This Parsha starts with the words וָאֶתְחַנַן אֶל־ה׳ וגוֹ׳ “I entreated Hashem”. It is brought down in the Sifri that the Yidden had two good leaders—Moshe Rabeinu and Dovid Melech Yisroel. They could both have requested favours from Hashem in view of their good deeds, however they only asked for Matnas Chinom.
If this is the case concerning these two leaders, how much more so, should anyone else not ask Hashem for anything other than ‘Matnas Chinom’. There is another explanation: וָאֶתְחַנַן אֶל־ה׳ is one of ten expressions of prayer etc.
Understanding Matnas Chinom
Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If these, who could have asked for reward on the basis of their good deeds, asked Hakodosh Boruch Hu only that He "grace" them, then we, who are not even a thousandth of the thousands and ten thousand of his disciples, how much more so should we ask of Hashem only that He "grace" us! Another explanation in the word ‘Vo’eschanon’: Prayer (Tefillah) is called by ten names: Ze'akah, Shav'ah, Ne'akah, Rinah, Pegiah, Nipul, Pilul, Atirah, Chilui, And Chinun.
Similarly, it is brought down in the ‘Medrash Rabbah’: “There are ten expressions for prayer and these are they... but out of all of the different expressions for prayer, Moshe Rabeinu only chose the term that expresses a request for ‘Matnas Chinom’- a free unearned gift. From here we can infer that no one can have any demands on Hashem, because Moshe Rabeinu ... only came with entreaties”.
Why Only Entreaties?
The Medrash continues: “Why is it that Moshe only comes with entreaties? This is so because Hakodosh Boruch Hu said to Moshe Rabeinu: וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶר אָחֹּן ”I will favour when I wish to favour.” In other words when someone has no merits or any good deeds I will deal with him with ‘Matnas Chinom’ from the word ‘Chanosi’”.
