Musar for Berakhot 20:11
א"ר יוחנן משום ר' יוסי בן זמרא כל התולה בזכות עצמו תולין לו בזכות אחרים וכל התולה בזכות אחרים תולין לו בזכות עצמו
R. Johanan said in the name of R. Jose b. Zimra : Whoever refers to his own merit [when praying], the merit of others is referred to [in the answer to the petition]; and whoever refers to the merit of others, his own merit is referred to.
Mesilat Yesharim
Likewise Chizkiyahu said: "to peace it is bitterness for me" (Isaiah 38:17) since the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: "I will defend this city to save it, for My sake and for the sake of My servant David" (Isaiah 37:35). This is as the statement of our sages: "whoever makes his request depend on his own merit, is shown that it was dependent on the merit of others" (Berachot 10b).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy