A Request from Rabbi Berland shlit"a

After Rabbi Berland shlit"a said (on the 26th of Cheshvan 5777) that at the time of the molad of the month of Kislev 5777—which will be on Tuesday at 3:47 and 6 chalakim after midday—everyone should say the Molad prayers and afterwards say the Prayer of Chana. We are publishing the Prayer of Chana for you together with the translation—please merit the public by printing, copying, and distributing.

1 And Chana prayed and said: My heart rejoices in Hashem; my strength is uplifted in Hashem. My mouth is widened over my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 There is none holy like Hashem, for there is none besides You; and there is no Rock like our God. 3 Do not speak so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Hashem is a God of knowledge, and by Him deeds are weighed. 4 The bow of the mighty is broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those who were hungry have ceased; until the barren woman has borne seven, and she who had many children has been brought low. 6 Hashem brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 Hashem makes poor and makes rich; He lowers and also lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust; from the ash-heap He lifts the needy, to seat them with nobles, and He grants them a throne of honor as an inheritance—for the pillars of the earth are Hashem’s, and upon them He set the world. 9 He guards the feet of His pious ones, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for not by strength does a man prevail. 10 Hashem—those who contend with Him will be shattered; over them in the heavens He will thunder. Hashem will judge the ends of the earth; He will give strength to His king, and He will raise up the horn of His Moshiach.

Targum Yonatan

1 And Chana prayed with a spirit of prophecy, and she said: “Shmuel my son is destined to be a prophet over Israel. In his days they will be delivered from the hand of the Philistines, and through him miracles and mighty acts will be done for them. Therefore my heart is strong in the portion that Hashem has given me. And also Heman son of Yoel, son of my son Shmuel, is destined to arise—he and his fourteen sons—to sing with instruments and harps together with their Levite brothers, to praise in the Beis HaMikdash. Therefore my strength is lifted up through the gift that Hashem has appointed for me. And also concerning the great punishment that is destined to come upon the Philistines—who are destined to bring the Ark of Hashem on a new wagon, and with it a guilt-offering—therefore the congregation of Israel will say: I will open my mouth to speak great things against my enemies, for I have rejoiced in Your deliverance.” 2 Concerning Sancheriv, king of Assyria, she prophesied and said: “He is destined to arise with all his armies against Jerusalem, and a great miracle will be done there; the corpses of his camp will fall. Therefore all the nations, peoples, and tongues will give thanks and say: There is none holy except Hashem, for there is none besides You. And Your people will say: There is none mighty except our God.” 3 Concerning Nevuchadnetzar, king of Babylon, she prophesied and said: “You Chaldeans, and all the nations that are destined to rule over Israel—do not multiply proud words; let no blasphemies go forth from your mouths. For God knows everything, and upon all His deeds He extends His judgment; and upon you as well He is destined to repay the punishment of your sins.” 4 Concerning the kingdom of Macedonia she prophesied and said: “The bow of the mighty men of Macedonia will be broken, and the house of the Chashmona’im—who were weak—miracles and mighty acts will be done for them.” 5 Concerning the sons of Haman she prophesied and said: “Those who were satisfied with bread, proud in wealth and abundant in money, will become impoverished; they will return to hire themselves out for bread and food. Mordechai and Esther, who were darkened and poor, will become rich and will forget their poverty; they will return to be free people. So too Jerusalem, which was like a barren woman, is destined to be filled with the people of her exiles; and Rome, which is filled with many peoples, its camps will be destroyed and it will be laid waste.” 6 “All these mighty acts are Hashem’s, for He rules in the world: He brings death and says to bring to life; He brings down to Sheol, and He is also destined to raise up to the life of the World to Come.” 7 “Hashem makes poor and makes rich; He lowers and also raises.” 8 “He raises the poor from the dust; from the refuse-heap He lifts the needy, to seat them with the great righteous ones of the world, and He provides them with thrones of honor. For before Hashem the deeds of human beings are revealed: from the beginning He prepared Gehinnom for the wicked who transgress His word, and He perfected the world for the righteous who do His will.” 9 “He will guard the bodies of His servants, the righteous, from Gehinnom; and the wicked in Gehinnom, in darkness, will be judged and made known—for it is not the one who has strength who merits the Day of Judgment.” 10 “Hashem will break the enemies who rise to do evil to His people. Over them from Heaven, with a loud voice, Hashem will look down. Hashem will bring punishment from Magog and from the armies of the nations that are gathered with him from the ends of the earth; and He will give might to His king and will magnify the kingdom of His Moshiach.”