"ani haisha hanitzevet imcha" - Though Rashi and Tosfot learn differently -it comes out that Eli was watching her pray - yet they were in the mishkan - shouldnt therer be a seperation, a mechitza [aren't mechitza's just for that -to prevent people looking?] also - i have assume dthey were not alone as it is the mishkan but is it possible they were alone? if not, wehere was everyone else, the cohanim, other olim - why didnt they intervene between eli and chana ? and how is it that eli watches woen praying bichlala, even if there was no mechitza - it doesnt seem on the surface to be the kind of thing one expects him or anyone to do ?
mendy, ny,usa
You are correct that they were not alone, for that would certainly have posed a problem of Yichud. Moreover, Eli was at the gate of the Azarah, where many people were coming and going. (Indeed, the Chasam Sofer (OC 102) writes that Chanah specifically tried to Daven while within the four Amos of Eli, because he was a great Tzadik and she felt that her Tefilos would be more accepted that way.) As for watching her Daven, Eli needed to ensure that drunkards and other misfits did not enter the area. It was his responsibility, therefore, to see what was going on, in order to protect the sanctity of the place. Also he was not gazing at her, but merely looking in order to make sure that she was acting properly.
The purpose of a Mechitzah is not to prevent looking per se, but to prevent looking while one is davening. Eli at that time was not davening, and thus there was no problem in looking to make sure that whoever was there was acting properly. Moreover, Eli was a great Tzadik, and we find in the Gemara that for such a great Tzadik there is not a concern that he will look at a woman and his Yetzer ha'Ra will be aroused (as we find earlier in the Masechta, will regard to Rebbi Yochanan).
Y. Shaw