שמואל א, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ט

Following profound spiritual moments at the Tabernacle in Shiloh, the family prepares to transition back to their daily routine, beginning a journey that will ultimately lead to the fulfillment of a long-awaited blessing. Their departure from the holy site is conducted with order and deep meaning. Rising early in the morning, they bow one final time. The primary approach among commentators is that this act serves as a formal farewell to the sanctuary and to God, reflecting a legal principle that a person who spends the night in a holy place must formally ask permission and take their leave the following morning. Conversely, this final act of bowing is also viewed as an expression of deep faith and trust in God, serving to show gratitude in advance because they were confident that the prayer had already been heard [מלבי״ם].

Upon concluding their prayers, the family travels back to Ramah. The specific destination is significant, as they return directly to Hannah's private home rather than the home of the other wife, Peninnah [אברבנאל]. It is only there, within the privacy of their own home, that Elkanah and Hannah engage in marital relations [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The sequence of these events highlights a standard of modesty and propriety; a person traveling and staying as a guest is restricted from marital intimacy, which is why they waited until they were fully settled back in their own house [רש״י].

The physical union is followed by divine intervention, as God remembers Hannah. This remembrance signifies that God preserved her tears and that her heartfelt prayer rose favorably before Him [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, the specific way God is referenced in this moment reveals a deeper truth about divine grace. When God decides to bestow goodness upon a person, He acts entirely alone out of absolute kindness, without any need to consult with His heavenly court [אלשיך].