The Gemorah says that a small hole in the floor of the Beis Hamikdash between the ramp and the Mizbeach was necessary to put "sofek" pesulei chatas there for overnight; rather than burning it right away; because Eliyahu might come in the future and pronounce it tahor.
Why not ask the Choshen Mishpat the status of the Chatos then; rather than waiting for Eliyahu, who still hasn't come because of our Chatoim? Eli Hakohen asked the Choshen Mishpat what the status of Chana was!
Best regards
Alex Lebovits, Toronto, CAnada
The Urim v'Tumim which were present in the Choshen (during the first Bayis) were not used to ask Halachic questions, but rather to give advice. This is clearly stated by Rashi in Eiruvin (45a, DH "Harei Shmuel"). The Tzoan Kodshim in Temurah (16a, see at length) explains that this is due to the concept of "Lo ba'Shamayim Hi."
I'm not sure of your source regarding Eili and Chanah. However, if Eli was using the Urim v'Tumim to realize whether or not Chanah was drunk, this could also be called advice, not a Halachic question. [I recall hearing a shiur by R' Reisman Shlita, regarding the exact paramaters of what one could and could not ask the Urim v'Tumim, which might possibly be on the section of Shmuel Aleph (ch. 23) discussed in Eiruvin 45a.]
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose
Rebbe,
How could Eli Hakohen have asked the urim v'tumim whether Chana was drunk and come up with the wrong answer? She clearly wasn't drunk as we see from the psukim.
Sam Kosofsky
The Kol Eliyahu on Shmuel Alef, which I assume is the source of your question, explains how Eli came up with the wrong answer. He says (based on the Ramban) that the Urim v'Tumim did not give explicit answers. The correct letters that would make up the answer would light up, and it was up to the Kohen to have the proper degree of Ruach ha'Kodesh to assemble the letters correctly. When the letters Heih, Chaf, Shin, and Reish lit up, Eli thought it spelled "Shikorah" -- "drunkard." Chanah told him that he apparently did not have Ruach ha'Kodesh at the time he assembled the letters, as the correct spelling was "Kesheirah" -- "a Kosher woman."
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose