Midras 1 Raja-raja 8:28: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Devarim Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Aggadat Bereshit

It is taught that Abba Benjamin says: "I was always sorry for two things, that my prayer should be in front of my bed, and my bed should be placed between the north and the south." My prayer should be in front of my bed. What is meant by 'in front of my bed'? Shall I say it means to pray near the bed? Has not R. Juda said in the name of Rab, and according to others it was R. Joshua b. Levi who said: "Whence do we learn that he who prays shall have nothing between him and the wall? It is said (Is. 38, 2.) Then did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord." [Hence we see, that a man ought not to pray before his bed.] Do not say 'Before the bed,' but say 'Immediately after rising.' And what does he mean by 'My bed shall be placed between the north and the south'? This refers to what R. Chama the son of R. Chanina and according to others R. Isaac said: "He who places his bed between the south and the north will have male children; as it is said (Ps. 17, 14.) And whose belly thou fillest with thy hidden treasury they will be satisfied with sons." Rab. Nachman b. Isaac said: "It will also prevent his wife from having a mis-carriage; for it is written here. Thou fillest their belly, and it is written there (Gen. 25, 24.) And when her days to he delivered were fulfilled." It was taught that Abba Benjamin says: "Two entered the synagogue to pray; one of them finished his prayer first and went out without waiting for his friend; will his prayer be torn to pieces, as it is said (Job 18, 4.) He teareth himself in his anger: shall for thy sake the earth be forsaken? And moreover he causes [by his action] the Shechina to depart from Israel, as it is said (Ib. ib. ib.) And shall the Tzur move away out of His place? And the word Tzur, refers only to the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Deu. 32, 18.) Of the Rock (Tzur) that begot thee thou wast unmindful." And if he waits for his friend what shall his reward be? (Fol. 6a) R. Jose the son of R. Chanina said: "He will be worthy of the following blessings which are said (Is. 48, 18.) Oh, that thou hadst but listened to my commandments! Then would have been as a river thy piece. and as the waves of the sea, thy prosperity." We are taught that Abba Benjamin says: "The prayers of men are not heard [by God] save only when they come from the synagogue, for it is written (I Kin. 8, 28.) To listen, unto the song of Thy praise and unto Thy prayer, i.e., in the place where songs of praise are said, there should be the place of prayer." Rabin b. R. Ada said in the name of R. Isaac: "Whence do we learn that God frequents the synagogue? It is said (Ps. 82, 1.) God standeth in the Congregation of God; whence do we learn that when ten men are praying together the Sheehina rests with them? It is said (Ib.) God standeth in the congregation of God; whence do we learn that when three are sitting and discharging judgment, the Sheehina rests with them? It is said (Ib.) In the midst doth He judge. And whence do we learn that when two are sitting together and studying the Torah. the Sheehina is with them? It is said (Malachi 3, 16.) Then conversed they that feared the Lord, one with another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and there was written a book of remembrance before him for those who feared the Lord and for those who respect his name." What should be understood by the words. And for those who respect His name? R. Ashi said: "Even when one intended to observe a commandment but was accidentally prevented from doing so, it is credited to him as if he had actually observed it." And whence do we learn that even if one sits and studies the Torah, the Sheehina is with him? It is said (Ex. 20, 24.) In every place where I shall permit my name to be mentioned, I will come unto thee and I will bless thee. Now let us see, since we know that the Sheehina is even with one, why is it necessary to infer that it rests with two? Because if two study together the Sheehina inscribes their words in the book of remembrances; for one, however, it does not inscribe his words in the book of remembrances. Since we know that when two study, the Sheehina is with them, why do we need any inference for three? Because we should not think that discharging judgment is merely bringing peace and nothing else, and the Sheehina therefore is not with them. It informs us then that discharging judgment is as important as the Torah: and since we know that the Sheehina is with three, why do we need the inference concerning ten? Because in the case of ten people, the Sheehina precedes, but for three, the Sheehina does not appear until the three are together.

“I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying” (Deuteronomy 3:23).
“I pleaded with the Lord” – halakha: If a person of Israel is standing and praying, is it permitted for him to pray in a loud voice? So taught our Sages: If one was standing and praying, may he, perhaps, make his voice heard? Hannah already articulated this: “Hannah, she was speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13). May he, perhaps, recite all three¹All three daily prayers. as one? This was already articulated in Daniel: “And three times a day he knelt on his knees, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Daniel 6:11). May he, perhaps, pray at any time that he wishes? David already articulated: “Evening and morning and noon, I speak and cry aloud, and He hears my voice” (Psalms 55:18). May he, perhaps, demand [that God provide for] his needs and leave? Solomon already articulated: “To hear the cry and the prayer” (I Kings 8:28); “cry” – this is praise of the Holy One blessed be He; “and prayer” – for a person’s needs.
Abba Shaul says: This is an indicator regarding prayer – if a person focused his heart for prayer, he may be certain that his prayer is heard, as it is stated: “You will focus their heart; You will incline Your ear” (Psalms 10:17).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Prayer is called by ten expressions, and these are: Shava, tze’aka, ne’aka, rina, pegia, bitzur, keria, nipul, pilul, and taḥanunim. Shava and tze’aka, as it is stated: “The children of Israel sighed due to the work, and they cried out [vayizaku] [and their plea [shavatam] rose to God]” (Exodus 2:23). Ne’aka, as it is written: “God heard their groan [naakatam]” (Exodus 2:24). Rina and pegia, as it is written: “Do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up a cry [rina] or a prayer on their behalf, and do not plead [tifga] with Me, [for I am not listening to you]” (Jeremiah 7:16). Bitzur and keria, as it is written: “In my distress [batzar] I called [ekra] to the Lord” (Psalms 18:7). Nipul, as it is written: “I threw myself down [va’etnapal] before the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:18). Pilul, as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30). Taḥanunim, as it is written: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.” Of all of them Moses prayed only with the expression of plea [taḥanunim].
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here you learn that no creature has any claim on its Creator, as Moses, the master of all the prophets, came only with an expression of plea. Rabbi Levi said: Why did Moses come only with an expression of plea [taḥanunim]?²Why did he pray to enter the Land of Israel with the expression va’etḥanan, I pleaded, and not with one of the other terms of prayer? The parable says: Be careful not to be caught in a contradiction. How so? So said the Holy One blessed be He to Moses: “I will favor [veḥanoti] whom I favor” (Exodus 33:19). [God] said to him: ‘Upon one who has [credit] with Me, “I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19); I will act with him with the attribute of mercy. One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift.’ When Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “It is enough for you; [do not continue speaking to Me about this matter]” (Deuteronomy 3:26). [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, did You not say this to me: One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift? Now I am not saying that anything is due to me from You, but act with me with grace [ḥinam].’ From where is this derived? From what we read regarding the matter: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with 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].”