Midras 1 Raja-raja 8:30: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

(Deut. 3:23:) I BESOUGHT THE LORD. This text is related (to I Kings 8:30 // II Chron. 6:21): AND YOU SHALL HARKEN UNTO THE {PRAYER} [SUPPLICATION] OF YOUR SERVANT. Prayer is designated by many names.¹³Cf. Tanh., Deut. 2:3; Sifre to Deut. 3:23 (26); Deut. R. 2:1. (1) Prayer, (2) beseeching, (3) call, (4) cry, (5) outcry, (6) chant, (7) supplication, (8) wailing, (9) calling, (10) plea, (11) Amidah,¹⁴The Eighteen Benedictions (Shemone ‘Esreh) of the daily liturgy. (12) entreaty. Why did Moses only pray under the word, "beseeching (rt.: HNN)"? <This is the usage here> where it is stated (in Deut. 3:23): I BESOUGHT (rt.: HNN) THE LORD. It is simply that when Moses stood there and said to the Holy One (in Exod. 33:18): PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY, he said to him: Sovereign of the World, please show me by what principle you run your world. The Holy One said to him: I will show you. (Exod. 33:19:) AND HE SAID: I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS [BEFORE YOU]. The Holy One said to him: I have no obligation to <any> creature, but I am giving you <this> as a favor (rt.: HNN). Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.:) I WILL BE GRACIOUS (rt.: HNN) TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS. [Moses said to him: If so, do me a kindness, and grant it to me as a favor (rt.: HNN). Ergo (in Deut. 3:23): I BESOUGHT THE LORD.]

(Deut. 3:23:) “I besought the Lord.” This text is related (to I Kings 8:30 // II Chron. 6:21), “And may You harken unto the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication.” See, prayer is designated by many names:¹¹Sifre to Deut. 3:23 (26); Deut. R. 2:1. (1) prayer, (2) beseeching, (3) call, (4) cry, (5) outcry, (6) chant, (7) encounter, (8) falling and (9) amidah.¹²Standing, which is the name given to The Eighteen Blessings (Shemone ‘Esreh) of the daily liturgy. Why did Moses only pray under the word, "beseeching (rt.: hnn)"? [This is the usage here] where it is stated (in Deut. 3:23), “I besought (rt.: hnn) the Lord.” It is simply that when Moses stood there and said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Exod. 33:18), “Please show me Your glory,” he said to Him, “Master of the world, please show me by what principle You run Your world.” It is so stated (in Exod. 33:13), “please show me Your principle.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Yes, I will show you; (in Exod. 33:19:) ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will call….’” [The Holy One, blessed be] He, said to him, “I have no obligation to [any] creature. Anytime a person does a commandment, I give him [reward] as a favor. Not that I have any obligation to any creature, but I do it as a favor.” Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.), “I will be gracious (rt.: hnn) to whom I will be gracious […].” Moses said to him, “If so, do me a kindness, make a commandment for me and grant [the reward] to me as a favor (rt.: hnn).” Ergo (in Deut. 3:23), “I besought [the Lord].”

Our Rabbis taught: "A blind man or one who cannot determine the direction, let him direct his heart towards his Heavenly Father; for it is said (I Kings 8, 44.) They will pray unto the Lord. If he is outside of Palestine let him direct his heart toward Palestine, for it is said (Ib. 48.) They will pray unto Thee in the direction of their land. If he stand in Palestine let him direct his heart towards Jerusalem, for it is said (Ib. ib. 44.) They will pray unto the Lord in the direction of the city which thou hast chosen. If he stand in Jerusalem then let him direct his heart towards the Temple, for it is said (Ib. ib. 33.) And they will pray and praise unto this house. If he stand in the Temple then let him direct his heart towards the Holy of Holies; for it is said (Ib. ib. 30.) And they will pray towards this place. If he stand in the Holy of Holies let him direct his heart towards the Kaporeth. If he stand behind the cover of the ark, let him consider it as if he were standing in front of the Kaporeth. Hence, if one is in the east, he should face towards west; in the west, he should face towards east; in the south, he should face towards the north; in the north, he should face towards the south. It is thus found that all Israel directs its heart towards one place [towards the Holy of Holies]." Where is the Biblical passage [to refer to this]? Thy neck is like the tower of David built on terraces (Songs 4, 4), i.e., a mound towards which all turn."