Amatlai Bat Karnav

Greetings and blessings.

In the Talmud (Baba Batra 4a):

"Rav Chanan bar Rava said in the name of Rav, the mother of Abraham - Amatlai Bat Karnav. The mother of Haman - Amatlai Bat Oravta. The mother of David - Natzbat Bat Adael was her name. The mother of Shimshon - Tzela'fonit. What is the practical implication? For the response of the heretics."

Earlier authorities explain that this serves as a proof against the heretics who do not acknowledge the Oral Torah but only the Written Torah. To them, we respond, had it not been for the tradition we have, passing from one person to another, how would we know these things that are not explicitly stated in the Written Torah? And since you acknowledge that it is part of what we received from person to person, and not something deduced from our own reasoning, you should also acknowledge the Oral Torah and that everything in our possession is simply a tradition passed down from person to person.

Indeed, there is a merit in mentioning the name of the mother of our forefather Abraham, as the revered Chida zt"l brings in his book Avodat Hakodesh [Kaf Achat - 9]:

"It is a merit to go before a king or a ruler. One should say Amatlai Bat Karnav seventeen times before standing before him."

Wishing you success - Menashe Yisrael