Nadav and Avihu, the children of Aharon Hakohen, were niftar and the pasuk says 10:2 the reason why is because they paskened in the presence of their rebbi Moshe Rabeinu. The gemara in Brachos 31: talks about the issue of someone paskening in the presence of his rebbi. It says in Shmuel Alef that when Shmuel was two years old, his mother brought him to Shiloh. When they arrived, they saw people waiting for the kohen to come and shecht their korbanos. Shmuel asked, “Why are you waiting? Even someone who is not a kohen is allowed to shecht!” The people told Eli Hakohen that this 2-year-old said it was permitted for them to shecht their own korbanos. Eli then asked Shmuel why is it permitted? Shmuel answered because the pasuk doesn’t say that the kohen should shecht, it just says “and he will shecht”, which means that even a non-kohen is allowed to shecht. Eli told Shmuel that he was indeed correct, but he paskened a halacha in the presence of his rebbi and the halacha is that he is chayav misa bidei shomayim.
How is it possible that Eli did not know this halacha that shechting is permitted even by a non-kohen, that he had to learn it from a 2-year-old? Also, since when is a child chayav misa bidei shomayim?
The Tzlach brings down in the Etz Yosef in Ein Yaakov (Brachos 31) that of course Eli knew the halacha that a non kohen is allowed to shecht. When you have a kohen and a Yisroel available to shecht, it’s better that a kohen should shecht. Shmuel saw that they were searching for a kohen, which meant they were waiting to do a mitzvah. Shmuel wanted to remind them that a Yisroel is allowed to do the shechita, so they wouldn’t have to push off the mitzva just to get a kohen.
The Rema (Orach Chaim 25:1) says that if a person has tefillin and not tzitzis, he doesn’t have to wait until he gets tzitzis in order to daven. Rather, he should daven right away because one shouldn’t push off the mitzva of tefilla, even though later the tefilla would be done better, b’hidur with tzitzis.
This is exactly what happened when Eli was waiting to get a Kohen so the korban would be done b’hidur, because the shechita of a kohen is the best way. Comes Shmuel and says, yes, it’s the best way to bring a korban, but not at the expense of waiting. This halacha is well known, so why did Eli ask Shmuel where is this halacha?
Says the Tzlach, Eli asked him not because he didn’t know the halacha; he wanted to test Shmuel and see his wisdom, to see if according to his chochma he deserves to be punished. The halacha is that a minor is not punished, but, says the Tzlach, if he has wisdom like a twenty-year-old, then he would be chayav misa.
The gemara continues that when Chana heard that her son is chayav misa, she ran to Eli and cried, “This is the child that I davened for in your presence. Do you really want to punish him? Eli said, “Let me punish him and I will daven that you should give birth to another son, even better that Shmuel”. But Chana said, “No, I want this child because this is the one I davened very hard for”.
How was Chana arguing with Eli? Misa bidei shomayim is not in the hands of Eli – it’s up to Hashem. If Hashem wants to punish him, he will get punished. Unless you say, the halacha is if a Rav is mochel on his kavod, then kevodo mochel – meaning, if a Rav is forgiving of his own honor, then his honor is forgiven and one is not guilty for slighting his honor. And Eli has the ability to be mochel on his kavod.
The Maharsha says the reason why Chana said she wants this child and not another child who might be even better is because this child is so beloved to her since he was born through her tefillos. She wanted a child born through her tefillos rather than a better child born through someone else’s davening.
A woman once came to the Magid of Mezritch and said, “I heard that the Rebbe can perform miracles; is it possible for you to bless me that I should merit a son?” The Rebbe responded, “I will bless you on condition that you give 250,000 rubles”. The woman was taken aback. “That’s a lot of money,” she said. But the Rebbe said a deal is a deal, and so she took leave with the hope of raising the necessary amount. She eventually came back with most of the money, and the Rebbe said, “No, I told you 250,00 rubles and not a cent less”. She got angry at the Rebbe and said, “Do you think I need you? I can daven straight to Hashem and He will give me a child”. Says the Rebbe, “Now you will receive a child”. And the Rebbe explained, “I myself can’t give you a child; it’s just that if we both daven, together my tefilla and your tefilla can make it happen. Now that you will daven from the depths of your heart, Hashem won’t let your tefilla go unanswered. Such a tefilla yields results”.
We forget that we can daven. We go to rabanim to receive brachos, we try different segulos, and we think that’s enough. But Hashem wants that we should also daven to Him. Our own tefillos are so much more precious to Hashem.
Says Chana to Eli, “El hanaar hazeh hispalalti” – This is the child I want because I invested a lot of tefilos for him.
Eli wanted to punish Shmuel because Shmuel’s grandfather was Korach. Korach had a machlokes with Moshe Rabeinu because he saw that Shmuel will come out of him. Korach said, “Why should I be quiet if I will have Shmuel?”
When Eli saw that Shmuel, a two-year-old child, was paskening against him, Eli thought, “This child has the genes of Korach. I see how at a young age he’s involving himself in machlokes. Who knows what is going to be when he gets older? It’s worthy to get rid of him now before he makes trouble for klal Yisroel”. Chana said to Eli, “You think he acted this way because his grandfather was Korach, but that’s a mistake, “for this child I davened”. The strength and wisdom that you see in Shmuel is because of my tefilla. I want him to stand up for what he believes is right and not be afraid of people. The kochos that you see in him is what he needs to be a manhig of klal Yisroel.”
There is nothing quite as powerful as our own tefillos. While it is perfectly correct to go to gedolim and request their brochos and tefillos, we must never forget that Hashem is also our Tatte and yearns to have a connection with each individual yid. Reach out to Him yourself and pour out your heart to him. Your own tefillos are so precious.
