Rethinking Prayer

(8) Noticing Joseph’s sons, Israel asked, “Who are these?”
(9) And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” “Bring them up to me,” he said, “that I may bless them.”
(10) Now Israel’s eyes were dim with age; he could not see. So [Joseph] brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
(11) And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and here God has let me see your children as well.”
(12) Joseph then removed them from his knees, and bowed low with his face to the ground.
(13) Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim with his right hand—to Israel’s left—and Manasseh with his left hand—to Israel’s right—and brought them close to him.

(11) 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)”.
(Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchak, France 1040-1105)

(11) לא פיללתי:
I never “judged" in my heart. The word פילול whenever it occurs describes judgment. One example is Psalms 106,30 describing Pinchas’ state of mind before he slew Zimri as ויפלל , describing the manner in which avenged God’s honour which had been defiled by Zimri. (Numbers 25,7) Judgment, דין, and נקמה, retribution, avenging, are two words describing opposite sides of the same coin.
(Rabbi Samuel ben Meir, France 1085-1158)

(1) There was a man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. (2) He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
(3) This man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to offer sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh.—Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD there.
(4) One such day, Elkanah offered a sacrifice. He used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; (5) but to Hannah he would give one portion only—though Hannah was his favorite—for the LORD had closed her womb.
(6) Moreover, her rival, to make her miserable, would taunt her that the LORD had closed her womb.
(7) This happened year after year: Every time she went up to the House of the LORD, the other would taunt her, so that she wept and would not eat.
(8) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why aren’t you eating? Why are you so sad? Am I not more devoted to you than ten sons?”
(9) After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose.—The priest Eli was sitting on the seat near the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.—
(10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to the LORD, weeping all the while.
(11) And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
(12) As she kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
(13) Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
(14) Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!”
(15) And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to the LORD. (16) Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.”
(17) “Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

(18) She answered, “You are most kind to your handmaid.” So the woman left, and she ate, and was no longer downcast.

(19) Early next morning they bowed low before the LORD, and they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and the LORD remembered her.
(20) Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the LORD for him.”
(21) And when the man Elkanah and all his household were going up to offer to the LORD the annual sacrifice and his votive sacrifice, (22) Hannah did not go up. She said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him. For when he has appeared before the LORD, he must remain there for good.” (23) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do as you think best. Stay home until you have weaned him. May the LORD fulfill His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
(24) When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a jar of wine. And though the boy was still very young, she brought him to the House of the LORD at Shiloh. (25) After slaughtering the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
(26) She said, “Please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you and prayed to the LORD. (27) It was this boy I prayed for; and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.
(28) I, in turn, hereby lend him to the LORD. For as long as he lives he is lent to the LORD.” And they bowed low there before the LORD.

Rabbi Yohanan says in the name of Rabbi Yosi:
How do we know it that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers? Because it says: Even them will I bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in the house of prayer. It is not said, 'their prayer,' but 'My prayer': Hence [you learn] that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers. What does he pray?

Said Rabbi Zutra ben Tuvia in the name of Rav: May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My [other] attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice’.