“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the
LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. And it came to
pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place--now his eyes had begun
to wax dim, that he could not see--and the lamp of God was not yet gone out…”
This chapter continues to chronicle Samuel’s sensational personal growth leading to his pilot prophecy,
when he was still a child. At that time in Jewish history, prophecy had waned nearly to the point of
depletion. “And the word of the LORD was precious; there was no frequent vision.” Indeed, prophecy
had become rare and sporadic.
Yet, communication with the Creator had long been part of the Jewish story. But between an aging Eli
losing his eyesight, and with his prophetic abilities in marked decline, things looked bleak for the
Hebrews seeing that communication with God had always played such a vital role in Jewish life and survival.
Abravanel cites two ancient rabbinic teachings that shed more than background material to properly
understand Samuel 3; they form a ‘Rosetta stone’ for understanding the Hebrew’s resilience in general.
The first one is based on a verse in Ecclesiastes 1: “The sun also rises, and the sun goes down…”
Figuratively, the rabbis convey, before the sun sets on one leader of national repute, the Maker shines
the sun on another one. To illustrate, prior to the conclusion of Moses’ leadership, Joshua had been
readied to assume the mantle. And before Eli grew frail and could no longer shepherd the nation,
providence supplied young blood – Samuel.
That propitious and protective principle, Abravanel says, is followed by another one. It lays down the
foundation of a principle that Abravanel calls “tremendous or mind-blowing”, one also conveyed by the
Hebrew sages. Broadly, it’s also on the shared theme of Jewish providence and continuity.
“And the lamp of God was not yet gone out.” The “lamp”, a metaphor for radiance or brilliance, will
forevermore grace the Chosen People. Practically speaking, it means that the Maker makes sure that His
nation will always have a protector; a zaddik of renown will always stand in the breach to assure
national continuity, confounding Israel’s incessant enemies. The sages elaborate.
- Every generation has a man of ability equal to Abraham.
- Every generation has a giant on par with Jacob.
- Every generation has a man like Moses.
- Every generation has a standout similar to Samuel.
They note that this divine promise can be derived from Biblical verses. Concerning each of these four
men (Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Samuel), we find verses that state – and immediately repeat – their
respective names. Thus, for example in our chapter we find: “And the LORD came, and stood, and called
as at other times: Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said: Speak, for Your servant hears.” The back-to-back
calling conveys a fact of Jewish life, really a fundamental to understanding the Jewish mystique. God’s
providence smiles on His people, underwriting that they will always be blessed with brilliant and
dedicated leaders.