On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read of the birth of Isaac. The haftarah tells of the birth of the prophet Samuel. What is the relationship between the Torah reading of Rosh Hashanah and this haftarah? How are the two connected to Rosh Hashanah?

Of course, the obvious link between the two readings is the theme of the birth of a child to a childless woman. Another thematic connection is the giving up of a son, whether casting Ishmael out to the desert, or sacrificing of Isaac, or the dedication of Samuel to the Lord. 

Some commentators tie the haftarah to the holiday through the centrality of remembrance, the importance of prayer, and other motifs that are found in the Rosh Hashanah liturgy. The Talmud connects the reading and the holiday on the basis of common thematic words:

On Rosh Hashanah Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were visited. Whence do we know this? — R. Eliezer said: We learn it from the two occurrences of the word ‘visiting’, and the two occurrences of the word ‘remembering’. It is written concerning Rachel, “And God remembered Rachel,” and it is written concerning Hannah, “And the Lord remembered her,” and there is an analogous mention of ‘remembering’ in connection with Rosh Hashanah, as it is written, “a solemn rest, a remembering of the blast of the trumpet”. The double mention of visiting [is as follows]. It is written concerning Hannah, “For the Lord had visited Hannah,” and it is written concerning Sarah, “And the Lord visited Sarah” (Rosh Hashanah 11a).

Drawing upon the use of identical words in the narratives, the Talmud concludes that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were “remembered” on Rosh Hashanah – Yom Hazikaron (The Day of Remembrance).

And of course, in addition to the similarity of the literary framework, a close reading of the texts will also reveal other instances of similar language. In the Torah portions of both days we read the words “and Abraham arose early in the morning” (Genesis 21:14, 22:3), and in the haftarah we read, “and they rose up early in the morning” (I Samuel 1:19). In the Torah we read: “and Sarah conceived and bore a son” (Genesis 21:2) and of Hannah we read: “and Hannah conceived and bore a son” (I Samuel 1:20).

Of course, the motif of waking up early in the morning is not exclusive to these narratives, nor are these the only cases of conception and birth. The term “youth”, which is common to the description of Ishmael, Isaac and Samuel, is also used elsewhere. But one word that appears in the Torah reading and the haftarah of the first day of Rosh Hashanah is very rare.   The word “weaned” appears only five times in the entire Bible, and we read all five on the first day of Rosh Hashanah – twice in regard to Isaac, and three times in regard to Samuel. Only Isaac and Samuel are described in the Bible as having been weaned.

1. Every child is weaned. But the Bible notes this event only in regard to Isaac and Samuel. Why? Is weaning a particularly pivotal event in their lives? Is there some special importance to the connection between these two men and their mothers?

2. On the face of it, Isaac becomes Abraham’s successor by Divine intervention, and Samuel is elected by God to be His prophet. What special role do Sarah and Hannah play in deciding the destiny of their sons? What characteristics are shared by Sarah and Hannah? How do these two women differ from the typical biblical stereotype?

3. Can the involvement of Sarah and Hannah in the lives of their sons be compared to our conception of God’s role in our lives on Rosh Hashanah?

4. Rosh Hashanah is characterized by symbolism of creation and birth, as when we say “hayom harat olam” – “today the world was conceived.” In what other ways do we express and emphasize the “motherhood” of God on Rosh Hashanah?