Commentary for Avodah Zarah 15:1
רבי יהושע סבר ילפינן ממשה ור"א סבר לא ילפינן ממשה שאני משה דרב גובריה וחכ"א לא כדברי זה ולא כדברי זה אלא שואל אדם צרכיו בשומע תפלה
R. Joshua holds that we learn from [the example of] Moses, while R. Eliezer says we should not learn from the example of Moses; Moses is different for he was a great man. The sages say [the decision is] neither according to the one nor according to the other. Rather one should pray for his personal needs at the blessing [concluding with], “Who hears prayer.”
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The Talmud now suggests that the dispute between R. Joshua and R. Eliezer was really connected to whether we learn from Moses’s behavior. Moses first praised God and then he asked for his needs. R. Joshua says that we too should act in the same manner. But R. Eliezer says that Moses is different. His greatness allows him to sincerely praise God first. But with any other human being, it is better to simply first ask for one’s needs.
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