The Torah reading for the first day of Rosh Hashanah is from the book of Genesis (Bereishit) and tells of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah after waiting to have a child for a very long time.
וַֽיהֹוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהֹוָ֛ה לְשָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃
וַתַּ֩הַר֩ וַתֵּ֨לֶד שָׂרָ֧ה לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם בֵּ֖ן לִזְקֻנָ֑יו לַמּוֹעֵ֕ד אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶֽת־שֶׁם־בְּנ֧וֹ הַנּֽוֹלַד־ל֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָה־לּ֥וֹ שָׂרָ֖ה יִצְחָֽק׃
The LORD took note of Sarah as He had promised, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken.
Abraham gave his newborn son, whom Sarah had borne him, the name of Isaac.
The Haftarah for the first day of Rosh Hashanah is from the Samual I and tells the story of another woman, Hannah, who was barren and prayed to God for a child. Hannah was praying so fervently that Eli the priest thought that she was drunk! Hannah explains by saying:
וַתַּ֨עַן חַנָּ֤ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֔י אִשָּׁ֤ה קְשַׁת־ר֙וּחַ֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וְיַ֥יִן וְשֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי וָאֶשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃
אַל־תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ לִפְנֵ֖י בַּת־בְּלִיָּ֑עַל כִּֽי־מֵרֹ֥ב שִׂיחִ֛י וְכַעְסִ֖י דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
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 the LORD.
Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.”
Her heartfelt prayer became a model of what prayer should be. In fact, the rabbis of the Talmud derive four separate laws regarding prayer from Hannah's prayer.
1. Focus on the prayer that you are saying.
2. Enunciate the words with your lips.
3. Say the words quietly.
4. Don't pray while drunk.
Discussion Questions:
- Sarah and Hannah both prayed when they faced difficult times. What is your favorite prayer or meditation during difficult times?
- What do you think of the rabbis' rules for prayer? Would you delete anything? What rules or suggestions would you add?
- Is there a special place where you feel the most connected for prayer? Where is it and why is it special?
- What would you like to pray for this year? What are your hopes for the new year?