The Lord Remembered Hannah and the Prayer That Was Answered

"For the LORD remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters" (1 Samuel 2:21). Let our master teach us: for how many days does one bless the new month? Our masters taught us: Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Assi, until its lack is filled, and we say until the fourteenth day, while it is renewing and growing; until that hour one blesses the month. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: be diligent to bless Me over everything, and if you are diligent in blessings, I too will come to you and bless you, as it is said, "in every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:21). And you find of Abraham, what is written of him? "Because Abraham obeyed My voice" (Genesis 26:5), and I blessed him, "and the LORD blessed Abraham in all things" (Genesis 24:1). And not only that, but he saw in his constellation that he would not beget, as it is said, "and I go childless" (Genesis 15:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: you observe well, but by your life, Abram does not beget; and what do I do for you? I change your name and you will beget, as it is said, "your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham" (Genesis 17:5). And likewise Sarai does not bear, as it is said, "and Sarai was barren" (Genesis 11:30), but Sarah bears, as it is said, "and the LORD remembered Sarah" (Genesis 21:1). And Hannah too, because she was constant in going up and praying in the Temple and pleading before the Holy One, blessed be He, He heard her prayer and remembered her. From where? From what we read in this matter, "for the LORD remembered Hannah." "For the LORD remembered Hannah." Thus Rabbi Tanchuma son of Abba opened: "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them" (Psalms 145:18-19). "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him" — could it be to all? Scripture teaches, "to all who call upon Him in truth." "Surely God is good to Israel" (Psalms 73:1) — could it be to all? Scripture teaches, "to the pure in heart." "The LORD is good" (Lamentations 3:25) — could it be to all? Scripture teaches, "to the soul that seeks Him." "Happy is the man whose strength is in You" (Psalms 84:6) — could it be to all? Scripture teaches, "in whose heart are the highways." "He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him" — because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not refuse his prayer but gives him what he asks. This is David, of whom it is written, "I am a companion of all who fear You" (Psalms 119:63). When he grieved over the Temple, as it is written, "remember, O LORD, in David's favor all his affliction... I will not enter my house... I will not give sleep to my eyes... until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalms 132:1-5). When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw him standing and grieving over the Temple, immediately He sent Gad the prophet to him and showed him the place of the Temple, as it is written, "and Gad came to David that day and said to him, go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite" (2 Samuel 24:18). Immediately David went; that is, "and David went up at Gad's word, which the LORD commanded" (2 Samuel 24:19), and there he found the altar on which the first man had offered, and on which Noah had offered, and on which Abraham had offered. When he found it he began to measure and said, from here to here is the courtyard, from here to here is the Holy of Holies, as it is written, "and David said, this is the house of the LORD God" (1 Chronicles 22:1); and from where this is the altar of the burnt offering. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, does not refuse the spirit of the righteous but gives them all they ask, to fulfill what is said, "He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him." [Another interpretation: "He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him."] Who was this? Hannah, who prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He did not send her away empty from her prayer, but heard her prayer and gave her all she asked of Him. "And she vowed a vow and said, O LORD of hosts" (1 Samuel 1:11). What is "LORD of hosts"? Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon said: Hannah said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the universe, there is a host above and a host below; the host above neither eats nor drinks nor is fruitful and multiplies nor dies, but lives forever; the host below eats and drinks and is fruitful and multiplies and dies. I do not know from which host I am, whether of the upper or the lower. If I am of the upper host, let me not eat nor drink nor bear nor die, but live forever as they live forever; and if I am of the lower host, let me eat and drink and bear and die as they eat and drink and are fruitful and multiply. This is "LORD of hosts." Another interpretation of "LORD of hosts": Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon said, at the festival pilgrimages Hannah went up to the Temple and saw all Israel there, and said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the universe, all these hosts You have, and I do not have a single one among them. "If You will look [upon the affliction of Your maidservant]" (1 Samuel 1:11). If You look, well and good; and if not, You will look not by Your goodwill. She said before Him, better that You look by goodwill before You look not by goodwill. She said, if You do not remember me, I will go and make myself secluded with another man, and my husband will see me and suspect me and bring me to the priest and make me drink the bitter waters; and I will be found pure, and it falls to You to remember me and give me a son, for You wrote in the Torah, "and if she was not defiled... she shall be cleared and shall conceive seed" (Numbers 5:28). Thus "if You will look," look by goodwill before You look not by goodwill. "And remember me and not forget Your maidservant" (1 Samuel 1:11). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: three times "Your maidservant, Your maidservant, Your maidservant" is written in this verse, corresponding to the three commandments which our masters taught that women are bound by: menstrual separation, the dough offering, and kindling the lamp. Hannah said, Master of the universe, was not Your maidservant diligent in all three? What is "and remember me"? With males; "and not forget Your maidservant," with females. That is, "for the LORD remembered Hannah and she conceived." [Another interpretation: "For the LORD remembered Hannah."] This is what Scripture says, "He makes the barren woman dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children" (Psalms 113:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I seated Sarah barren in the house, as it is said, "and Sarai was barren" (Genesis 11:30), in order to gladden her with children. But did Sarah have many children? She bore only Isaac, as it is written, "and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age" (Genesis 21:2). What then is "a joyful mother of children"? When Sarah bore Isaac, the nations of the world said, he is the son of the maidservant, and she only makes herself out to be nursing him. At that hour Sarah said, what are you standing for? This is no hour for modesty; rise and uncover yourself for the sake of the sanctification of the Name. Sarah rose and uncovered herself, and her two breasts flowed milk like two jets of water, as it is written, "and she said, who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children" (Genesis 21:7)? Rabbi Pinchas the priest son of Chama said in the name of Rabbi Chilkiah: Abraham's standing grain withered and turned to ears — "who would have said to Abraham." And the nations of the world would bring their children to Sarah that she nurse them, to fulfill what is said, "Sarah nursed children." Some of them brought their children in truth, that she nurse them, and some of them brought their children to test her; neither lost. Rabbi Levi said: those who came in truth were converted. This is "Sarah nursed children" — what is "nursed children"? Those who became sons in Israel. And those who came to test her, our masters said, advanced in this world to high office; and all the converts who convert in the world and all the God-fearers in the world are from those who nursed from Sarah's milk. Thus "a joyful mother of children," this is Sarah. Another interpretation: "He makes the barren woman dwell in her house." Rabbi Berekhiah said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: this is Jochebed. But was she barren? She had borne Aaron and Miriam! Rather, you find that when Pharaoh decreed, "every son that is born you shall cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22), when Amram heard this, he and his court arose at that hour and decreed and kept Israel from being fruitful and multiplying, and they put away their wives, "the women of My people you cast out from their pleasant houses" (Micah 2:9). Therefore he calls Jochebed barren, for she was uprooted from her house. Miriam was six years old at that hour, and she said, father, father, Pharaoh was better for Israel than you. Why? Pharaoh decreed against the males, and you against the males and females; Pharaoh decreed and it is doubtful whether his decree is fulfilled, and you decreed and your decree is fulfilled. When Amram heard her words he brought her before the Sanhedrin and she spoke before them, and they said to him, Amram, you forbade and you must permit the matter. He said to them, what do you say, shall we restore in secret? They said to him, and who will inform all Israel? Rabbi Yehudah bar Zevida said: Amram seated her on a bridal litter, and Aaron was on one side and Miriam on the other bearing crowns and walking before her, and the holy spirit cried out, "He makes the barren woman dwell in her house, a joyful mother of children." And why did Amram do this? So that Israel would know and restore their wives. And when they saw, they said a song to the Holy One, blessed be He, and they only said the song because they said, now the redeemer Moses is born and we are redeemed from Egypt, "Hallelujah, when Israel went out of Egypt." Another interpretation: "He makes the barren woman dwell in her house." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I seated Miriam daughter of Tanchum barren in order to gladden her with her sons in the world to come. Our masters said: there was an incident with Miriam daughter of Tanchum in the days of the persecution, who had seven sons. They seized the first and said to him, come and bow to the idol. He said to them, I will not deny God. Immediately they took him and put him in the frying pan and fried him. So they seized the second and said, come and bow to the idol. He said to them, I will not deny the Holy One, blessed be He. Immediately they did to him as they had done to the first. So they did to the third and to the fourth and to all of them. The youngest remained. They said, come and bow to the idol, and if not we will do to you as we did to your brothers. He said to them, I will go and consult my mother. He went to his mother and said to her, what do you say, shall I bow to the idol or not? His mother said to him, my son, what do you wish, that all your brothers be set in the bosom of Abraham in the world to come and you not be with them? Immediately he went and refused to bow to the idol. Immediately they took him and did to him as they had done to his brothers, and they took Miriam their mother and killed her. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: in the world to come I will gladden her with her sons, "a joyful mother of children." Another interpretation: "He makes the barren woman dwell in her house." This is Hannah, as it is written, "and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children" (1 Samuel 1:2), for she was barren in the house in order to gladden her with children, "a joyful mother of children," "for the LORD remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters." Hannah said to Him, Master of the universe, what is it for me to do, to recite to You songs and praises? "Hallelujah." "And Hannah prayed and said, my heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in God" (1 Samuel 2:1). Another interpretation. "For the LORD remembered Hannah." This is what Scripture says, "the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man according to his praise" (Proverbs 27:21). What is "the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold"? Just as the refiner puts silver to the fire and gold to the furnace and does not leave them there, so the Holy One, blessed be He, refines the righteous, each one according to his worth. Thus "the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold." What is "and a man according to his praise"? The Holy One, blessed be He, refines the righteous according to his deeds. And so you find that the Holy One, blessed be He, refined Sarah twenty-five years from when she came to the land of Israel, as it is written, "and Abraham was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran" (Genesis 12:4), and she was sixty-five at that hour, since he was ten years older than her, and she bore at ninety, since Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, as it is said, "shall a child be born to one a hundred years old, and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear" (Genesis 17:17)? You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, refined her according to her strength. And Rebecca too, the Holy One, blessed be He, refined according to her strength, twenty years; from where? As it is written, "and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca daughter of Bethuel" (Genesis 25:20), and it is written, "and Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them" (Genesis 25:26); you find that the Holy One, blessed be He, refined her twenty years. And Hannah too the Holy One, blessed be He, refined according to her strength. And how much did He refine her? Our masters said, nineteen years. How so? Ten years that she dwelt with him and did not bear, and he took Peninnah and she bore him ten sons — for so you find that Elkanah says to Hannah, "am I not better to you than ten sons" (1 Samuel 1:8), these are the sons of Peninnah — and you give eight years for conceptions and one year for the conception of Samuel, that is nineteen years, and afterward He remembered her, "for the LORD remembered Hannah." [Another interpretation: "For the LORD remembered Hannah."] Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, I am a keeper of deposits; whatever a person deposits with Me I give back to him. To what may the matter be likened? To one who was a keeper of deposits, and people would deposit with him. One came and deposited gold coins with him; one came and deposited thorns with him. When they came to take them back from him, the one who deposited silver with him he gave silver, and the one who deposited thorns with him he returned thorns. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am a keeper of deposits; whatever a person deposits with Me I give back to him. So you find Abraham deposited souls with the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "and Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son... and the souls they had made in Haran" (Genesis 12:5). But did Abraham make souls? Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat said in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra: if all who come into the world were to gather to create even a single gnat, they could not; yet you say "the souls they had made in Haran"? Did Abraham and Sarah create souls? What is "the souls"? Rather, Abraham would convert the men and Sarah would convert the women. This is what is written, "and so I saw the wicked buried and they came" (Ecclesiastes 8:10), and they would bring the creatures under the wings of the Divine Presence. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: by your lives, you deposited souls with Me, souls I repay you, "and the LORD remembered Sarah... and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age" (Genesis 21:1-2). Amalek came and deposited thorns with Him, as it is written, "and Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim" (Exodus 17:8), and so, "how he met you on the way and attacked your rear" (Deuteronomy 25:18). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: you deposited thorns with Me; by your life, thorns I repay you, "thus says the LORD, I have remembered what Amalek did to Israel... now go and strike Amalek" (1 Samuel 15:2-3). And Hannah deposited souls with the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "and there was a man of Ramathaim-zophim, and his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu" (1 Samuel 1:1).