A Little Change Here, a Little Change There (3)

You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.  Amidah  (Ashkenazi version)

Teach understanding – da’at is gifted.  bina is taught.  What’s the difference?

First, the verb.  You’ll remember that the verb for da’at is nātan.  The first sequence is God— nātan—‘adam —da’at.  The second sequence is different.  lāmad—‘enosh—bina.  We’ve already suggested some reasons why this part uses ‘enosh rather than ‘adam.  But we also have to investigate why the verb changes from “give” to “teach.”  As TWOT notes, “lāmad has the idea of training as well as educating.”^[1]  God gives choice to Adam.  Now the man (men) must pass what they learn on to others.  Choice can only come from God, but training is an interactive process.  It requires a teacher, a pupil, and content.  This process in Hebrew is not the same as the idea of teaching in the Greco-Roman world. “While Greek uses two different words for ‘to learn’ (manthanō) and ‘to teach’ (didaskō), each having its own content, goal, and methods, Hebrew uses the same root for both words because all learning and teaching is ultimately to be found in the fear of the Lord.” ^[2]

The Amidah prayer tells us that the fundamental characteristic of being human, the ability to choose, is a gift from God.  That’s da’at.  But that gift entails responsibilities, and those responsibilities include teaching others what God has given and how it is to be used.  In Adam we discover the basic idea of being human.  We also discover that we are obligated to pass on this knowledge to men.  From ‘adam to ‘enosh, the process moves from nātan to lāmad.

וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֱנוֹשׁ בִּינָה

What gets taught?  bina.  And what is bina?  Ringgren notes that the original meaning was “to distinguish, to separate, to observe, to perceive.”  In Hebrew, the primary meaning is “to give heed to, to perceive.”[3]  Biblically, this is closely connected to the idea of hearing and seeing.  It is the application of information collected through the senses.  Of course, in the Hebrew Bible this information is ultimately the word of God since He alone can provide the truth.  Even if we use all our faculties to correctly perceive, without God’s perspective and insight, our apprehension will be insufficient.

Now we realize why da’at comes first.  First, we need God’s ontological constitution of choice because choice is the necessary requirement of bin.  I must decide between things.  I must select this rather than that.  I must distinguish what is true from what isn’t.  Everywhere bin operates, choice is implied.  But choice cannot be taught.  Choice is the paper on which the words are written.  I can decide which words to write, but the paper is the given, the framework of all the words.  I can be taught the correct words, but I cannot employ any of them without the paper to write on.  Choice was gifted to Adam but teaching how to employ it is the obligation it entails.  ‘enosh needs to be taught what bin means and how it is used within the framework provided by God.  Goldberg summarizes: “The verb refers to knowledge which is superior to the mere gathering of data. It is necessary to know how to use knowledge one possesses.”^[4]  Gathering the facts isn’t enough.  Men must be taught how to use this information in the service of God.  Otherwise, their data will do nothing more than serve the yetzer ha’ra.

Topical Index:  lāmad, ‘enosh, bina, teach, men, understanding, Amidah

^[1] Kaiser, W. C. (1999). 1116 לָמַד. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 480). Chicago: Moody Press.

^[2] Ibid.

[3] Helmer Ringgren, TDOT, Vol. 2, p. 100.

^[4] Goldberg, L. (1999). 239 בִּין. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 103). Chicago: Moody Press.