a thing

<<that is not

<<proper,

<<he needs

<<to rebuke him.

<<“And answered

<<Chana

<<and said:

<<No,

<<my master.”

<<Ulla said,

<<and some say

<<Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Chanina:

<<She said to him:

<<Not

<<a master

<<are you

<<in matter

<<this,

<<and not

<<the Divine Spirit

<<rests

<<upon you,

<<that you

<<suspect me

<<of matter

<<this.

Some say:

<<thus

<<she said to him:

<<Not

<<a master

<<are you?

<<Is there not

<<present

<<the Shechinah

<<and the Divine Spirit

<<with you,

<<that you judged me

<<to the side of

<<guilt

<<and not

<<did you judge me

<<to the side of

<<merit?

<<Do

<<not

<<you know

<<that a woman

<<hard of

<<spirit

<<am I?!

“And wine

<<and strong drink

<<not

<<have I drunk.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From here,

<<for one who is suspected

<<of a matter

<<that is not

<<in him,

<<that he needs

<<to inform him.

“Do not

<<take

<<your maidservant

<<for

<<a daughter of

<<worthlessness.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From here,

<<for a drunk

<<who prays,

<<it is as if

<<he serves

<<idolatry.

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“for

<<a daughter of

<<worthlessness,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“Have gone out

<<men,

<<sons of

<<worthlessness,

<<from your midst.”

<<Just as

<<there

<<idolatry,

<<so too

<<here

<<idolatry.

“And answered

<<Eli

<<and said:

<<Go

<<in peace.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From here,

<<for one who suspects

<<his fellow

<<of a matter

<<that is not

<<in him,

<<that he needs

<<to appease him.

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that he needs

<<to bless him,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And the God of

<<Israel

<<will grant

<<your request.”

“And she vowed

<<a vow

<<and said:

<<Hashem

<<of Hosts.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<From the day

<<that created

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<His world,

<<not

<<was there

<<a person

<<who called

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<“Hosts,”

<<until

<<came

<<Chana

<<and called Him

<<“Hosts.”

Chana said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<of all

<<the hosts of

<<hosts

<<that You created

<<in Your world,

<<is it difficult

<<in Your eyes

<<that You give

<<me

<<a son,

<<just one?

A parable:

<<to what

<<is the matter

<<comparable?

<<To a king of

<<flesh

<<and blood

<<who made

<<a feast

<<for his servants.

<<There came

<<a poor man,

<<a certain one,

<<and stood

<<at

<<the door.

<<He said to them:

<<Give

<<me

<<a slice,

<<just one!

<<And not

<<did they pay attention

<<to him.

<<He pushed

<<and entered

<<to

<<the king.

<<He said to him:

<<My master,

<<the king,

<<of all

<<the feast

<<that you made,

<<is it difficult

<<in your eyes

<<to give

<<me

<<a slice,

<<just one?!

“If

<<seeing

<<You will see,”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Chana said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<“if

<<You see,”

<<good;

<<and if

<<not,

<<“You will see.”

I will go

<<and seclude myself

<<before

<<Elkana

<<my husband,

<<and since

<<I will have secluded myself,

<<they will make drink

<<me

<<the waters of

<<a sotah,

<<and not

<<do You

<<make

<<Your Torah

<<a forgery,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And she shall be cleared

<<and shall conceive

<<seed.”

It is understandable

<<for the one who

<<says:

<<if

<<she was

<<barren

<<she is remembered —

<<fine;

<<but

<<for the one who

<<says:

<<if

<<she was

<<giving birth

<<in pain,

<<she gives birth

<<with ease;

<<females,

<<she gives birth to

<<males;

<<dark ones,

<<she gives birth to

<<fair ones;

<<short ones,

<<she gives birth to

<<tall ones —

<<what

<<is there

<<to say?

As it is taught:

<<“And she shall be cleared

<<and shall conceive

<<seed” —

<<this teaches

<<that if

<<she was

<<barren,

<<she is remembered;

<<the words of

<<Rabbi Yishmael.

<<Rabbi Akiva said to him:

<<If so,

<<let go

<<all

<<the barren women,

<<all of them,

<<and seclude themselves,

<<and this one

<<who did not

<<misbehave

<<is remembered?!

<<Rather,

<<this teaches

<<that if

<<she was

<<giving birth

<<in pain,

<<she gives birth

<<with ease;

<<short ones,

<<she gives birth to

<<tall ones;

<<dark ones,

<<she gives birth to

<<fair ones;

<<one,

<<she gives birth to

<<two.

What is

<<“If

<<seeing

<<You will see”?

<<Spoke

<<the Torah

<<like the language of

<<human beings.

“The affliction of

<<Your maidservant.”

<<“Do not

<<forget

<<Your maidservant.”

<<“And give

<<to Your maidservant.”

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Chanina said:

<<Three

<<maidservants

<<these,

<<why?

<<Chana said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<three

<<examinations of

<<death

<<You created

<<in a woman,

<<and some say:

<<three

<<attachments of

<<death.

<<And these

<<are they:

<<niddah,

<<and challah,

<<and the lighting of

<<the lamp.

<<Have I at all

<<transgressed

<<on

<<one

<<of them?!

“And give

<<to Your maidservant

<<seed of

<<men.”

What is

<<“seed of

<<men”?

<<Rav said:

<<A man

<<among men.

<<And Shmuel

<<said:

<<Seed

<<that will anoint

<<two

<<men;

<<and who

<<are they?

<<Shaul

<<and David.

<<And Rabbi Yochanan

<<said:

<<Seed

<<that is equal

<<to two

<<men;

<<and who

<<are they?

<<Moshe

<<and Aharon,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Moshe

<<and Aharon

<<among His priests,

<<and Shmuel

<<among those who call

<<His name.”

<<And the Rabbis

<<say:

<<“Seed

<<of men” —

<<seed

<<that is absorbed

<<among

<<men.

When

<<came

<<Rav Dimi,

<<he said:

<<not

<<too tall

<<and not

<<too short,

<<and not

<<too small

<<and not

<<too stout,

<<and not

<<too pale

<<and not

<<too ruddy,

<<and not

<<too wise

<<and not

<<too foolish.

“I am

<<the woman

<<who stood

<<with you

<<here.”

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<From here,

<<that it is forbidden

<<to sit

<<within

<<four

<<cubits

<<of

<<prayer.

“For

<<the boy,

<<this one,

<<did I pray.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Shmuel

<<one who rules

<<halacha

<<before

<<his teacher

<<was he,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And they slaughtered

<<the bull

<<and they brought

<<the boy

<<to

<<Eli.”

<<Because

<<“they slaughtered

<<the bull”

<<they brought

<<the boy

<<to

<<Eli?

Rather,

<<Eli said to them:

<<Call

<<a kohen;

<<let him come

<<and slaughter.

<<Saw them

<<Shmuel

<<that they were

<<seeking

<<after

<<a kohen

<<to slaughter;

<<he said to them:

<<Why

<<do you need

<<to seek

<<after

<<a kohen

<<to slaughter?

<<Slaughter

<<by a non-kohen

<<is valid!

<<They brought him

<<before

<<Eli.

<<He said to him:

<<From where

<<do you have

<<this?

<<He said to him:

<<Is it

<<written

<<“And shall slaughter

<<the kohen”?!

<<“And shall bring near

<<the kohanim”

<<is written;

<<from receiving

<<onward

<<is the mitzvah of

<<priesthood;

<<from here,

<<that slaughter

<<is valid

<<by a non-kohen.

He said to him:

<<Indeed

<<well

<<you are speaking,

<<but

<<one who rules

<<halacha

<<before

<<your teacher

<<you are,

<<and anyone

<<who rules

<<halacha

<<before

<<his teacher

<<is liable

<<to death.

<<Came

<<Chana

<<and was

<<crying out

<<before him:

<<“I am

<<the woman

<<who stood

<<with you

<<here,

<<etc.”

<<He said to her:

<<Leave

<<me,

<<that I may punish him,

<<and I will ask

<<for mercy,

<<and He will give

<<you

<<one greater

<<than him.

<<She said to him:

<<“For

<<the boy,

<<this one,

<<did I pray.”

“And Chana,

<<she

<<was speaking

<<on

<<her heart.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra:

<<About

<<the matters of

<<her heart.

<<She said before Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<all

<<that

<<You created

<<in a woman,

<<not

<<did You create

<<a thing,

<<one,

<<for nothing:

<<eyes

<<to see,

<<and ears

<<to hear,

<<a nose

<<to smell,

<<a mouth

<<to speak,

<<hands

<<to do

<<with them

<<work,

<<legs

<<to walk

<<with them,

<<breasts

<<to nurse

<<with them.

<<Breasts,

<<these,

<<that You placed

<<on

<<my heart,

<<why?

<<Not

<<to nurse

<<with them?!

<<Give

<<me

<<a son,

<<and I will nurse

<<with them.

And Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra:

<<Anyone

<<who sits

<<in a fast

<<on Shabbos,

<<they tear up

<<for him

<<the decree of

<<his judgment

<<of

<<seventy

<<years.

<<And even so,

<<they go back

<<and exact payment

<<from him

<<for the judgment of

<<delight of

<<Shabbos.

What

<<is his remedy?

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<Let him sit

<<a fast

<<for the fast.

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Chana

<<hurled

<<words

<<toward

<<On High,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And she prayed

<<upon

<<Hashem,”

<<this teaches

<<that she hurled

<<words

<<toward

<<On High.

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Eliyahu

<<hurled

<<words

<<toward

<<On High,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And You

<<turned

<<their heart

<<backward.”

<<Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Yitzchak said:

<<From where

<<that retracted

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and conceded

<<to him,

<<to Eliyahu,