Hannah: A Righteous Woman
The story of Hannah closely relates to the story of our Matriarch Sarah, both read on the morning of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Like Sarah, Hannah is depicted by the rabbis as a righteous woman who is also childless. We read that God desired her prayer and the major prophet Samuel was born by merit of Hannah’s prayer. The Rabbis created many important halakhot, Jewish law, about prayer from Hannah’s entreaty at Shiloh. Her prayer became a model of prayer.
(א) וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד מִן־הָרָמָתַ֛יִם צוֹפִ֖ים מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמ֡וֹ אֶ֠לְקָנָה בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֧ם בֶּן־אֱלִיה֛וּא בֶּן־תֹּ֥חוּ בֶן־צ֖וּף אֶפְרָתִֽי׃ (ב) וְלוֹ֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֔ים שֵׁ֤ם אַחַת֙ חַנָּ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פְּנִנָּ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י לִפְנִנָּה֙ יְלָדִ֔ים וּלְחַנָּ֖ה אֵ֥ין יְלָדִֽים׃ (ג) וְעָלָה֩ הָאִ֨ישׁ הַה֤וּא מֵֽעִירוֹ֙ מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֔ימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֧ת וְלִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּשִׁלֹ֑ה וְשָׁ֞ם שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עֵלִ֗י חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣נְחָ֔ס כֹּהֲנִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃ (ד) וַיְהִ֣י הַיּ֔וֹם וַיִּזְבַּ֖ח אֶלְקָנָ֑ה וְנָתַ֞ן לִפְנִנָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּֽלְכָל־בָּנֶ֛יהָ וּבְנוֹתֶ֖יהָ מָנֽוֹת׃ (ה) וּלְחַנָּ֕ה יִתֵּ֛ן מָנָ֥ה אַחַ֖ת אַפָּ֑יִם כִּ֤י אֶת־חַנָּה֙ אָהֵ֔ב וַֽיהוָ֖ה סָגַ֥ר רַחְמָֽהּ׃ (ו) וְכִֽעֲסַ֤תָּה צָֽרָתָהּ֙ גַּם־כַּ֔עַס בַּעֲב֖וּר הַרְּעִמָ֑הּ כִּֽי־סָגַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה בְּעַ֥ד רַחְמָֽהּ׃ (ז) וְכֵ֨ן יַעֲשֶׂ֜ה שָׁנָ֣ה בְשָׁנָ֗ה מִדֵּ֤י עֲלֹתָהּ֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה כֵּ֖ן תַּכְעִסֶ֑נָּה וַתִּבְכֶּ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תֹאכַֽל׃ (ח) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֜הּ אֶלְקָנָ֣ה אִישָׁ֗הּ חַנָּה֙ לָ֣מֶה תִבְכִּ֗י וְלָ֙מֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲל֤וֹא אָֽנֹכִי֙ ט֣וֹב לָ֔ךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה בָּנִֽים׃ (ט) וַתָּ֣קָם חַנָּ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֛י אָכְלָ֥ה בְשִׁלֹ֖ה וְאַחֲרֵ֣י שָׁתֹ֑ה וְעֵלִ֣י הַכֹּהֵ֗ן יֹשֵׁב֙ עַל־הַכִּסֵּ֔א עַל־מְזוּזַ֖ת הֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃ (י) וְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־יְהוָ֖ה וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃ (יא) וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה ׀ בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽיהוָה֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמוֹרָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (יב) וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י הִרְבְּתָ֔ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃ (יג) וְחַנָּ֗ה הִ֚יא מְדַבֶּ֣רֶת עַל־לִבָּ֔הּ רַ֚ק שְׂפָתֶ֣יהָ נָּע֔וֹת וְקוֹלָ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמֵ֑עַ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ עֵלִ֖י לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ עֵלִ֔י עַד־מָתַ֖י תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִ֑ין הָסִ֥ירִי אֶת־יֵינֵ֖ךְ מֵעָלָֽיִךְ׃ (טו) וַתַּ֨עַן חַנָּ֤ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֔י אִשָּׁ֤ה קְשַׁת־ר֙וּחַ֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וְיַ֥יִן וְשֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (טז) אַל־תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ לִפְנֵ֖י בַּת־בְּלִיָּ֑עַל כִּֽי־מֵרֹ֥ב שִׂיחִ֛י וְכַעְסִ֖י דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ (יז) וַיַּ֧עַן עֵלִ֛י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְכִ֣י לְשָׁל֑וֹם וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל יִתֵּן֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖לְתְּ מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃ (יח) וַתֹּ֕אמֶר תִּמְצָ֧א שִׁפְחָתְךָ֛ חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וַתֵּ֨לֶךְ הָאִשָּׁ֤ה לְדַרְכָּהּ֙ וַתֹּאכַ֔ל וּפָנֶ֥יהָ לֹא־הָיוּ־לָ֖הּ עֽוֹד׃ (יט) וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ בַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֛בוּ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־בֵּיתָ֖ם הָרָמָ֑תָה וַיֵּ֤דַע אֶלְקָנָה֙ אֶת־חַנָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיִּֽזְכְּרֶ֖הָ יְהוָֽה׃ (כ) וַיְהִי֙ לִתְקֻפ֣וֹת הַיָּמִ֔ים וַתַּ֥הַר חַנָּ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמוֹ֙ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י מֵיְהוָ֖ה שְׁאִלְתִּֽיו׃ (כא) וַיַּ֛עַל הָאִ֥ישׁ אֶלְקָנָ֖ה וְכָל־בֵּית֑וֹ לִזְבֹּ֧חַ לַֽיהוָ֛ה אֶת־זֶ֥בַח הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֶת־נִדְרֽוֹ׃ (כב) וְחַנָּ֖ה לֹ֣א עָלָ֑תָה כִּֽי־אָמְרָ֣ה לְאִישָׁ֗הּ עַ֣ד יִגָּמֵ֤ל הַנַּ֙עַר֙ וַהֲבִאֹתִ֗יו וְנִרְאָה֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְיָ֥שַׁב שָׁ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ (כג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהּ֩ אֶלְקָנָ֨ה אִישָׁ֜הּ עֲשִׂ֧י הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינַ֗יִךְ שְׁבִי֙ עַד־גָּמְלֵ֣ךְ אֹת֔וֹ אַ֛ךְ יָקֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־דְּבָר֑וֹ וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ וַתֵּ֣ינֶק אֶת־בְּנָ֔הּ עַד־גָּמְלָ֖הּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ (כד) וַתַּעֲלֵ֨הוּ עִמָּ֜הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר גְּמָלַ֗תּוּ בְּפָרִ֤ים שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ וְאֵיפָ֨ה אַחַ֥ת קֶ֙מַח֙ וְנֵ֣בֶל יַ֔יִן וַתְּבִאֵ֥הוּ בֵית־יְהוָ֖ה שִׁל֑וֹ וְהַנַּ֖עַר נָֽעַר׃ (כה) וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ אֶת־הַפָּ֑ר וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־הַנַּ֖עַר אֶל־עֵלִֽי׃ (כו) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י חֵ֥י נַפְשְׁךָ֖ אֲדֹנִ֑י אֲנִ֣י הָאִשָּׁ֗ה הַנִּצֶּ֤בֶת עִמְּכָה֙ בָּזֶ֔ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃ (כז) אֶל־הַנַּ֥עַר הַזֶּ֖ה הִתְפַּלָּ֑לְתִּי וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֥ה לִי֙ אֶת־שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖לְתִּי מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃ (כח) וְגַ֣ם אָנֹכִ֗י הִשְׁאִלְתִּ֙הוּ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה כָּל־הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֔ה ה֥וּא שָׁא֖וּל לַֽיהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ שָׁ֖ם לַיהוָֽה׃ (פ) (א) וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל חַנָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר עָלַ֤ץ לִבִּי֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה רָ֥מָה קַרְנִ֖י בַּֽיהוָ֑ה רָ֤חַב פִּי֙ עַל־א֣וֹיְבַ֔י כִּ֥י שָׂמַ֖חְתִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ (ב) אֵין־קָד֥וֹשׁ כַּיהוָ֖ה כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין בִּלְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֥ין צ֖וּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (ג) אַל־תַּרְבּ֤וּ תְדַבְּרוּ֙ גְּבֹהָ֣ה גְבֹהָ֔ה יֵצֵ֥א עָתָ֖ק מִפִּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל דֵּעוֹת֙ יְהוָ֔ה ולא [וְל֥וֹ] נִתְכְּנ֖וּ עֲלִלֽוֹת׃ (ד) קֶ֥שֶׁת גִּבֹּרִ֖ים חַתִּ֑ים וְנִכְשָׁלִ֖ים אָ֥זְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ (ה) שְׂבֵעִ֤ים בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ נִשְׂכָּ֔רוּ וּרְעֵבִ֖ים חָדֵ֑לּוּ עַד־עֲקָרָה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְרַבַּ֥ת בָּנִ֖ים אֻמְלָֽלָה׃ (ו) יְהוָ֖ה מֵמִ֣ית וּמְחַיֶּ֑ה מוֹרִ֥יד שְׁא֖וֹל וַיָּֽעַל׃ (ז) יְהוָ֖ה מוֹרִ֣ישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁ֑יר מַשְׁפִּ֖יל אַף־מְרוֹמֵֽם׃ (ח) מֵקִ֨ים מֵעָפָ֜ר דָּ֗ל מֵֽאַשְׁפֹּת֙ יָרִ֣ים אֶבְי֔וֹן לְהוֹשִׁיב֙ עִם־נְדִיבִ֔ים וְכִסֵּ֥א כָב֖וֹד יַנְחִלֵ֑ם כִּ֤י לַֽיהוָה֙ מְצֻ֣קֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וַיָּ֥שֶׁת עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם תֵּבֵֽל׃ (ט) רַגְלֵ֤י חסידו [חֲסִידָיו֙] יִשְׁמֹ֔ר וּרְשָׁעִ֖ים בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יִדָּ֑מּוּ כִּֽי־לֹ֥א בְכֹ֖חַ יִגְבַּר־אִֽישׁ׃ (י) יְהוָ֞ה יֵחַ֣תּוּ מריבו [מְרִיבָ֗יו] עלו [עָלָיו֙] בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם יַרְעֵ֔ם יְהוָ֖ה יָדִ֣ין אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְיִתֶּן־עֹ֣ז לְמַלְכּ֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖ם קֶ֥רֶן מְשִׁיחֽוֹ׃ (פ)
(1) There 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. (2) He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. (3) This man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to offer sacrifice to Hashem of Hosts at Shiloh.—Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of Hashem there. (4) One such day, Elkanah offered a sacrifice. He used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; (5) but to Hannah he would give one portion only—though Hannah was his favorite—for the LORD had closed her womb. (6) Moreover, her rival, to make her miserable, would taunt her that Hashem had closed her womb. (7) This happened year after year: Every time she went up to the House of Hashem, the other would taunt her, so that she wept and would not eat. (8) Her 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?” (9) After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose.—The priest Eli was sitting on the seat near the doorpost of the temple of Hashem.— (10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to Hashem, weeping all the while. (11) And she made this vow: “O Hashem 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 head1.” (12) As she kept on praying before Hashem, Eli watched her mouth. (13) Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. (14) Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!” (15) And 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 Hashem. (16) Do 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.” (18) She answered, “You are most kind to your handmaid.” So the woman left, and she ate, and was no longer downcast. (19) Early next morning they bowed low before Hashem, and they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and Hashem remembered her. (20) Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the LORD for him."
1: Hannah is vowing to dedicate her future unborn son to Temple service by making him a Nazirite, literally a "consecrated one." The Torah forbids Nazirites from cutting their hair.
Leah's Prayers, by Noam Zion
What is the window into the biblical woman's heart? There are no diaries in the Bible, certainly no women's diaries. But we do have a few rare personal prayers to Gd, recited by women at revealing moments of deepest pain and joy.
In the book of Samuel, barren Hannah, ridiculed and taunted by her co-wife Peninah, pours out her heart in the temple of Shiloh as she weeps. Exhibiting a body language of extreme bitterness and desperation, she appears to be intoxicated to the decorum-conscious High Priest Eli: "And Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought that she was drunk." (I Samuel 1:13)
Centuries later, the Rabbis of the Talmud expand Hannah's prayer:
"And Hannah spoke in her heart," Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra: She spoke concerning her heart. She said before Gd: Sovereign of the Universe, among all the things that You have created in a woman, You have not created one without a purpose: eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell [...and] breasts to nurse [a child]. These breasts that You have put on my heart, are they not for nursing? Give me a son, so that I may nurse with them. (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 31b)
The Rabbis thus invent a new Hannah, liberated from her deferential stance toward the authority of her husband and the High Priest. They make her into a full-bodied feminist, who demands that the Sovereign of the Universe grant her rightful needs, in a direct, unabashed prayer that sounds more like bringing suit that worshipful pleading. [...] In Judaism, the prayers of women pour out inner longing to Gd, who, in turn, is characterized as a compassionate listener to the voices of the persecuted, the neglected, and the needy.
Hannah: Midrah and Aggadah, by Tamar Kadari
The Rabbis relate that Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife. Only after he saw that she had not borne any children during their first ten years of marriage did he marry Peninnah (Pesikta Rabbati 43). The Mishnah rules that if a couple has been married for ten years without having any children, the husband is obligated to take another (or additional) wife, in order to fulfill the commandment to be fruitful and multiply (M Yevamot 6:6). The midrash maintains that Elkanah was compelled to marry Peninnah because of Hannah’s barrenness, thus explaining his preference for Hannah, his first wife.
According to another tradition, Hannah took the initiative for Elkanah’s marriage to Peninnah. Knowing that she was childless, she said to herself: If I tell Elkanah to take an additional wife, God will see that I brought a rival wife into my house, and He will remember me (Pesikta Rabbati loc. cit.). The midrash thereby likens the narrative of Elkanah and Hannah to the stories of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs (Sarah and Hagar, Rachel and Bilhah), in which the beloved wife is barren and initiates the taking of an additional wife in order to produce offspring.
- How do the Rabbis use Midrash and Aggadah to add to Hannah's story? Do you think these texts give Hannah a stronger voice? Are you surprised by these rabbinic "additions" to the biblical story?
Hannah's Song, from Hannah: Midrash and Aggadah
[The Hebrew word shir שיר is used for both prayer and song]
According to the Rabbis, the song of Hannah is depicted in Psalm 113:9: “God sets the childless woman among her household as a happy mother of children. Hallelujah.”
[After being made a mother, the Rabbis write] Hannah said, “Master of the Universe! what must I do? I will recite song and melody to You: ‘Hallelujah [literally, praise the Lord]’” (Pesikta Rabbati loc. cit.).
Hannah's Legacy, by Emily Burack
The First & Second Book of Samuel is estimated to be written between 630 and 540 B.C.E.
While feminist scholars may argue that Hannah’s narrative only serves an androcentric agenda – setting up the birth of the prophet Samuel and his rise to prominence in ancient Israel – denying the impact of these passages of Hannah’s prayer denies their radicalness. The priest, maybe a Cohen, who sat at the door of the temple as Hannah prayed and cried to God for a son, thought Hannah was drunk. But no, she tells Eli, “I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.” Eli understands, and tells her, “may the God of Israel grant what you have asked of him.” Eli did not deny the validity of Hannah’s prayer: remember this.
Hannah’s vow is a classic Hebrew Bible vow: a condition, followed by a commitment made if the condition is satisfied. Hannah wants a son, and if she gets a son, she promises he will be a nazirite.
Yet Hannah’s vow is notable because of her gender; praying before God is a remarkably revolutionary act as a woman. In Judaism, women are exempt from many obligations (mitzvot) – including prayer – that men are required to comply with. Because women are not obligated to fulfill the mitzvot of prayer, many argue that they should not. So, Hannah’s prayer becomes a subversive and powerful statement of faith.
The Song of Hannah, after Hannah has given birth to Samuel and dedicated his life in service of God, is an “ancient poem of thanksgiving.” She is devoted to God. After all, she got what she wanted. “Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God’” (1 Sam 2:1). This line is remarkable for its language choice; there are active verbs attributed to Hannah. Hannah prays and Hannah says; therefore, Hannah is at the center of her own faith. And, oh, the use of possessive pronouns: “my heart,” “my strength,” and “my God.” Hannah takes ownership of her faith and her Judaism.
[...Some] take Judaism to mean the denial of women’s rights. Women can easily grow weary of the Bible; it is full of stories that fixate on sexual violence against women, on valuing men over women, on women in subservience, and on blaming women for the downfall of men.
But I cannot focus on this. I must remember how Miriam sings a song of victory, how Deborah was a judge of Israel, how Esther saves her people, and how Hannah prayed.
- Jewish law obligates men to pray three times a day while Jewish women are considered exempt from this time-bound obligation. However, Hannah serves as the inspiration and model for effective Jewish prayer. What do you make of this distinction? Do you see a contradiction? Why or why not?
A Prayer for Rosh Hashanah In Honor of Hannah, by Rishe Groner
May we be blessed this Rosh Hashanah that all our prayers are answered, as Hannah’s were answered, with joy and with gratitude. May our words be heard, may our cries rise to the heavens and penetrate the skies, may they cause vibrations in the earth that shake the universe at its very core. May we all find a way to reach the heart of ourselves and connect to the Divine in our own way, and line up a year of joy, blessing, prosperity, goodness, health, abundance, magic and love to all beings.
This Rosh Hashanah We Need To Listen To This Biblical Feminist Story by Rishe Groner
She cried, she trembled, she poured her heart out, and she did it in that terrible silence of a woman so broken she can’t even find her voice. Her whispered prayer was deep and real. The text tells us how she begged for a child, even cutting a deal with God in that way we all try when searching for a parking space, but this one involved offering to dedicate her future child to a life of service in the Temple, if only she could give birth to him. [...]
Peoples of all genders, it’s time. It’s time to listen, and make space. It’s time to step up, and be heard. It’s time for the silenced ones to be honored, and the old paradigms that have chastised them to be put in their place. For Hannah’s sake, inspired by her prayer, let’s call that in this new year. Around the Rosh Hashanah table, listen for the silenced voices. Invite them to share, to speak, without judgement. Advocate for those who don’t speak. Listen when they struggle to formulate the words. And remember that the silence can be just as telling as prayers that scream and shout. This Rosh Hashanah, it’s time.
1. In our current world, who does Hannah represent?
2. This Rosh Hashanah and in the following year how can we listen? How can we make space?