One day, as R. Hanina ben Dosa went to R. Johanan ben Zakkai to study the Torah with him, he found the son of R. Johanan very ill.

R. Johanan turned to R. Hanina ben Dosa and said to him: "My son is very ill, pray for him that his life may be saved."

R. Hanina put his head between the knees of the sick man and prayed that he might live.

Then R. Johanan ben Zakkai said: "If I had even stuck my head into the ground no one would have taken any notice of it."

Then his wife said to R. Johanan, "Is R. Hanina a more worthy man than you?"

He replied, "I will tell you. R. Hanina is like .a servant, who enters the presence of the king without asking special leave. Hanina ben Dosa also appears before God without asking special leave. But I am like a prince, who does not go in and out as freely as the servant and therefore his petition is less likely to be heard. Therefore I asked him that he should pray for my dear son that his life may be spared. Although I could have prayed myself, nevertheless I asked him to pray."