Elkanah's Double Portion and Peninnah's Taunts Against Hannah

Midrash Shmuel 1:8

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

"And it came to pass on the day" (1 Samuel 1:4). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: this is the day of Atzeret (the Feast of Weeks). "And Elkanah sacrificed, and he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions." What is "portions" (manot)? Shares. "But to Hannah he gave one portion, appayim." Double. [Appayim:] with a pleasant countenance. Appayim corresponds to Peninnah and her children. Another interpretation: why appayim? "For he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival provoked her sorely" — provoking her and going back and provoking her again. What would she say to her? "You have bought your firstborn son a cloak, and the second a tunic." "In order to make her fret (har'imah)." Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said: why do you complain against her? Is there thunder (re'amim) without rain? It is upon Me to remember her, as it says "For the LORD remembered Hannah," and so forth. "And so he did year by year, as often as she went up to the House of the LORD." The Rabbis say: one who weeps does not eat, as it is written, "and she wept and would not eat."

Themes

WomenBirthElishaHumorWit

Biblical References

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