suspected that she was drunk because prayer usually takes place before eating or drinking—Da’as Sofrim. ¹⁵ Vayikra 25:6.

And Eili the kohen was sitting on the chair. On that day he was seated on a large chair,¹⁶ for he was appointed Judge over Yisroel.

footnotes: ¹⁶ The defective spelling of ישֵׁב [instead of יוֹשֵׁב] indicates that he just recently sat down because he was a newly appointed judge. See Rashi Bereishis 19:1.

Near the doorpost. [Lit. on the doorpost] meaning near the doorpost.

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?"

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

footnotes: ¹⁸ Ibid.

Your maidservant. [The word 'maidservant'] is stated three times in this verse, corresponding to the three mitzvos which a woman is commanded to observe.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ They are the laws of: 1. Menstruation .2 נִדָּה Separation of the dough .3 חַלָּה Kindling of the Shabbos lights [הַדְלָקַת הַנֵּר].

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

footnotes: ²⁰ I Melachim 2:32.

Males. I.e., important men,²¹ as it is written, "wise… and known men ]אֲנָשִׁים[.²²

footnotes: ²¹ See Maseches Berachos 31b. ²² Devarim 1:13.

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

And a razor.²³ Targum Yonoson renders, "and the fear [וּמַרְוַת] of man will not be upon him."

footnotes: ²³ See 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.

Watched her mouth. He waited for her to stop, as Targum Yonoson renders, 'and Eili waited until she stopped.'

Watched. An expression of waiting, as in, "[and his father] kept the matter in mind ]שָׁמַר["²⁴ i.e., waited, [and similarly] "do not wait [תִשְׁמוֹר] for my sin."²⁵

footnotes: ²⁴ Bereishis 37:11. ²⁵ Iyov 14:16.

Eili thought she was drunk. Because they were not accustomed to praying silently.

No, my lord. You are not master in this matter. You have revealed that the Holy Spirit is not resting upon you, otherwise you would have known that I am not intoxicated from wine.²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ Maseches Berachos 31b.

Do not deliver your maidservant. Because she had spoken harshly to him, she tried to appease him, so that he deliver her not, unprotected and disgraced, to her rival, the wicked woman.

For it is out of much grievance. That I have spoken harshly to you.

Grievance. In some instances, it [שִֹיחִי] is an expression of heartache. Another explanation of מֵרֹב שִֹיחִי, according to Targum, "because of much provocation and anger, I have prolonged my prayer until now."

And anger. My rival angers me.

Do not deliver. An expression of giving over, as in, "'Do not deliver me to the will of my tormentors."²⁷

footnotes: ²⁷ Tehillim 27:12.

Your request. The א is missing, to infer [שֵׁלָתֵךְ] an expression of children,²⁸ as in, "and her young [וּבְשִׁלְיָתָהּ] who emerges from…."²⁹

footnotes: ²⁸ Others render שֵׁלָתֵך as being derived from שָׁלָל [=plunder], meaning that her soon to be born son will “take of the goods [שָׁלָל of the Torah,” i.e., he will gain much knowledge and understanding of the Torah.—Radak ²⁹ Devarim 28:57.

Will grant the request. He foretold to her that her prayer had been accepted.

May your maidservant find favor. To beg for compassion on her behalf.

And no longer had the [sad] look on her face. Meaning the face of anger.

And came to their home… and Elkonoh knew. From here [we learn] that a traveler is forbidden to have marital relations.³⁰

footnotes: ³⁰ Maseches Kesubos 65a.

And as the seasons and days passed. The minimum of seasons [תְּקוּפוֹת] is two, and the minimum of days [יָמִים] is two. Hence, [she gave birth] after six months [=two seasons] and two days.³¹ From here [we learn] that a woman who gives birth in her seventh month of pregnancy, can give birth after entering part of the seventh month.

footnotes: ³¹ Maseches Rosh Hashanah 11a.

Shmuel. After the Name of God [א־ל], and in reference to the incident he was so called, for I requested [שָׁאַל] him of הַשֵׁם[=מא־ל].

The festival offering. [Targum renders] the sacrifices of the appointed seasons.

And his vow. The vows he made between festivals he would offer on the next festival.³²

footnotes: ³² Ibid., 6a.

When [the boy] will be weaned. At the end of twenty-two (other versions, twenty-four) months, for that is the period for a child to nurse.

And shall remain there forever. Forever in the Levitic sense,³³ i.e., fifty years as it is said, "from the age of fifty he shall retire from the work force."³⁴ Figuring as follows, we determine that Shmuel's lifetime was fifty-two years: Eili judged Yisroel for forty years.³⁵ On the day of Chana's prayer he was appointed judge.³⁶ By subtracting the year in which Chana conceived Shmuel, there remain thirty-nine years. Shmuel governed Yisroel from the time of Eili's death for thirteen years, as follows: On the day of Eili's death, the Ark was captured, and it remained in the land of the Philistines for seven months.³⁷ From there, it was brought to and remained in Kiryas Yearim until Dovid brought it up after he had reigned seven years in Chevron over Yehudah, and all of Yisroel had accepted him as their king. And it is written, "From the day the Ark came to rest in Kiryas Yearim, there ensued many days, and they became twenty years."³⁸ Subtracting from them seven years which Dovid reigned in Chevron discloses that from the time the Ark was captured until Shaul's death, were thirteen years and seven months; and Shmuel died four months before Shaul.

footnotes: ³³ It can also refer to the fifty year period of Yoveil. ³⁴ Bamidbar 8:25. ³⁵ I Shmuel 4:18. ³⁶ Above verse 9. ³⁷ Below 6:1. ³⁸ I Shmuel 7:2.

But may Adonoy fulfill His word. Because you requested of Him male offspring,³⁹ and Eili foretold you through Divine inspiration, "the God of Yisroel will grant your request,"⁴⁰ may 'ה fulfill His word. This is the simple interpretation. In Midrash Aggadah, however, Rabbi Nechemyah said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, the son of Rabbi Yitzchok: Every day a Divine voice would resound throughout the world and say, "A righteous man is destined to arise, by the name of Shmuel." Thereupon, every woman who bore a son, would name him Shmuel. Once they saw his deeds, they would say, "This is not [the] Shmuel." But when this one [Shmuel] was born and people saw his deeds, they said, "Apparently this one is the one [i.e., expected righteous man]." This is what he [Elkonoh] meant when he said, "May Adonoy fulfill His word," i.e., that this be the righteous Shmuel.

footnotes: ³⁹ Above, verse 11. ⁴⁰ Above, verse 17.

One eiphah of flour. I heard in the name of Rabbi Yitzchok Halevi, that she brought one eiphah of flour, the equivalent of three seahs, from which to extract three tenths of an eiphah of fine flour, the required amount for one bull.⁴¹ As we learned in the Mishnah:⁴² The showbread was made of twenty-four tenths of an eiphah from twenty-four seahs; i.e., one tenth part of an eiphah of fine flour from each seah of wheat.

footnotes: ⁴¹ See Bamidbar 15:8-9. ⁴² Maseches Menachos 76b.

And a flask of wine. For a libation.

Though the child was still a lad. The Targum renders, 'though the child was still young.'

They brought the child to Eili. To show that his prophecy was fulfilled. Our Sages expounded what they expounded, explaining that he [Shmuel] ruled on a point of law, that a kohein is not necessary for sacrificial slaughter, as it is stated in [Maseches] Berachos.⁴³

footnotes: ⁴³ 31b.

Please my lord. Take care of him, that he become your disciple. But according to the Midrash of our Sages, [she asked of Eili] not to punish him with death.

This is the child that I prayed for. Do not say, "this one shall die and another shall be given to you."⁴⁴

footnotes: ⁴⁴ Ibid.

And I have dedicated him to Adonoy. Just as a person who lends a utensil to his master, or lends him his son to serve him.

He is dedicated. Enpruntez in Old French, i.e., you have no right to punish him, for the Holy one, Blessed is He, has become his borrower; because I have lent [Shmuel] to Him, He must return him to me.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁵ Another interpretation of “שָׁאוּל” is that it refers to Shaul. She stated by Divine inspiration, “as long as Shmuel lives, Shaul will live.” Shmuel was no longer alive at the time of Shaul’s death.

He then prostrated himself. Shmuel. Others say, Elkonoh.