Shemoneh Esrei 19: Daas: The Pathway to the Middle Brachos
The Middle Brachos
We now begin the request portion of the Shemoneh Esrei. As mentioned in previous editions, all of these brachos are written in the plural. To elucidate the ideas expressed at the end of Shemoneh Esrei #18 (last week), there are two distinct aspects of having others in mind during our tefilos.
One aspect is a fulfillment of the mitzvah of “ואהבת לרעך כמוך–You shall love your fellow as yourself.” We not only make requests for ourselves and our families, but we ask for all of klal Yisrael, both communally and individually. We want the best of everything for every individual in klal Yisrael and for the klal as a whole. We may also make specific requests for certain individuals at the appropriate points in the Shemoneh Esrei. In addition, it certainly seems appropriate to daven for the leaders of klal Yisrael and for all who spread Torah and who advise and influence others.
The second aspect is that, even when we are asking specifically for ourselves, it is not a selfish personal request. Rather, we ask for our needs so that we can serve Hashem to our fullest capabilities. Everything we ask for, we want in order that we can develop our potential and grow in our avodas Hashem.
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אתה חונן לאדם דעת ומלמד לאנוש בינה. חננו מאתך דעה בינה והשכל-חכמה בינה ודעת
You graciously endow many with knowledge and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and discernment (knowledge).
Why is “daas” our very first request? The Mishnah B’rurah (siman 115) quotes from the sefer Seder HaYom that this request is placed first because it is the primary request that man needs to ask of Hashem. Many people have the desire to do Hashem’s will, but when presented with two alternatives, they may not understand which is consistent with Hashem’s will. We need daas in order to know what Hashem’s will is. Understanding Hashem’s will comes through learning His Torah. The Vilna Gaon (Mishlei 23:26) says: “Tachlis v’ikar eisek limud haTorah” – the purpose and primary [reason for] involvement [in] learning Torah – is to know the proper path to follow in serving Hashem. He quotes the pasuk: “ כי אם בזאת יתהלל המתהלל: השכל וידע אותי–Ki im b’zos yis’hallel ha’mis’hallel: haskeil v’yadoa osi (Only with this may one laud himself: discernment in knowing Me).” Haskeil means coming to understand the proper path to follow. “Knowing Hashem” means actually knowing the proper path to follow in doing Hashem’s will.
Let us examine the three different words used in this brachah. We will attempt to present both nusach Ashkenaz and nusach S’farad and show how they are in sync in meaning. The first word presented will be in nusach Ashkenaz and the second word will be in nusach S’farad. First we ask for dei’ah or chochmah. These both mean knowledge learned from another. They represent factual knowledge. Binah (the middle request for both nusach Ashkenaz and nusach S’farad) means deriving one thing from another. This is an expansion of the factual knowledge leading to a deeper understanding. Lastly, we ask for haskeil or daas. Haskeil, as we just mentioned above, is coming to understand Hashem’s will, the goal of learning Torah. Daas means this as well. Rav Shlomo Wolbe (Alei Shur) states that while there are many different approaches to how one should learn Torah, all approaches must integrate the approach of extracting yir’as Shamayim and learning the 'רצון ה from their learning. For example, that means that every amud of Gemara contains within it r’tzon Hashem and yir’as Shamayim to be extracted and integrated by one who learns Torah. This is what is meant by daas and how the Vilna Gaon understood 'ידיעת ה – knowing Hashem.
In Avos 3:11, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa states “Kol she’yir’as chet’o kodemes l’chochmaso, chochmaso miskayemes; v’chol she’chochmaso kodemes l’yir’as chet’o, ein chochmaso miskayemes (Anyone whose fear of sin takes priority over his wisdom, his wisdom will endure; but anyone whose wisdom takes priority over his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure).” We cannot properly fear and be aware of Hashem without the wisdom of Torah. At the same time, if we learn Torah and fail to acquire the יראה (yir’ah), we have not really acquired Torah.
With this understanding, we can better appreciate why Chazal placed the tefilah for daas at the beginning of the request portion of Shemoneh Esrei. We ask to understand Hashem’s will so that we can grow closer to Him through learning Torah and, as a result, grow in yir’as Hashem.