Shmuel I Chapter 1 | Shattering Expectations

One of the Tanakh's ways of highlighting certain actions or messages is to raise expectations and then shatter them — like a good movie with an unexpected twist: You think the story is headed in a certain direction and suddenly it takes a sharp turn on a different path entirely. This can be seen in the story of Chana's vow in our chapter, where she promises to dedicate her son to God if he grants her with a child.

Before even looking at the verses, it's clear that fulfilling such a vow would be a difficult test. Giving up a child, especially an only child born after a prolonged period of barrenness, is no easy task. Like in the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin, it’s easier to promise something we don’t yet have than to give it up once it’s actually within our grasp. The portrayal of the story makes us think that Chana may very well not go through with her promise.

The story describes Elkana and his household going to offer the yearly sacrifice, and then mentions that Chana did not join them: "The man Elkana and all his household went up to offer the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill his vow. But Chana did not go up." The reason for her absence is not written objectively, as part of the storytelling, rather Chana herself states that this is the reason she doesn’t join them, leaving room for doubt about her true intentions: "But Chana did not go up; for she said to her husband, 'When the boy is weaned, I shall bring him; he will appear before the Lord and he will stay there forever.'" Elkana's response – “Do what seems best to you" — further implies that he suspects that she will not fulfill her vow and pass the child on to God.

Our appreciation for Chana is tremendous when the Tanakh reveals the story's triumphant end: "And so she stayed behind and nursed her son until she weaned him. Once she had weaned him, she brought him up with her, along with three bulls, an epha of flour, and an amphora of wine, and presented him at the Lord’s House at Shilo, though the boy was young."