Hannah's Threat to Drink the Waters If God Will Not See

"If You will surely see the affliction of Your handmaid" (1 Samuel 1:11). Rabbi Elazar said: Hannah said before the Holy One, blessed be He: If You see, well and good; but if not, You will see [either way]. I will go and seclude myself in the presence of Elkanah my husband, and once I have secluded myself he will make me drink the waters of the suspected adulteress — and far be it that You should make Your own Torah a falsehood, for it is said, "and she shall be cleared and shall conceive seed" (Numbers 5:28). This works out well according to Rabbi Shimon, who said that if she was barren she would be remembered [with children]; but according to Rabbi [Yehuda the Prince], who said that if she had borne with pain she would bear with ease, if she bore short-lived ones she would bear long-lived, if dark she would bear fair, if one she would bear two — what is "if You will surely see"? The Torah spoke in the language of human beings. Another interpretation: "If You will surely see" — see in my affliction, see in my conception, see in my giving birth.