I always like to figure out the connection between the Torah reading and the HafTorah reading.
The Torah Reading for the First day of the New Year is very interesting. It speaks about Hagar, the handmaiden of Sarai, Hagar was the concubine of Avraham. Her child was supposed to become the "son of Sarai, and inherit from Sarai and Avraham, but Hagar was haughty, She had given birth to a son, but the mother was lording it over her boss for not getting pregnant. So Sarai told Avraham to get rid of this woman and her son who were not going according to plan.
Hagar goes into the desert with some food and water, but they are soon gone, and so Hagar puts the child under a bush and wanders away so she won't see the boy die of thirst.
She cries to G-d, and miracles of miracles, he answers! G-d, who has only spoken to Avraham before, speaks to Hagar and tells her that her son will become a great nation. He gives her hope.
Hagar then goes to find a well, and the two of them travel to Egypt where they live and her son marries an Egyptian and lives happily ever after.
The Haftorah also has a woman who cannot get pregnant, Chana. Her husband has two wives, Penina and Chana. Peninia has lots of children but Chana has none. At that time, the Miskan was in Shilo, and the family would go there to have the sacrifices, the first harvest etc. One day Chana cannot take being childless anymore. The family is at the Miskan, so she goes there and prays to G-d to give her a son. Eli the High Priest cannot understand why this woman is coming. She looks drunk. She is moving her lips,, but not saying anything, she is swaying, back and forth. The Mishkan is not a place for dunkards he reprimands her. But she teaches Eli,, the High Priest how to pray. Her example is how we pray even nowadays.
What is the connection between these two passages? Women and prayer. Each teaches us how to pray and how we have to relate to G-d.
The Torah Reading for the First day of the New Year is very interesting. It speaks about Hagar, the handmaiden of Sarai, Hagar was the concubine of Avraham. Her child was supposed to become the "son of Sarai, and inherit from Sarai and Avraham, but Hagar was haughty, She had given birth to a son, but the mother was lording it over her boss for not getting pregnant. So Sarai told Avraham to get rid of this woman and her son who were not going according to plan.
Hagar goes into the desert with some food and water, but they are soon gone, and so Hagar puts the child under a bush and wanders away so she won't see the boy die of thirst.
She cries to G-d, and miracles of miracles, he answers! G-d, who has only spoken to Avraham before, speaks to Hagar and tells her that her son will become a great nation. He gives her hope.
Hagar then goes to find a well, and the two of them travel to Egypt where they live and her son marries an Egyptian and lives happily ever after.
What is the connection between these two passages? Women and prayer. Each teaches us how to pray and how we have to relate to G-d.
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