Howdy!
You shouldn't need to know Hebrew in order to learn in our sessions. However, it is hard to expand our ideas of what the prayers mean without some kind of 'letting go' of translation. Translations impose and enforce their own meanings upon us. Does דַּֽעַת (da'at) really mean knowledge? Yes and no. What to do?
In an attempt to square this circle, I have color-coded this source-page. Every time a specific Hebrew word is used, I have made it the same color throughout this document in both the Hebrew and the translation. I hope this will allow you to let go of what the English says and dive deeper into the myriad meanings hiding in the Hebrew, even if Hebrew is not accessible to you. Sentences like "the blue word seems to mean _____" are more than welcome!
Happy learning!
אַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דַּֽעַת וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֱנוֹשׁ בִּינָה:
חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ דֵּעָה בִּינָה וְהַשְׂכֵּל:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה חוֹנֵן הַדָּֽעַת:
You grace mortals with knowledge and teach people understanding.
Grace us with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom from you.
Praised are you, HaShem who graces with knowledge.
Atah honein l'adam da'at
u'mlameid le'enosh binah.
Honein meitcha deiah binah v'haskel.
Baruch atah Adonai honein hada'at.
We've reached the first of our middle blessings! Here are some questions to consider before diving in to the texts below:
- What, at this moment, do you think the differences are between knowledge, understanding/discernment, and wisdom/insight?
- Why would we want such things? Do we? All the time? For what purposes?
- How do we get them, according to the blessing? Is that intuitive to you? What might you have said before?
Now we come to my favorite game: intertextuality! We're looking at other texts that use similar language to learn more about what our text means. Our guide, the Abudarham (Spain, fl. 1340), has pointed out a few places that have inspired our blessing. We will largely be following him, though I've added a couple bits of my own.
אתה חונן לאדם דעת ע"ש המלמד אדם דעת וע"ש וחנותי את אשר אחון. ומלמד לאנוש בינה על שם ויתן אלהים חכמה לשלמה ותבונה הרבה מאד. חננו מאתך דעה ובינה והשכל על שם ורעו אתכם דעה והשכל.
"You grace mortals with knowledge" is in the style of "instructs mortals in knowledge" (Psalm 94) and "and the grace that I grant" (Exodus 33)
"and teach people discernment" is in the style of "God endowed Solomon with wisdom and understanding" (I Kings 5).
"Grace us with knowledge, discernment, and wisdom from you" is in the style of "pasture you with knowledge and wisdom" (Jeremiah 3.)
"You graciously endow mortals with knowledge" is in the style of "instructs mortals in knowledge" (Psalm 94) and "and the grace that I grant" (Exodus 33)
(ג) עַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃ (ד) יַבִּ֣יעוּ יְדַבְּר֣וּ עָתָ֑ק יִ֝תְאַמְּר֗וּ כׇּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ (ה) עַמְּךָ֣ יְהֹוָ֣ה יְדַכְּא֑וּ וְֽנַחֲלָתְךָ֥ יְעַנּֽוּ׃ (ו) אַלְמָנָ֣ה וְגֵ֣ר יַהֲרֹ֑גוּ וִ֖יתוֹמִ֣ים יְרַצֵּֽחוּ׃ (ז) וַ֭יֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹ֣א יִרְאֶה־יָּ֑הּ וְלֹא־יָ֝בִ֗ין אֱלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ח) בִּ֭ינוּ בֹּעֲרִ֣ים בָּעָ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מָתַ֥י תַּשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃ (ט) הֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֭זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִֽם־יֹ֥צֵֽר עַ֝֗יִן הֲלֹ֣א יַבִּֽיט׃ (י) הֲיֹסֵ֣ר גּ֭וֹיִם הֲלֹ֣א יוֹכִ֑יחַ הַֽמְלַמֵּ֖ד אָדָ֣ם דָּֽעַת׃ (יא) יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָדָ֑ם כִּי־הֵ֥מָּה הָֽבֶל׃ (יב) אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ הַגֶּ֣בֶר אֲשֶׁר־תְּיַסְּרֶ֣נּוּ יָּ֑הּ וּֽמִתּוֹרָתְךָ֥ תְלַמְּדֶֽנּוּ׃ (יג) לְהַשְׁקִ֣יט ל֭וֹ מִ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עַ֤ד יִכָּרֶ֖ה לָרָשָׁ֣ע שָֽׁחַת׃ (יד) כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יִטֹּ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ וְ֝נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א יַעֲזֹֽב׃ (טו) כִּֽי־עַד־צֶ֭דֶק יָשׁ֣וּב מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝אַחֲרָ֗יו כׇּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃
(3) How long shall the wicked, O LORD,
how long shall the wicked exult, (4) shall they utter insolent speech,
shall all evildoers vaunt themselves? (5) They crush Your people, O LORD,
they afflict Your very own; (6) they kill the widow and the stranger;
they murder the parentless, (7) thinking, “The LORD does not see it,
the God of Jacob does not pay heed.”
(8) Take heed, you most brutish people;
fools, when will you get wisdom? (9) Shall the One who implants the ear not hear,
the One who forms the eye not see? (10) Shall the One who disciplines nations not punish,
the One who instructs mortals in knowledge? (11) The LORD knows the designs of mortals to be futile.
(12) Happy is the person whom You discipline, O LORD,
the person You instruct in Your teaching, (13) to give them tranquillity in times of misfortune,
until a pit be dug for the wicked. (14) For the LORD will not forsake [G-d's] people;
[G-d] will not abandon [G-d's] very own. (15) Judgment shall again accord with justice
and all the upright shall rally to it.
Question:
- What here is the purpose of G-d's teaching knowledge? What might its content be?
- Who is foolish here, and who is wise? What do they do?
(יט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִ֨י אַעֲבִ֤יר כׇּל־טוּבִי֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יךָ וְקָרָ֧אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֛ם יְהֹוָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַנֹּתִי֙ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָחֹ֔ן וְרִחַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲרַחֵֽם׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃
(19) And [God] answered [Moses' request that he be allowed to know and see G-d's glory], “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name יהוה, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show,” (20) continuing, “But you cannot see My face, for a human being may not see Me and live.”
Questions:
-
- Why do you think our blessing uses both teach and grace?
"and teach people understanding" is in the style of "God endowed Solomon with wisdom and understanding" (I Kings 5).
(ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אַתָּ֨ה עָשִׂ֜יתָ עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֨ דָוִ֣ד אָבִי֮ חֶ֣סֶד גָּדוֹל֒ ...(ז) וְעַתָּה֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י אַתָּה֙ הִמְלַ֣כְתָּ אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ תַּ֖חַת דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑י וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ נַ֣עַר קָטֹ֔ן לֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע צֵ֥את וָבֹֽא׃ (ח) וְעַ֨בְדְּךָ֔ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמְּךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחָ֑רְתָּ עַם־רָ֕ב אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יִמָּנֶ֛ה וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב׃ (ט) וְנָתַתָּ֨ לְעַבְדְּךָ֜ לֵ֤ב שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט אֶֽת־עַמְּךָ֔ לְהָבִ֖ין בֵּֽין־ט֣וֹב לְרָ֑ע כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֔ט אֶת־עַמְּךָ֥ הַכָּבֵ֖ד הַזֶּֽה׃ (י) וַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנָ֑י כִּ֚י שָׁאַ֣ל שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃
(6) Solomon said, “You dealt most graciously with Your servant my father David...(7) And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David; but I am a young lad, with no experience in leadership.-a (8) Your servant finds himself in the midst of the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. (9) Grant, then, Your servant a listening heart to judge Your people, to distinguish between good and bad; for who can judge this vast people of Yours?” (10) The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃
God endowed Solomon with wisdom and understanding in great measure, with largeness of heart as vast as the sands on the seashore.
(יב) וְֽ֭הַחׇכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְק֣וֹם בִּינָֽה׃ (יג) לֹא־יָדַ֣ע אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עֶרְכָּ֑הּ וְלֹ֥א תִ֝מָּצֵ֗א בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַחַיִּֽים׃...(כח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ׀ לָאָדָ֗ם הֵ֤ן יִרְאַ֣ת אֲ֭דֹנָי הִ֣יא חׇכְמָ֑ה וְס֖וּר מֵרָ֣ע בִּינָֽה׃ {פ}
(12) But where can wisdom be found;
Where is the source of understanding? (13) No person can set a value on it;
It cannot be found in the land of the living. ... [God] said to humanity,
“See! Fear of the Lord is wisdom;
To shun evil is discernment.”
Questions:
- What does Solomon request? Why? What does he receive?
- What is discernment according to these two texts?
- The word wisdom (chokhmah) (not to be confused with wisdom (haskel)) does not appear in our blessing, despite being a common word (the sages/Rabbis are often called chakhamim for example). What is wisdom? Why might it be missing from our blessing?
- Not a question, but the Job passage is used as lyrics for a great song you can find here after our session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RorTgwYagt4
"Grace us with knowledge, discernment, and wisdom from you" is in the style of "pasture you with knowledge and wisdom" (Jeremiah 3.)
(יד) שׁ֣וּבוּ בָנִ֤ים שֽׁוֹבָבִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י בָּעַ֣לְתִּי בָכֶ֑ם וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֜ם אֶחָ֣ד מֵעִ֗יר וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ מִמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם צִיּֽוֹן׃ (טו) וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֛ם רֹעִ֖ים כְּלִבִּ֑י וְרָע֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם דֵּעָ֥ה וְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃ (טז) וְהָיָ֡ה כִּ֣י תִרְבּוּ֩ וּפְרִיתֶ֨ם בָּאָ֜רֶץ בַּיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹא־יֹ֣אמְרוּ ע֗וֹד אֲרוֹן֙ בְּרִית־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יַעֲלֶ֖ה עַל־לֵ֑ב וְלֹ֤א יִזְכְּרוּ־בוֹ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִפְקֹ֔דוּ וְלֹ֥א יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה עֽוֹד׃ (יז) בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא יִקְרְא֤וּ לִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ כִּסֵּ֣א יְהֹוָ֔ה וְנִקְו֨וּ אֵלֶ֧יהָ כׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֛ם לְשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה לִירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְלֹא־יֵלְכ֣וּ ע֔וֹד אַחֲרֵ֕י שְׁרִר֖וּת לִבָּ֥ם הָרָֽע׃ {ס}
(14) Turn back, rebellious children—declares the LORD. Since I have espoused you, I will take you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. (15) And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will pasture you with knowledge and wisdom. (16) And when you increase and are fertile in the land, in those days—declares the LORD—they shall no longer speak of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, nor shall it come to mind. They shall not mention it, or miss it, or make another. (17) At that time, they shall call Jerusalem “Throne of the LORD,” and all nations shall assemble there, in the name of the LORD, at Jerusalem. They shall no longer follow the willfulness of their evil hearts.
Questions:
- What do you make of 'shepherds after My own heart who will 'pasture' you (lit. 'Shepherds...who will shepherd you)"? What does shepherding someone with knowledge and wisdom evoke for you?
- Rashi (France, 1040-1105) explains that "not speaking of the Ark of the Covenant" means "For your entire assembly will be holy, and I will dwell therein as though it were an ark."
- What do you make of this? Does it change how you read knowledge and wisdom?
Elliot Dorff
All other blessings that we might offer—and indeed, all requests that we might voice—depend on our ability to know ourselves and God's world in the first place.
There are three kinds of knowing: “Knowledge” (de'ah) is factual information. “Discernment” (binah) denotes the ability to analyze things and to distinguish between them — its root, b.y.n means “between.” “Wisdom” (referred to here by the verb haskel, like the Yiddish sekhel) means experiential knowledge.
Had God not created us as He [sic] did, we would have no knowledge in the first place. Moreover, liturgically speaking, knowledge is an additional boon because it enables us to do distinctly human things like praying. Three times, therefore, the prayer calls God chonan, “gracious.”
(ב) רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ג) וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
(2) See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. (3) I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft;
(א) חכמה. מַה שֶּׁאָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ מֵאֲחֵרִים וְלָמֵד: (ב) תבונה. מֵבִין דָּבָר מִלִּבּוֹ מִתּוֹךְ דְּבָרִים שֶׁלָּמַד: (ג) דעת. רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ:
(1) חכמה WISDOM is what a person hears from others and learns. (2) תבונה UNDERSTANDING is understanding a matter by one’s own intelligence deducing it from the things one has already learned. (3) דעת means holy inspiration.