A Little Change Here, a Little Change There (4)

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)

Knowledge, understand and intellect – Let’s be consistent.  That’s one of the fundamental requirements of good translation.  The same word needs to be rendered as the same word.  The use of synonyms often disguises the fact that the same word is found in the original.  Here’s what we discover about this translation of the Amidah blessing.

אַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דַּֽעַת וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֱנוֹשׁ בִּינָה: חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ דֵּעָה בִּינָה וְהַשְׂכֵּל: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה חוֹנֵן הַדָּֽעַת 

You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.[1]

As you can see from the colored words, the translation renders da’at as “perception” in two places but “knowledge” in a third place.  bina is consistently translated “understanding,” and “intellect” is the rendering of haśkal.  We’d like consistency with da’at, but that’s only the surface issue.  There’s an added wrinkle.  This is the Ashkenazi version of the Amidah.  The Sephardic version changes the order and uses different words.

In this version, the order is da’at – bina – haśkal.  In the Sephardic version the order is ḥokmâ – bina – da’at.  The word haśkal does not appear in the Sephardic version.  You might suggest that this is just a minor difference between two branches of Judaism, but this prayer goes all the way back to post-exilic times.  Were there two versions then, long before there was any difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions?  Not likely?  So, when did this change occur, who made the change, and why?

Before we try to answer those questions, let’s consider the difference between the Ashkenazi haśkal and the Sephardic ḥokmâ.  “In many instances śākal is synonymous with bîn (see ḥokmâ for discussion of synonyms), but there is a fine distinction.  While bîn indicates ‘distinguishing between,’ śākal relates to an intelligent knowledge of the reason. There is the process of thinking through a complex arrangement of thoughts resulting in a wise dealing and use of good practical common sense. Another result is the emphasis upon being successful.  śākal also involves one in what he considers, or pays attention to.”^[2]  In the Ashkenazi version, the sequence seems to be something like this: God gifts Adam with choice, the basis of all knowing.  Once that occurs, Adam and subsequently mankind, have the responsibility and obligation to teach men what the proper use of choice is, and how to bend the yetzer ha’ra to the service of the yetzer ha’tov.  As a result of this training, men are able to employ haśkal, not just the application of knowledge but also the savvy use of what they know.  They gain insight, a higher form of knowing.  And this completes the cycle because the biblical view is “the Hiphil infinitive haśkēl is . . . seen as God’s gift to Israel through his rulers and teachers (Jer 3:15).”^[3]  God initiates, we cooperate, God completes.

With this sequence in mind, the Ashkenazi version makes a lot of sense.  But what about the Sephardic version?  That sequence is ḥokmâ – bina – da’at.  How can this also be correct?

Ah, more questions.  Tomorrow.  Wait until tomorrow.

Topical Index:  Amidah, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, haśkal, ḥokmâ

[1] https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Amidah%2C_Knowledge?lang=bi

^[2] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K. (Eds.). (1999). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 877). Chicago: Moody Press.

^[3] Ibid.