Manah Achat Apayim: Face Time... or In Your Face

1There was a man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3This man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh.—Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord there.

4One such day, Elkanah offered a sacrifice. He used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5but to Hannah he would give one portion only—though Hannah was his favorite—for the Lord had closed her womb. 6Moreover, her rival, to make her miserable, would taunt her that the Lord had closed her womb. 7This happened year after year: Every time she went up to the House of the Lord, the other would taunt her, so that she wept and would not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why aren’t you eating? Why are you so sad? Am I not more devoted to you than ten sons?”

9After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose.—The priest Eli was sitting on the seat near the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.— 10In her wretchedness, she prayed to the Lord, weeping all the while. 11And she made this vow: “O Lord of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the Lord for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

12As she kept on praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth. 13Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!” 15And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.” 17“Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” 18She answered, “You are most kind to your handmaid.” So the woman left, and she ate, and was no longer downcast. 19Early next morning they bowed low before the Lord, and they went back home to Ramah.
Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and the Lord remembered her. 20Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the Lord for him.” 21And when the man Elkanah and all his household were going up to offer to the Lord the annual sacrifice and his votive sacrifice, 22Hannah did not go up. She said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him. For when he has appeared before the Lord, he must remain there for good.” 23Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do as you think best. Stay home until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him.

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24When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a jar of wine. And though the boy was still very young, she brought him to the House of the Lord at Shiloh.25After slaughtering the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26She said, “Please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you and prayed to the Lord. 27It was this boy I prayed for; and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. 28I, in turn, hereby lend him to the Lord. For as long as he lives he is lent to the Lord.” And they bowed low there before the Lord.

1And Hannah prayed:

My heart exults in the Lord;
I have triumphed through the Lord.
I gloat over my enemies;
I rejoice in Your deliverance.

2There is no holy one like the Lord,
Truly, there is none beside You;
There is no rock like our God.

3Talk no more with lofty pride,
Let no arrogance cross your lips!
For the Lord is an all-knowing God;
By Him actions are measured.

4The bows of the mighty are broken,
And the faltering are girded with strength.

5Men once sated must hire out for bread;
Men once hungry hunger no more.
While the barren woman bears seven,
The mother of many is forlorn.

6The Lord deals death and gives life,
Casts down into Sheol and raises up.

7The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He casts down, He also lifts high.

8He raises the poor from the dust,
Lifts up the needy from the dunghill,
Setting them with nobles,
Granting them seats of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s;
He has set the world upon them.

9He guards the steps of His faithful,
But the wicked perish in darkness—
For not by strength shall man prevail.

10The foes of the Lord shall be shattered;
He will thunder against them in the heavens.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to His king,
And triumph to His anointed one.

11Then Elkanah [and Hannah] went home to Ramah; and the boy entered the service of the Lord under the priest Eli.

verses 5-8

Questions: What is the meaning of "apayim", that the Radak understood to be related to anger; why was anger conveyed in the plural (dual) form, and for what reason does it say two times: "that HaShem had closed her womb," and "for HaShem had closed her womb." And it repeats: "taunts her" and "makes her miserable" - which are both related to anger. And why was it that Peninah didn't anger her, and she didn't cry, except when they went up to the house of HaShem, and not the rest of the time? And if Elkanah always would say to her why do you cry, and she wouldn't answer him, why tell of it?

13Rend your hearts
Rather than your garments,
And turn back to the Lord your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in kindness,
And renouncing punishment.

But to Hannah he would give manah achat apayim According to the Radak, in the name of his father, the text means to say that Elkanah gave this portion in sorrow and anger, that he showed himself to be sad and irate that he could not give her more, and it seems that the text means that this portion would arouse fury, wrath, and much anger, if from Elkanah's perspective, who was twice sorrowful: 1) that HaShem closed her womb, and 2) and furthermore that this made him sorrowful.

Questions: Why did she not rise up until this point to pray, only now this first time, and why after the meal, and not before eating?

She rose Until now she supported herself (relied) on her husband who was a tzaddik (righteous one), and now that she saw that he was despairing of mercy, she aroused herself to pray on her own; she rose

To make her miserable. To make her complain, and our sages said (Bava Batra 15:1): In order to anger (upset) her, that she would pray; meaning for the sake of heaven.

Manah achat apayim. (Translation:) Alots her a choice portion, suitable to be received warmly.