[RBS] Haftara for Rosh Hashana

[Jonathan and Shoshana Shooter]

The following is from 'The Haftara Handbook'
By Jonathan Shooter
Feel free to print out and take it to shul.
Email back for details of how to get copies of the book.
Wishing all a kesiva vechasima tova.

Haftara of the First Day of Rosh Hashana

The Rise and Fall of Man

Shmuel I 1:1-2:10
What's the Haftara about?
Elkana was married to Chana, but after many years, they were still 
childless. Chana advised him to take another wife so that he would father 
children. He married Penina and over the years, she bore ten children. Each 
year Elkana brought his family to the Mishkan in Shilo. They would 
deliberately take a roundabout route so as to encourage people to join them 
and be uplifted by the visit to the Mishkan. When Elkana would offer 
korbonos, he gave portions to his family, but the best portion, he would 
give to Chana. Penina would taunt Chana; "Did you buy clothes for your 
children?" and other such jibes. Chazal say that Penina acted leshem 
Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. She was trying to inspire Chana to pray 
more fervently, and that way, she would be granted children. Penina would 
intensify her taunts during those annual visits to the Mishkan, so that 
Chana would pray harder on those occasions. One year Chana was particularly 
vexed and couldn't eat her portion. Elkana tried to comfort her. After the 
meal, Chana went to pray in the Mishkan and wept bitterly in her prayers. 
She made a vow that if she would be granted a boy, he would be dedicated to 
Hashem, and would be a nazir from birth. Eli, the Kohen Gadol, was sitting 
nearby and because of her ferocity in prayer, thought her to be drunk. Chana 
replied that she was not drunk, she was of embittered spirit and had been 
pouring out her heart to Hashem. Eli gave her a bracha that her request be 
granted, and she went on her way. Indeed, Chana conceived and gave birth - 
to the prophet, Shmuel. The next year, Elkana ascended to the Mishkan, but 
Chana didn't; she would nurse Shmuel until he was ready to fulfil her vow. 
When Shmuel was two, Chana took him to the Mishkan and gave him over to Eli, 
where he became his talmid and attendant, and his life was, from then on, 
devoted to Hashem.

Following the story, the Haftara relays the song of Chana, the words of 
prayer and praise that she uttered. She recalls how she arose over her 
antagonists, and also mentions the holiness of Hashem, and how everything is 
orchestrated from Him. The mighty are humbled and the low are raised up. The 
childless raise children, while the one with children can lose them. Hashem 
guides fortunes - the rich become poor, the poor, rich - everything is in 
the Hands of Hashem.

What's the connection to Rosh Hashana?
On Rosh Hashana we read how Sarah was barren and yet, mothered children. 
This was echoed by Chana. Furthermore, both women were "remembered" on Rosh 
Hashana. Hence, Rosh Hashana is called 'Yom Hazikaron,' the day of 
remembering, when all man's deeds are recalled before Hashem, and He 
formulates decrees for mankind.

The prayer of Chana is most appropriate for the day, as it speaks of how 
Hashem guides everything, and causes dramatic changes in people's lives and 
fortunes. These are matters that are decreed on this day. Also, Chana 
mentioned Hashem's name nine times in her prayer, which alludes to the nine 
brachos of the Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei. Chazal also found references in the 
Haftara to the three brachos that make up the main part of that Shemonei 
Esrei: Malchiyos is mentioned in the verse, "May He give strength to His 
king" (2:10); Zichronos is mentioned in the way that Chana was remembered, 
which was on Rosh Hashana; and Shofaros is mentioned in the verse, "May He 
raise the horn of His anointed" (2:10).

Means and ends
Let us examine in more detail some of the matters from the Haftara that are 
connected to Rosh Hashana. The verse says, "The barren woman bears seven, 
the one with many children becomes bereft" (2:5). Rashi says that Chana 
ended up having more children after Shmuel: three boys and two girls in 
total. When Chana would give birth to one child, two of Penina's would die. 
Penina started with ten, and by the time Chana had her fourth, she was down 
to two. When Chana was expecting her fifth, Penina begged at Chana's feet 
for mercy and they lived. Therefore even those two of Penina's were 
attributed to Chana, and it was considered as if she had born seven.

This incident is most perplexing. We mentioned that Penina acted leshem 
Shomayim. Why, then, was she punished so terribly? One answer is that while 
she started out for the sake of Heaven, her character was affected by her 
actions. Having to play such a cruel role got to her and she felt superior 
to Chana. Therefore even as more and more were dying, she didn't realize why 
this was happening; only when she was on the verge of losing them all did 
she take corrective action and change her ways.

Another facet is that while her intentions were right, it was a mitzvah ha'ba 
b'aveira, a mitzvah that came about through a sin. The means didn't justify 
the ends. While the motive itself was good, nevertheless, the method chosen 
was incorrect. This is a common
problem, that people have good intentions toward something, be it in matters 
of religion or trying to draw others nearer, but the methods chosen to 
achieve these goals are sometimes more than questionable. Another answer as 
to why she was punished so terribly for tormenting Chana is given by Rav 
Chaim Shmulevitz: He says that Penina was, indeed, a great tzaddekes, and it 
was certainly hard for her to taunt Chana in this way, requiring 
self-sacrifice to achieve her ends, yet she would still receive this great 
punishment. Why was this so? When one is cruel and harms one's fellow, it is 
like putting one's hand in a fire. Even if the intention in doing so is for 
the good, Hashem doesn't overlook these sins.

The Gemora (Kesuvos 62b) relates how Rav Rechumi would learn Torah away from 
home, but would return on Erev Yom Kippur. One year he continued in his 
learning for longer, and his wife was eagerly waiting for when he would 
return. Every moment, she became more anxious as to his whereabouts until 
tears came from her eyes. At that moment, her husband was sitting in an 
attic where he was studying and the floor caved in and he fell to his death. 
Says Rav Chaim Shmulevitz that from here we see the severity of sins between 
man and his fellow and their punishment. Ironically, following Rav Rechumi's 
death, his wife would suffer even more than the few anxious moments she 
waited for him. If she cried because of a short delay, how much more so when 
he died. Yet this is our point, that the punishment for these sins is so 
great, it is a metzias, a fact of life, that when one hurts another, he will 
get burned, even if the intentions are good or for a noble cause, as with 
Rav Rechumi.

The great turnaround
Let us now examine some of the verses from the prayer of Chana that are most 
pertinent to the Day of Judgement. "The satiated are hired out for bread, 
while the hungry ones cease to be so" (2:5). This shows how Hashem turns 
people's fortunes. The man who was satisfied beforehand, who thought he had 
all his needs taken care of, is suddenly forced to hire himself out, not 
just for the luxuries he desires, but for his basic needs. On the other 
hand, the hungry man, whom the rich man called a 'shnorrer,' is now able to 
stop hiring himself out for his bread.

The next verse says, "Hashem brings death and gives life, lowers to the pit 
and elevates" (2:6). The Metzudas David explains that it is not by chance 
that these events happen, but it is the Hand of Hashem that performs all of 
this. People look at events in their lives and events in the world, and 
never get it right. They blame the doctors, blame this or that, but never 
see the hand of providence in their lives. Events are not random; there is 
an accounting for one's deeds and justice will be done, whether during a 
person's lifetime, or afterwards.

The next verse says, "Hashem impoverishes and makes rich; He humbles and He 
exalts" (2:7). The Metzudas David explains that Hashem humbles the pride of 
the wealthy, and makes the one who was hungry higher than the formerly 
wealthy one. Not only that, but the now-wealthy one will hire out the one 
who is now needy (but used to be wealthy). What bigger irony is there than 
this? The Ralbag adds that it follows from all this that the wealthy person 
shouldn't take pride in what he has, for who knows what can happen, and the 
poor man shouldn't worry excessively about his status, as it can all change 
very quickly.

Yom Kippur is an easier day to understand: we believe we have sinned and 
look for ways to teshuva so that Hashem should have mercy. Rosh Hashana is a 
much harder avoda to do. On one hand, it is a Yom Tov, but on the other 
hand, look at what is riding on this day! If we think back over the last 
year, we know of people who passed on. We know of people who lost their 
fortunes. We know of couples who didn't have children and others who were 
blessed with them. We know of people who were struggling and are now more 
comfortable . . . This is the message of Chana's prayer. Life is uncertain - 
anything can happen, for the good or the bad - but ultimately, it is all in 
the hands of Hashem. What He decrees comes to pass. This is the main avoda 
of Rosh Hashana, Malchiyos: declaring Hashem's sovereignty over us, that He 
is king, and He alone. Hashem is the source of everything that befalls man. 
We have to come to Rosh Hashana with this awareness, and then we can pray 
that we be inscribed for a kesiva vechasima tova.