Hannah’s Forceful Prayer for a Child in Rabbinic Literature

b. Berakhot 31b

220–600

Hannah said before the Holy One, “Master of the universe, if You will look upon [ra’oh] [me now,] fine, and if not, [in any case] You will see [tir’eh] (1 Samuel 1:11). I will go and seclude myself [with another man] before Elkanah, my husband. Since I secluded myself, they will force me to drink the sotah water [to determine whether or not I have committed adultery. I will be found innocent,] and [since] You will not make Your Torah false, [I will bear children as the Torah] says: [And if the woman was not defiled, but was pure, then] she shall be acquitted and she shall conceive (Numbers 5:28).”

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

Engage with this Source

Talmudic literature depicts Hannah’s prayer as an argument with God that Hannah wins. Hannah warns that if God does not grant her request, she will take extreme measures, secluding herself with another man so that she will be forced to undergo the trial for a suspected adulteress prescribed in Numbers 5:11–31. Since the biblical text says that a woman cleared of the charge of adultery will become pregnant, God will have no choice but to grant her a child. For other forceful prayers in rabbinic literature, see Rabbinic Depictions of Individual Prayers.

Read more

You may also like

Yael’s Prayer before Killing Sisera

And when Sisera was sleeping, Jael went out to the flock and got milk from it. And when she was milking, she said, “And now be mindful, Lord, of when you assigned every tribe or race to the earth. Did…
View Source

Hannah’s Prayer for a Child

And Hannah prayed and said, “Did you not, Lord, search out the heart of all generations before you formed the world? Now what womb is born opened or dies closed unless you wish it? And now let my…
View Source

Tamar’s Prayer for Justification

And Tamar went out to be burned by fire and she asked for the three witnesses, but did not find them. She lifted up her eyes on high and said: “I beseech by the mercies from before you, O Lord, you…
View Source

Aseneth’s Prayer of Confession

She then began her confession to the Lord God and gave thanks, praying for all those who were deemed acceptable by the Lord: I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned!I have committed many sins in your…
View Source

Rebekah Blesses Jacob

Then she lifted her face to heaven, extended her fingers, and opened her mouth. She blessed the Most High God who had created the heavens and the earth and gave him thanks and praise. She said,…
View Source