Sefer Shmuel: Ch 1-8

(1) Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. (2) And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (3) And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto the LORD. (4) And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, that he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions; (5) but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb. (6) And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. (7) And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat. (8) And Elkanah her husband said unto her: ‘Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?’

'There was one man' : Everything is according to its order - Moses passed the Torah to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, each Judge passed it to the next Judge, until it reached Eli, and from him Shmuel, and so therefor we learn (in Pirkei Avot) "The Elders to the Prophets."

(1) Moshe received the Torah from Sinai, and transmitted it to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, and establish many students, and make a fence for the Torah.

'The man went up' : The language here is in present tense, since he would always go up to Shilo for every holiday. The Midrash Aggada says, "The road he went on that year as different than the path he normally took, so that more people in Israel would hear about him going up and follow his example."

'On that day' : The Targum explains - "That day was the Moed (Holiday)"

{Unclear meaning} : (The Targum explains) "The one portion was chosen (special)"

'Tormented her' : The wife of her husband, P'nina.

'So he did' : This is Elkana

(1) 'I am as good to you' : in adoring you (2) 'As ten sons' : As P'nina had given birth to.