Rashi says that the word “chanun” always indicates asking for a “matnas chinam” (a free gift).
My ancestor, the Kretchnifer Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Raza D’Shabbos), explains by quoting the Gemara (Brachos 32B) that states: “Rav Elazar says: From the day that the Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed, the gates of prayer are closed but the gates of tears are not closed, as is stated (Tehillim 39:13): ‘Hear my prayer, Hashem, and hearken to my cry. Be not silent to my tears.’”
Tears are representative of a free gift, as one who asks for something for free often asks for it with tears and weeping. It is also known that that Moshe’s prayers “at that time” represent the final redemption, as Yirmiyahu Hanavi says (Yirmiyahu 50:9): “At that time, they will look for sins amongst Yisroel and there will be none.” The entire timespan from the present until Hashem sends the geulah is called “at that time.”
Accordingly, the pasuk is saying that Moshe davened “at that time”, meaning that he prayed that the tefillos said during times of golus should be effective. But how can those tefillos be heard if the gates of prayer are closed? For this reason, it says that he asked for a “free gift”, which is a reference to tears. In the merit of tears, even prayers said during times of exile can be heard.
Regarding the power of tefillos said with tears, the Sefer Hachasidim (Ois 130) writes: “Some people are not deserving of having their prayers accepted by Hashem but because they pray strongly and with tears, and they constantly cry and entreat Hashem, He accepts their prayers and performs their will, even if they have no merits or good deeds.”
Sefer Otzros Hatorah relates the following story that was related by Rav Chaim Chaikin zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva Ax-El-Bain, France, and a student of the Chofetz Chaim zt”l:
A resident of Radin once came to the home of the Chofetz Chaim and told him that he was in need of a salvation. He asked the Chofetz Chaim to daven for him.
The Chofetz Chaim asked him, “Did you daven yourself yet?” The man replied that he had. The Chofetz Chaim then told him, “Go home and bring me the Sefer Tehillim you used to daven.” The man lived nearby, so he was able to run home and come back with his Tehillim very quickly. The Chofetz Chaim took the book in his hands and opened it up. He turned to one page after another and then said to the man, “Why did you say that you davened? I can tell that you didn’t daven sufficiently.”
The Chofetz Chaim then walked over to his bookcase, got up on a chair and took down an old Sefer Tehillim. He handed it to the man, who opened it up and saw that the pages were yellowed with age and were stained by the many tears that had been cried over this sefer.
The Chofetz Chaim told him, “This is the Sefer Tehillim that my mother a”h used. Do you see the stains made by her tears? That is what it means to daven!”
