That Chana’s Son and This Chana’s Son

That Chana’s Son and This Chana’s Son

This morning I was making my way through the drizzling drops to buy 3-year-old Yaakov some warm shirts when I saw something that made me stop and get out my phone to snap this photo.

The tomb of Samuel, Shmuel HaNavi, underneath a mountain of ominous lead-colored rain clouds.

Samuel's tomb. Right in the middle of the horizon.

Samuel’s tomb. Right in the middle of the horizon.

Seeing Shmuel buried underneath these threatening clouds I thought of my namesake, Chana, who yearned to have this child for 19 long years. And I thought of how, at a young age, Chana sent Shmuel to serve Hashem in the Tabernacle with a miraculous coat which, as Shmuel grew– grew with him.

How much love and devotion Chana put into each stitch of that coat! How much self-sacrifice fortified by vision– of the future of her son and the central role he would play in future of the Jewish people.

A mother’s love, devotion, and vision so strong that they guard over Shmuel thousands of years later even as the storm clouds form overhead.

I put my phone back in my pocket and continued walking to the store and chose out 4 warm shirts. Not miraculous shirts. Not handmade. Not for a lifetime–maybe for a year, if I’m lucky and they don’t shrink in the dryer.

But like Chana for Shmuel, full of love and devotion aplenty for my little boy.

But vision? I’m lacking a vision beyond my small, silly dreams for today–that Yaakov should be dry at night, that his cold will clear up, that I will finally find his sweaters which I lost in the move.

So I yearn that Shmuel’s mother, Chana, should inspire this Chana with vision as well–for a little boy grown big within a small but great people.

6 comments

  1. Chana, Thank you for this.

  2. Isn’t it wonderful that we Jewish Moms have other Jewish Moms as models. Their love and devotion to their child or children gives us strength, especially during the times that are not so easy.

  3. beautiful. thank you!

  4. So beautiful. I never heard that medrash about the shirt she made him. I hope the weather stays comfortable until you find the sweaters…Keep safe and positive. We don’t have to be the mother of a prophet to realize that every Jewish child we have contributes to the future of our people.

    • I heard that midrash from rabbanit yemima:) I ended up buying a few sweaters for him, a lot of discount clothing stores around here.

  5. Leah Haziza

    i am always amazed to see kever shmuel when i take the light train and going up the bridge or while walking towards Kanfei Nesharim…

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