The themes of Haftarah readings parallel those of the Torah reading. We continue to read our Haftaroth as a reminder of the dangerous times past when reading Torah itself was publicly forbidden to Jews, and only the Haftarah could be read.
The First Day of Rosh HaShanah is our entry into the auspicious Days of Awe and Remembrance, the Yamim Noraim.
And on this First Day of Rosh HaShanah, the paired Torah and Haftarah readings feature the stories of women, Sarah and Hannah.
In both stories the two women are barren.
This is a terribly painful state, even today, for women who want to have children: and how much more so in Biblical Times.
Then, having children was not only was desired, but significantly defined the status and worth of a woman, to her husband, and her community.
In both of our readings, the women who are central to the sidrah pray for children. Meanwhile, to insure their lineage, their husbands have taken concubines or surrogates: Hagar, who is Sarah’s surrogate, and Pennina who is Hannah’s: each surrogate has sons by the wives' husbands.
The story tells us that these two surrogates, Hagar and Peninna, taunt the barren wives Sarah and Hannah, and flaunt their fecundity and status as the new propagators of the lineage.
Further, men in the story create complications for the women: Abraham gives his wife Sarah to Abimelech, saying she is his sister; and when Hannah is at temple fervently praying for a son, she is scolded by Eli the priest who accuses her of drunkenness.
These difficult stories were chosen for us for this Day by our rabbis and sages, as a positive message for us to learn from and be strengthened:
We observe three things:
- How God Remembers the wives, Sarah and Hannah; the stories resolve with them bearing children, surpassing their barrenness.
- How this suffering resolves into the Creation of something new: in this case the wives become able to bear offspring, and thus gain a renewed and strengthened presence in their world and ours.
- How women are featured in our texts.
Listen for these lessons.
In both stories we see very real people,
They may be like you and me,
experiencing pain and suffering and bitterness.
They do not give up, but find means of identifying where their help comes from; through prayer and maintaining faith.
We see how God does see and Remember us.
Listen for the Rosh HaShanah themes of:
Remembrance, Renewal and Creation,
in the Haftarah Torah readings:
The New Year lessons begin with teachings from two faithful women.