Father of Samuel the Prophet
Elkanah was the son of Yerucham. He was married to two women-
Chana and Penina. Penina bore him 10 children and Chana was
barren.
Year after year, Elkanah, who was one of the 48 prophets, would
take his entire family and go to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle
stood, and where he would give his offering to G-d. The Midrash
tells us that Elkanah did not just bring his own family, but he gathered
other families to join him. Elkanah would choose a different path
each year in order to convince more and more people to visit the
House of G-d and serve their offerings.
Chana, Elkanah’s wife, was extremely upset for not having children
and prayed to G-d to grant her with a child. G-d, who saw her
righteousness, and was pleased with Elkanah’s deeds to bring the
Jews closer to their Father in Heaven, blessed the couple with a
son, Shmuel, who in return for his father’s deeds was a great
prophet who got to lead the Jewish nation in the Torah way.
Elkanah was buried at the top of a mountain in northern Israel near
Kadita.