Using a Mitzvah to Get Prayers Answered

Question

If one prays specifically after performing a Mitzvah, in the hopes that G-d will be more likely to answer their prayer:

Is that considered improper, as it is using the Mitzvah for his/her own benefit? Or is it an acceptable and valid way to get prayers answered?

Answer 1

Rashi, Deuteronomy 4:23:

ואתחנן. אין חנון בכל מקום אלא לשון מתנת חנם, אע"פ שיש להם לצדיקים לתלות במעשיהם הטובים, אין מבקשים מאת המקום אלא מתנת חנם

Even though righteous people can ask for favors based on their good deeds, they ask only for free gifts.

In addition, in Brachot 32b, Rabbi Chiya bar Aba says in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that whoever lengthens his prayer and "looks into it" will end up with "heartache" (כאב לב). Rashi explains that because he acts as if he is "owed" to be answered, his prayer isn't answered.

Answer 2

Even if not accurately centerered to the question but see Pri Haarets Parashat Reeh See in Wikitext. Doing one mitsva in the hope that a wish came true. The text is hard to read. I will provide a summary which describes clearly the question to which the Peri Haarets responds:

Three of the Chazal sentences used in the Peri Haarets are listed bellow.

1. R'Johanan met the young son of Resh Lakish and said to him, 'Recite to me the Bible verse [you have learnt to-day].

   The latter replied, 'Thou shalt surely tithe', at the same time asking, 'What may be the meaning of these words? ' R'Johanan answered, 'Give tithes that you may be enriched'.

   The boy then asked, 'Whence do you adduce this? ' R'Johanan replied: 'Go test it [for yourself]'.

   The boy thereupon asked: Is it permissible to try the Holy One, blessed be He, seeing that it is written, Ye shall not try the Lord? -R'Johanan replied: Thus said R'Oshaia: The case of tithe-giving is excepted [from the prohibition], as it is said, Bring ye the whole tithe unto the storehouse, th there may be food in My house, and try Me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be more than sufficiency.

2. It has been taught: 'If a man says, offer this sela' for charity in order that my children may live and in order that through it I may merit the future world, he may still be a wholly righteous man? '

3. [if a man says to a woman, be thou betrothed unto me] on condition that I am righteous,' even if he is absolutely wicked, she is betrothed, for he may have meditated repentance in his thoughts.'

The first case deals with the strenght of a Mitsva; the second say that this practice is quite correct; the third that the link between a simple man and Tsidkut and Tshuva is far from unlikely:

When a man did a Mitsva in the hope to be answered in his prayer, this is a sign that this man has a great faith. His faith is that the Mistva is a part of something which was previous to the world by a causal relation, something in which the word itself is included. He is clausely linked to this thing. He "knows" that somewhat in a Mitsva is very strong. He follows through Mitsva accomplishment an inner conviction which attract him toward the "first intent of Hashem" concerning creation. So we see a paradox, he has not been unselfish, but somewhat in his behavior demonstrate that he adheres (not artificiality) to the true nature of mitsva.

I am not sure that I can understand more that this fragmentary explanation up today. But it is clear for me that an accurate lecture of the Peri Haarets may help to a better answer.

Answer 3

There is no issue with doing a mitzvah with the hope that the mitzvah will give you some benefit or be a merit for some other supplication. On the contrary it is seen as a righteous deed.

This idea is found in the Gemara Pesachim (8a) regarding one who gives charity in order for one's child to be healed from sickness and other requests:

האומר סלע זו לצדקה בשביל שיחיה בני או שאהיה בן העוה''ב הרי זה צדיק גמור

If one says "I give this Selah so my child will live or that should merit the world to come", such a person is wholly righteous

Rav Ovadia Yosef also gives this topic further treatment here:

שאלה: האם מותר לתת סכום כסף לצדקה בשביל שיתרפא איזה אדם או בשביל בקשה אחרת, או שלא נכון לעשות כן מפני שהמעשה לא נעשה לשם שמים אלא לצורך פרטי?

תשובה: בגמרא במסכת פסחים (דף ח.) אמרו רבותינו, האומר (הנני נותן) "סלע (סכום כסף) זה לצדקה בשביל שיחיה בני", הרי זה צדיק גמור. כלומר, אדם שנותן צדקה, ואומר בפירוש, שהוא נותן את הצדקה כדי שבנו יחיה, הרי זה צדיק גמור, ואין שום פגם במה שהוא עושה.

ומבואר אם כן בגמרא שאין כל חשש בכך שאדם נותן סכום כסף לצדקה בשביל שיתרפא בנו, שהרי על כל פנים הוא מתכוין לתת צדקה

וכן פירש רש"י בסוגיא בפסחים, שאין אנו אומרים שהואיל נותן כספו לצדקה בשביל שיחיה בנו, אם כן נחשב לו המעשה שלא לשם שמים, אלא אומרים אנו שקיים בזה מצות צדקה שציוהו בוראו לעשות צדקה, ומתכוין הוא גם להנאת עצמו שיחיה בנו.

ומכאן הוכיח מרן רבינו עובדיה יוסף זצוק"ל, שכל מעשה שאדם עושה לשם שמים, ומעורבת בכונתו גם כוונה אחרת להנאת עצמו, וכגון מי שאוכל בשבת לכבוד שבת קודש ובכדי לענג את השבת, לקיים מצות בוראו, אך הוא מתכוין גם להנאת עצמו, אין אנו אומרים לו שמעשיו אינם לשם שמים, שהואיל ובכוונתו מעורבת גם כוונה לשם שמים, הרי זה נחשב שעושה לשם שמים ושכרו בשמים גדול. וכן כתבו עוד רבים מרבותינו הפוסקים.

We do not tell him that his actions are not altruistic, that since he intends involved Altruistic intention, it is considered to be doing for heaven and his reward is great in heaven.