The middle brachos of the Shemoneh Esrei are the petitions that we ask Hashem for the full gamut of our needs. The first petition, for knowledge, starts in a peculiar way. It is the only bracha of the middle blessings which does not begin with a request. Rather, it starts with a statement, “Attah chonein l’adom daas – You, (Hashem), grace us with knowledge.” Why don’t we start this blessing with a petition like we do when we say slach lanu – forgive us, refa-einu – heal us, shema koleinu – listen to our voice,” etc.
The essential answer to this question is that to receive something from Hashem, we need to pray for it first. Therefore, thrice daily we pray for forgiveness, health, our livelihood, peace, and everything else. The exception is for the initial gift of knowledge. This, we can’t ask for as, before it is given to us, we don’t have the knowledge to ask for it. Therefore, the initial capacity of knowledge had to be given to us as a gift. Thus, we start the blessing, “Attah chonein l’adom daas,” for the word chonein shares the same root as chinam, for free. Initially, Hashem gave us the start-up of knowledge for free, without our asking. Once we receive it, immediately we follow-up with the further request of, “Chaneinu mei’itecha dei-ah, binah, v’haskeil – Grace us with knowledge, intuition and intellect.”
There is another reason why this blessing starts with a statement instead of a request. We know that on Shabbos we abstain from asking Hashem for personal requests. We reactivate our petitions once again after we say Havdalah. Since we insert the Havdalah prayer of Attah chonantonu in the middle of the blessing of Attah chonein, we can’t start this blessing with a petition for then we would say it on motzei Shabbos before the Havdalah. Therefore, respectfully, we start the blessing with praise until we say the Havdalah of Attah chonantonu, and once we say the Havdalah we can then say the first petition of V’chaneinu mei’itecha dei-ah, binah, v’haskeil.
The Chofetz Chaim, zt”l, zy”a, explains that we start our personal requests with the petition for daas, the ability to discern between good and bad. This is because success in life is achieved through the knowledge of how to be repulsed with that which is evil and to choose that which is good.
In this blessing, we ask Hashem to help us understand the Torah that we learn – which is the purpose of our existence. Rashi adds in the beginning of Mashechtas Avodah Zarah that we should have in mind to retain our learning while saying this blessing. Yaras Daas writes that one should also have in mind for the Torah success of their children, their descendants and their disciples.
This prayer is a very good place to ask Hashem to spare us from the horrors of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and senility. We ask further that Hashem should do for us the great kindness that as we age, we should not start forgetting things and that our eyes and ears should retain their full vitality so that we should be able to learn with our full vigor.
In this blessing we also ask Hashem for binah, which is the ability to infer from that which we learn and apply their lessons to the practical situations of life. And then we ask Hashem for haskeil. The Olas Tomid explains this to mean hatzlacha, success, through our knowledge. He bases this on the verse in Shmuel Alef [6]. “Vay’hi Dovid l’chol derachov maskil – And Dovid was successful in all his ways.”
In this blessing, I like to have in mind that Hashem should give me knowledge on how to always deal pleasantly and wisely with my spouse to ensure that the home should be a place of menucha, contentment, and that I should be always able to fulfill the Torah directive of v’simach es ishto, to gladden one’s wife. It is also an opportune time to ask Hashem for the knowledge to fulfill correctly honoring one’s parents and raising one’s children. The latter is especially challenging and multi-faceted in our modern times.
In the merit of these prayers, many Hashem bless us with long life, good health, much wisdom and everything wonderful.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin.
