Samuel's Parents: Elkanah and Hannah

וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד מִן־הָרָמָתַ֛יִם צוֹפִ֖ים מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמ֡וֹ אֶ֠לְקָנָ֠ה בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֧ם בֶּן־אֱלִיה֛וּא בֶּן־תֹּ֥חוּ בֶן־צ֖וּף אֶפְרָתִֽי׃ וְלוֹ֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֔ים שֵׁ֤ם אַחַת֙ חַנָּ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פְּנִנָּ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י לִפְנִנָּה֙ יְלָדִ֔ים וּלְחַנָּ֖ה אֵ֥ין יְלָדִֽים׃

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. He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

הֵשִׁיב רַבִּי תַּחַת בֵּית הִלֵּל: לְדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, ״וְחַנָּה לֹא עָלָתָה כִּי אָמְרָה לְאִישָׁהּ עַד יִגָּמֵל הַנַּעַר וַהֲבִיאוֹתִיו״ — וְהָא שְׁמוּאֵל, דְּיָכוֹל לִרְכּוֹב עַל כְּתֵיפוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו הֲוָה.

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi responded in place of Beit Hillel, that according to the statement of Beit Shammai that a child who is unable to ride on his father’s shoulders is not obligated in the mitzva of appearance, they must explain a verse that deals with Hanna, Samuel’s mother: “But Hanna did not ascend, for she said to her husband: Until the child is weaned, when I will bring him” (I Samuel 1:22). But Samuel was able to ride on his father’s shoulders. The age of weaning is twenty-four months, before which Samuel was already old enough to ride on his father’s shoulders, and yet he was not ready to ascend to the Tabernacle. This shows that only a child who is able to walk on his own is obligated in the mitzva of appearance.

וְתוּ לֵיכָּא? וְהָכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי אִישׁ אֶחָד מִן הָרָמָתַיִם צוֹפִים״, אֶחָד מִמָּאתַיִם צוֹפִים שֶׁנִּתְנַבְּאוּ לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁבַע נְבִיאוֹת מַאן נִינְהוּ? שָׂרָה, מִרְיָם, דְּבוֹרָה, חַנָּה, אֲבִיגַיִל, חוּלְדָּה וְאֶסְתֵּר. שָׂרָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״אֲבִי מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה״, וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: ״יִסְכָּה״ זוֹ שָׂרָה, וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ יִסְכָּה — שֶׁסָּכְתָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ״. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״יִסְכָּה״ — שֶׁהַכֹּל סוֹכִין בְּיוֹפְיָהּ.

With regard to the statement that forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied on behalf of the Jewish people, the Gemara asks: Is there no one else? Isn’t it written with regard to Samuel’s father, Elkanah: “And there was a certain [eḥad] man from Ramathaim-zophim” (I Samuel 1:1), which is expounded as follows to indicate that Elkanah was a prophet: He was one [eḥad] of two hundred [mata’im] prophets [tzofim] who prophesied on behalf of the Jewish people. If so, why was it stated here that there were only forty-eight prophets? § The Gemara asks with regard to the prophetesses recorded in the baraita: Who were the seven prophetesses? The Gemara answers: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. The Gemara offers textual support: Sarah, as it is written: “Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah” (Genesis 11:29). And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Iscah is in fact Sarah. And why was she called Iscah? For she saw [sakhta] by means of divine inspiration, as it is stated: “In all that Sarah has said to you, hearken to her voice” (Genesis 21:12). Alternatively, Sarah was also called Iscah, for all gazed [sokhin] upon her beauty.

וע"כ זכתה להוליד שמואל שנקרא בדרז"ל רבן של כל הנביאים כי עד ימיו אין חזון נפרץ וכן שלשלת התורה שא' בריש אבות וזקינים לנביאים היינו משמואל ואילך הוא התחלת הנהגת הנביאים וכל דורות השופטים שעד ימיו הם דורות הזקינים וחנה עצמה זכתה ג"כ להיות מז' נביאות שהיא פתחה שער זה דיניקת הנביאים ומשדיה ינק שמואל