Mystical Tefila in Traditional Sources

(1) ואתחנן — All forms of the verb חנן signify an ex gratia gift. Although the righteous might make a claim to reward depend Upon their good deeds, yet they solicit from the Omnipresent only an ex gratia gift. [Because He had said to him, (Exodus 33:19) “I will show grace (וחנתי) unto him to whom I will show grace”, he (Moses) when referring to his entreaty of God uses the expression (lit., spoke to Him) "I implored grace (ואתחנן)” (Midrash Tanchuma 5:2:3] — Another explanation is that the idea of an ex gratia gift is not to be stressed; but this is merely one of the ten terms by which prayer is described, as are enumerated in Sifrei Devarim 26:7.

R. Eliezer says "one who makes his prayer 'set'"...What is "set"? R. Jacob b. Idi said in the name of R. Oshiya [it means] anyone whose prayer seems like a burden. Rabbis say [it means] anyone who doesn't pray in the language of tachanunim. Rabbah and R. Yosef both say: whoever isn't able to generate a new insight into it....Abaye b. Avin and R. Chanina b. Avin both say anyone who doesn't pray with the sunrise.

(11) And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and here God has let me see your children as well.”

(1) לא פללתי I HAD NOT CONTEMPLATED — I had never dared to cherish the thought that I would again see your face. פללתי is an expression for thinking, like the noun in (Isaiah 16:3) “Give counsel, carry out the thought (פלילה)”.

(1) לא פללתי, related to the word ונתן בפלילים (Exodus 21,22) meaning here “I have not judged the situation and responsibility by myself but have left it to independent judges who are without prejudice.” As far as Joseph’s fate was concerned, Yaakov said that he had not arrived at definitive conclusions but had not dared hope that he would ever see him again. Some commentators relate the word פללתי to the word תפלה, prayer, in which case Yaakov was saying to Joseph that he had not prayed to G’d concerning being reunited with Joseph in this life as he had considered it a forbidden, vain prayer, i.e. uttering the Lord’s name in vain, seeing that all the evidence he had at his disposal indicated that Joseph was already dead. (compare Midrash Lekach Tov on this paragraph)

Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: How do we know that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays? Because it says: I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of my prayer. It does not say, 'their prayer,' but 'My prayer': Hence [you learn] that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays. What does he pray? Said Rabbi Zutra ben Tuvia in the name of Rav: May it be My will that my compassion will conquer my anger, that my compassion will prevail over my other attributes, that I behave towards my children according to the quality of compassion and that I enter before them within the line of the law. It was taught [in a baraitha] Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said Once I entered to offer incense in the innermost sanctuary and I saw Akatriel Yah, the Lord of Hosts. He was seated on an elevated and exalted throne, and he said to me: Yishmael, my son, bless me. I said to him: May it be your will that your mercy will conquer your anger, that your mercy will prevail over your other attributes, that you behave towards your children according to the quality of compassion and that you enter before them within the line of the law. He nodded his head to me. From here we learn that a blessing from a simple person should not be light in your eyes.

(1) [One] should not stand up to pray unless he is in a serious frame of mind {lit. "heavy of head"}. The original pious ones used to wait one hour and then pray, in order to direct their hearts towards the Omnipresent. [While one is reciting Shemoneh Esrei,] even if the king greets him {lit. "asks about his welfare"}, he should not respond to him, and even if a snake wraps around his heel, he should not interrupt.

R. Jose b. R. Hannina said : The Patriarchs instituted the Tefillot. R. Joshua b. Levi said: The Tefillot were instituted to correspond with the continual sacrifices. There is a teaching in agreement with both of them. There is a teaching in agreement with R. Jose b. R. Hannina: Abraham instituted the morning Tefillah; as it is said, "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood" (Gen. xix. 27) — "standing" means prayer; as it is said, "Then stood up Phineas and prayed" (Ps. cvi. 30)[5]. Isaac instituted the afternoon Tefillah; as it is said, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide" (Gen. xxiv. 63) — "meditation" [sihah] means prayer; as it is said, "A prayer of the afflicted when he fainteth, and poureth out his complaint [sihah] before the Lord" (Ps, cii. 1). Jacob instituted the evening Tefillah ; as it is said, "And he lighted [paga'] upon the place, and tarried there all night" (Gen. xxviii. 11) — "alighting" means prayer; as it is said, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession [paga'] to Me" (Jer. vii. 16).

(1) The word baruk, blessed, is a homonymous term. It is applied to one who receives benefits and favors from another, as in the expressions, “Thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed”; “Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field”; and in many other cases. It is also applied to one who bestows favors and benefits upon another, as in the expressions, “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who traineth my hands for war”; “Blessed be the Lord, For He hath shown me His wondrous lovingkindness in an entrenched city”; “Blessed art Thou, O Lord; Teach me Thy statutes”; “Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you.”