Rosh Hashonah 5770 day 1, Haftorah introduction
By Alec Ofsevit

Good morning. I would like to highlight three particular points from todays Haftorah. First, when we pray, it must come from our heart. Second, since Rosh Hashanah is the time of judgment, we should know how to best deliver our desires and troubles to Hshem. Third, our prayers for life and health are truly meaningful when we realize that these are simply the means by which we tap into the holiness and oneness of Hshem.

Chana is the focus of today's haftorah. Chana is the childless wife of Elkanah even though she is still his favored wife. At the start of the haftorah, they are traveling to Shiloh for a pilgrimage holiday. Chana goes up to the temple and begins praying in a way that nobody had prayed before in her heart, her lips moving, but her voice could not be heard. Chana prays to have a child and promises that in return she will dedicate him to G-ds service. The high priest Eli sees her and scolds her for appearing drunk. Chana replies that she is not drunk but is in great anguish. Eli acknowledges this and says may the G-d of Israel grant what you have asked of him. Soon after, Chana has a child and names him Shmuel meaning I asked the lord for him. When Shmuel was weaned, Chana brought him to Shiloh and lent him to the lord for as long as he lives. Finally, Chana chants a beautiful prayer exalting hshem and reminding us of G-ds sovereignty in decisions of life and death.

Chana prays in such a profound and distinct way that even the high priest of all the Jewish people notices and believes that she is drunk. From this passage, we learn how to pray physically, standing up, with our lips moving but our voices inaudible. But, we also learn how to pray spiritually, as Chana prayed al-lebah or in her heart. The heartfelt sincerity of Chanas prayers enabled her to get her message directly to hashem. The crucial point here seems to be that one needs to strive for a level of sincerity in prayer in order to reach G-d and unite our physical world with the spiritual and holy. When Chana was finished with her prayer, she immediately felt happiness in her heart. Finally, when she returned to deliver Shmuel to Hshem, her first words are alatz leebi b-adonai, my heart exalts the Lord. We learn this parshah on Rosh Hashanah because on this Day of Judgement, G-d is deciding our fates and is also closest to us. Finding the right words are important, but so is knowing how to deliver them properly. Chana shows us how to achieve this, by praying with your heart. In Chanas prayer at the end of the Haftorah she declares adonai mmaymeet omchayeh, The lord deals death and gives life. Also we hear, The lord makes poor and makes rich, he casts down, he also lifts high. Chana knew that G-ds power of judgment was especially focused on this day.

On Rosh Hashanah, we must remember that our prayers for material or worldly pursuits are conduits through which we enhance our spiritual connection with G-d. One can understand how Eli, initially seeing Chana crying and begging for a child, concludes that she is drunk and merely eager to rival Peninah with a child of her own for Elkanah. However, when Eli realizes that she is not only praying from deep within her heart but plans to dedicate her child to the service of Hshem, her prayer takes on a whole new light. Eli sees that Chana is able to elevate her desire for a child to a more spiritual, profound, and holy purpose, beyond her own particular desires. Chana exemplifies the way we should strive to pray for our family, our health and our livelihoods. Her story challenges us to contemplate on our own approaches to prayer, especially for the values and people we hold dearest. Can we find a way to elevate our own prayers to point us towards true spiritual tasks? We must appreciate that our prayers are simply the worldly tools through which we connect our souls to the oneness of Hshem.

Shana Tovah!