Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 5.5

משנה: הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל וְטָעָה סִימָן רַע לוֹ. וְאִם שְׁלִיחַ צִיבּוּר הוּא סִימָן רַע לְשׁוֹלְחָיו שֶׁשְּׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם כְּמוֹתוֹ. אָ‍מְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דוֹסָא שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַחוֹלִים וְאוֹמֵר זֶה חַי וְזֶה מֵת. אָ‍מְרוּ לוֹ מְנַיִין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ. אָמַר לָהֶן אִם שְׁגוּרָה תְפִילָּתִי בְּפִי יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְקוּבָּל. וְאִם לָאו יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְטוּרָף.

MISHNAH: It is a bad sign for him who prays when he makes a mistake. And if he is an emissary of the congregation, it is a bad sign for those who sent him because the emissary of somebody is like that person. They said about Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa that he was praying for sick people and saying that this one was going to live and that one was dying. They asked him, how do you know? He said to them, if my prayer comes easily from my lips I know that he has been accepted; otherwise, I know that he is being torn.

הלכה: רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב אָמַר וּבִלְבַד בְּאָבוֹת.

HALAKHAH: Rav Aḥa bar Jacob said, only at “Forefathers.”

מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁחָלָה בְנוֹ וְשָׁלַח שְׁנֵי תַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵצֶל רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דוֹסָא בְּעִירוֹ. אָמַר לוֹן הַמְתִּינוּ לִי עַד שֶׁאֶעֱלֶה לַעֲלִיָיה וְעָלָה לַעֲלִיָיה וְיָרַד אָמַר לָהֶן בָּטוּחַ אֲנִי שֶׁנִּינוּחַ בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל מֵחָלְייוֹ וְסִיְימוּ בְּאוֹתֶהּ שָׁעֶה תָּבַע מָזוֹן. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בֵּרִבִּי נַחְמָנִי אִם כִּוָונְתָּה אֶת לִבְּךָ בִתְפִילָּה תְּהֵא מְבוּשָּׂר שֶׁנִּשְׁמְעָה תְפִילָּתָךְ. וּמַה טַעַם תָּכִין לִבָּם תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶיךָ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אִם עָשׂוֹ שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם תְּנוּבָה יְהֵא מְבוּשָּׂר שֶׁנִּשְׁמְעָה תְפִילָּתוֹ. מַה טַעַם בּוֹרֵא נִיב שְׂפָתַיִם שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב אָמַר יי וּרְפָאתִיו.

It happened that the son of Rabban Gamliel fell ill and he sent two scholars to Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa in the latter’s city. He said to them, wait until I go to the upper floor. He went to the upper floor, came back, and said to them: I am sure that Rabban Gamliel’s son will get respite from his sickness. They noted that at this hour he asked for food. Rebbi Samuel ben Rebbi Naḥmani said: If you were able to concentrate your attention on your prayer, you are told that your prayer was heard. What is the reason? (Ps. 10:17) “You prepare their hearts, You will listen with Your ears.” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said: If a person’s lips bore fruit he is told that his prayer was heard. What is the reason? (Is. 57:19) “He Who created the fruit of lips: peace, peace to the far and the near said the Eternal, I shall heal him.”