(א) ...אַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דַּֽעַת
וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֱנוֹשׁ בִּינָה:
במוצאי שבת ויו"ט:
אַתָּה חונַנְתָּנוּ לְמַדַּע תּורָתֶךָ,
וַתְּלַמְּדֵנוּ לַעֲשות חֻקֵּי רְצונֶךָ.
וַתַּבְדֵּל ה' אֱלהֵינוּ
בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחל.
בֵּין אור לְחשֶׁךְ.
בֵּין יִשרָאֵל לָעַמִּים.
בֵּין יום הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשה.
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ:
הָחֵל עָלֵינוּ הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים לִקְרָאתֵנוּ לְשָׁלום...
-חֲשוּכִים מִכָּל חֵטְא.
-וּמְנֻקִּים מִכָּל עָון.
-וּמְדֻבָּקִים בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ:
V1.
חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ דֵּעָה בִּינָה וְהַשְׂכֵּל:
V2.
חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ דֵּעָה בִּינָה וְהַשְׂכֵּל:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה חוֹנֵן הַדָּֽעַת:
(1) You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding.
You have favored us [with the ability] to know Your Torah and taught us to fulfill the statutes of Your will. You made a distinction, Adonoy, our God, between sacred and unhallowed, between light and darkness, between Israel and the peoples, between the seventh day and the six work days. Our Father, our King, commence for us the days that approach us, in peace, devoid of all sin, and cleansed of all iniquity, and devoted to the fear of You.
Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You.
Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.
אַתָּה חוֹנֵן ...
This beracha is a continuation of the previous one about Hashem's holiness. We bridge the two by saying to Hashem that despite being that Your holiness is infinite, way beyond even that of the highest angels, You nevertheless "lower" Yourself to endow man with the ability to attain Ruach HaKodesh (see below "daas"), an elevated consciousness through the holiness of spirit.
לְאָדָם
The term "Adam" contains the roshei teivos of "afar" (ash) "dam" (blood) "marah" (bile). This alludes to the fact that not only does Hashem lower himself to grant lower beings with holy wisdom, but He even endows this elevated wisdom to lowly conglomerates of ash, blood, and bile so that they too can become close to Him which is the greatest pleasure in existence.
דַּֽעַת
This term for knowledge refers to Ruach Hakodesh, as Rashi writes in Shemos:
דעת. רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ:
דעת means holy inspiration.
The Ramchal explains Ruach HaKodesh in Derech Hashem:
(א) ענין רוח הקודש: הנה חקק הבי״ת בטבעו של האדם שיהיה מתלמד מבין ומשכיל בהשקיפו על הנמצאים ובחינותיהם וממה שמתגלה לפניו יתבונן וידרוש את שאינו מתגלה עד שישיגהו ויעמוד עליו וזה הדרך ההשכלה הטבעית. אמנם עוד גזר שימצא לו השכלה מעולה מזו מאד והיא ההשכלה הנשפעת והיינו שיושפע לו שפע ממנו ית׳ ע״י איזה אמצעיים שהכין לזה ובהגיע השפע ההוא אל שכלו יוקבע בו ידיעת ענין מה בבירור בבלתי ספק ובבלתי טעות וידע הדבר בשלימות סבותיו ותולדותיו כל דבר במדריגתו וענין זה נקרא רה״ק:
(ב) מושגי רוח הקודש: והנה בדרך זה ישיג ענינים מה שבגדר ההשכלה הטבעית אך ביותר בירור וכמ״ש וישיג גם כן ענינים מה שאין בגדר ההשכלה הטבעית שתשיגם ומכלל זה העתידות והנסתרות:
---
(1) Regarding holy spirit (divine inspiration): Behold that the Creator, may He be blessed, implanted into man's nature that he can learn, understand and be enlightened by observing [various] entities and their characteristics. And from what is revealed in front of him, he can contemplate and deduce that which is not revealed - until he grasps it and masters it. And this is the natural way of comprehension. However He also decreed that there be another type of comprehension that is much superior to this. And that is the comprehension that is [divinely] inspired: That is that an influence from Him, may He blessed, comes to one through certain means that He set up for this. And when this influence reaches his intellect, clear knowledge of a certain thing is implanted in it. So he will know the thing completely, [along] with its causes and its outcomes - everything according to its level. And this matter is called holy spirit.
(2) Things grasped by holy spirit: And note that in this way, one may grasp matters that are within the category of natural comprehension - just with greater clarity, as we have written. But he can also grasp matters that are not in the category of what can be grasped by natural comprehension. Included in those things are future events and hidden matters.
---
From a comment of the Raavad's we can glean that Ruach HaKodesh also is a component in understanding an understanding of revealed Torah as well. Raavad writes:
(א) הדס שנקטם וכו'. כתב הראב''ד ז''ל כבר הופיע רוח הקודש בבית מדרשנו מכמה שנים והעלינו שהוא פסול כסתם מתני'...
---
וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֱנוֹשׁ בִּינָה
In contrast to the previous clause, in this clause we are discussing those who are on a level beneath the "Adam" who are eligible for a lower level of wisdom.
וּמְלַמֵּד
Whereas Daas is imparted to a person by Hashem without the direct efforts of the recipient, Bina is acquired through mans efforts of attaining that wisdom. Therefore, the term used for bina is "melamed" "to teach", and just as a when a student is taught something they need to put forth effort to understand it, so too binah is only acquired by trying to understand it.
לֶאֱנוֹשׁ
Although we explained that the name Adam has a connotation of a lowly conglamorate of terrestrial elements, it connotes a higher form of a level of personage a person can attain, whereas Enosh is a lower level of human attainment.
The idea that bina can be attained by a person with less advanced spiritual levels is clearly in the passuk:
(כד) וְיָדְע֥וּ תֹֽעֵי־ר֖וּחַ בִּינָ֑ה וְרוֹגְנִ֖ים יִלְמְדוּ־לֶֽקַח׃ {ס}
(24) And the confused shall acquire insight
And grumblers accept instruction.
בִּינָה
The nature of Binah is described in Rashi in Parshas Shemos (see above "Daas") as being the ability to apply knowledge in one area to another area.
תבונה. מֵבִין דָּבָר מִלִּבּוֹ מִתּוֹךְ דְּבָרִים שֶׁלָּמַד:
תבונה UNDERSTANDING is understanding a matter by one’s own intelligence deducing it from the things one has already learned.
Since Daas is a Heavenly gift, it isn't actively acquired by a person, rather it is bestowed upon him when Hashem sees that he has become worthy for it.
Bina, on the other hand, is an intellectual achievement which requires a person to be actively in pursuit of it in order to attain it.
Two pesukim in Mishlei highlight this fundamental difference between these two types of wisdom in respect to how they are acquired.
About Bina it is written:
(ז) רֵאשִׁ֣ית חׇ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חׇכְמָ֑ה וּבְכׇל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃
(7) The beginning of wisdom is—acquire wisdom;
With all your acquisitions, acquire discernment.
About Daas it is written:
(י) קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝דַ֗עַת מֵחָר֥וּץ נִבְחָֽר׃
(10) Take my discipline rather than silver, Knowledge rather than choice gold.
Although the passuk by Bina says "kinyan" as opposed to the passuk about "Daas" which uses the term "kechu", I find it difficult because the Gemara in Kiddushin seems to imply that the term "kicha" also implies "kinyan":
גָּמַר קִיחָה קִיחָה מִשְּׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן כְּתִיב הָכָא כִּי יִקַּח אִישׁ אִשָּׁה וּכְתִיב הָתָם נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי וְקִיחָה אִיקְּרִי קִנְיָן דִּכְתִיב הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם.
---
It is derived by means of a verbal analogy between the term expressing taking stated with regard to betrothal and from the term expressing taking with regard to the field of Ephron. How so? It is written here, with regard to marriage: “When a man takes a woman” (Deuteronomy 24:1), and it is written there, concerning Abraham’s purchase of the field of the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite: “I will give money for the field; take it from me” (Genesis 23:13). This verbal analogy teaches that just as Ephron’s field was acquired with money, so too, a woman can be acquired with money. The Gemara continues: And the taking of Ephron’s field is called an acquisition in the Torah, as it is written with regard to the same issue: “The field which Abraham acquired” (Genesis 25:10).
---
Introduction:
Etz Yosef now brings another two explanations between Daas and Bina from the Meforshim on Avos. These two latter explanations play a big role into how to understand the sequence of the latter half of the beracha in distinction to how Etz Yosef himself understands it.
Rav Menachem L'Beis Meir ("the Meiri") (brought in Medrash Shmuel on Avos 3:17) says the difference is as follows:
Daas refers to the knowledge that is ingrained in a person from when he is born, and therefore the term "chonein" is used because the person doesn't do anything on their part to attain it.
Bina refers to knowledge which a person learns and acquires through effort, and therefore the term "melamed" is used because it connotes learning from a teacher, which, as we mentioned in the first explanation, requires effort from the student as well.
(יג) וה"ר מנחם לבית מאיר ז"ל פי' אם אין דעת אין בינה הדעת נאמר על הדעת המוטבע בו וההבנה שנתן לו בעת יצירתו ולכן ייחסו בה אנשי כנסת הגדולה ל' חנינה באמרם אתה חונן לאדם דעת לרמוז שהדעת אינו מהשתדלות האדם אלא מחנינתו יתב' בעת היצירה. והבינה היא הבאה לאדם מצד השתדלותו בלמוד ובחקירה וכאז"ל ומלמד לאנוש בינה כי זה בא דרך לימוד ואע"פ שכללו כולם בסוף דבריהם במלת חנינה באמרם וחננו מאתך דעה בינה וכו' אמרו זה דרך כלל להיות לנו עזר אלהי בכולם
Midrash Shmuel himself offers a different explanation of the difference between Daas and Bina.
Daas refers to proficiency in the Oral Torah. For this reason, the beracha uses the term "chonein", "to graciously grant" because the Gemara says in Megilla that one needs Divine Assistance to help him retain Torah She'Baal Peh.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אִם יֹאמַר לְךָ אָדָם: יָגַעְתִּי וְלֹא מָצָאתִי — אַל תַּאֲמֵן. לֹא יָגַעְתִּי וּמָצָאתִי — אַל תַּאֲמֵן. יָגַעְתִּי וּמָצָאתִי — תַּאֲמֵן. הָנֵי מִילֵּי בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, אֲבָל בְּמַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן — סִיַּיעְתָּא הוּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא. וּלְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה לָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא לְחַדּוֹדֵי, אֲבָל לְאוֹקֹמֵי גִּירְסָא — סִיַּיעְתָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא הִיא.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said in the style of a previous passage: If a person says to you: I have labored and not found success, do not believe him. Similarly, if he says to you: I have not labored but nevertheless I have found success, do not believe him. If, however, he says to you: I have labored and I have found success, believe him. The Gemara comments: This applies only to matters of Torah, as success with respect to Torah study is in accordance with the toil and effort invested. But with regard to success in business, it all depends upon assistance from Heaven, as there is no correlation between success and effort. And even with regard to matters of Torah, we said this only with regard to sharpening one’s understanding of Torah, as the more one labors, the deeper the understanding of the material he achieves. However, to preserve what one has learned, it is dependent upon assistance from Heaven. Not everyone achieves this, even with much effort.
The Midrash Shmuel seems to glean from this Gemara that only Torah She'Baal Peh needs a particular Divine Assistance to retain it. Why does this not equally apply to the "discipline" of retaining Torah She'Biksav?
Also, see Maharam Mintz (85) who says that we say "Chazak Chazak V'Nischazek" at the end of the end of a Sefer in Chumash the same way we say Hadran at the end of a perek or a masechta of Gemara remind ourselves to review it so we don't forget it - which implies that we also need Siyata Dishmaya to remember Torah Shbiksav too?
Bina, on the other hand, refers to understanding one thing from another and to grasp an idea in a deeper sense.
(ט) ואפשר עוד לפרש בשנאמר כי דעת יקרא הבקיאות והגרסא בתורה שבע"פ וע"ז תקנו ואמרו אתה חונן לאדם דעת והיא חנינה מאתו ית' כי אוקומי גרסא סייעתא דמן שמיא, ובינה תקרא בשני פנים. א' להבין דבר מתוך דבר. ב' להבין הדבר עצמו שגורס לידע פירוש והבנת הענין ואמר התנא אם אין דעת אין בינה כלומר אם אין לאדם ידיעה ובקיאות גדול בכל התורה אין בינה כלומר לא יוכל להבין דבר מתוך דבר וכמו שאז"ל ליגמר איניש והדר ליסבר והטעם כי דברי תורה עניים במקום אחד ועשירים במקום אחר ואמר אם אין בינה אין דעת כלומר שאם אינו יודע להבין דבר מתוך דבר אותו הבקיאות שידע כמאן דליתא דמי שאין מועיל לחדש חדושים בתורה. וגם אפשר דאיירי במין הבינה השנית שאמרנו שהיא להבין הבנת הדברים ולזה כוון במ"ש אם אין בינה אין דעת כלומר אם אין בינה ואינו מבין האדם פי' אותו הדעת והבקיאות ששונה ואין בו זולתי קול דברים לבד מה יועיל לו אותה הבקיאות וז"ש אין דעת והו"ל כמאן דליתיה:
As we mentioned in the introduction, these two explanations read into the ending of the in different tonalities.
According to Medrash Shmuel and Meiri, we are asking Hashem for the types of wisdom in ascending order; please Hashem give us baseline knowledge of the Torah (Daas), understanding of how to apply them and understand other areas of Torah (Bina) and finally the ability to put all of that information into practice (Sechel).
חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ:
3. דֵּעָה
2. בִּינָה
1. וְהַשְׂכֵּל
But according to the Etz Yosef who learns that Daas is of the most highest level of knowledge, the final supplication is going in descending order; Hashem, even if we aren't worthy of Daas, please grant us with Bina and Sechel.
חָנֵּֽנוּ מֵאִתְּ֒ךָ:
1. דֵּעָה
2. בִּינָה
3. וְהַשְׂכֵּל
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה חוֹנֵן הַדָּֽעַת:
The ending praise of this blessing is "Blessed are You Hashem the Granter of Wisdom."
When saying these concluding words, one should give a short thought to some examples in history when Hashem granted tremendous wisdom to a person.
By recalling these times, one strengthens his belief that Hashem is the "correct address" from Whom to ask for wisdom. And, just as He bestowed wisdom upon those people, may He also bestow wisdom upon us.
Although there were many occasions when people were given breakthrough pieces of knowledge that revolutionized the world, three times in Jewish history stand out most prominently.
1. When the angel Gavriel taught Yosef the 70 languages in preparation to meeting Pharaoh.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ פַּרְעֹה לְיוֹסֵף ״וּבִלְעָדֶיךָ לֹא יָרִים אִישׁ אֶת יָדוֹ וְגוֹ׳״, אָמְרוּ אִיצְטַגְנִינֵי פַרְעֹה: עֶבֶד שֶׁלְּקָחוֹ רַבּוֹ בְּעֶשְׂרִים כֶּסֶף תַּמְשִׁילֵהוּ עָלֵינוּ? אָמַר לָהֶן: גִּנּוּנֵי מַלְכוּת אֲנִי רוֹאֶה בּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אִם כֵּן, יְהֵא יוֹדֵעַ בְּשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן! בָּא גַּבְרִיאֵל וְלִימְּדוֹ שִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. לָא הֲוָה קָגָמַר. הוֹסִיף לוֹ אוֹת אַחַת מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְלָמַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עֵדוּת בִּיהוֹסֵף שָׂמוֹ בְּצֵאתוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם שְׂפַת לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶשְׁמָע״.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: When Pharaoh said to Joseph: “And without you no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:44), Pharaoh’s astrologers said: You will appoint a slave whose master bought him for twenty silver coins to rule over us? He said to them: I perceive royal characteristics [ginnunei malkhut] in him and see that he was not initially a slave. They said to him: If that is so and he is a child of royalty, he should know the seventy languages that all kings’ children learn. The angel Gabriel then came and taught him the seventy languages, but he could not learn all of them. Gabriel then added one letter, the letter heh, to Joseph’s name from the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and then he was able to learn the languages, as it is stated: “He appointed it in Joseph [Yehosef] for a testimony, when he went forth against the land of Egypt, the speech of one that I did not know I heard” (Psalms 81:6).
2. When Hashem gave the Shem HaMeforash to Moshe Rabbeinu, the angels exclaimed this ending blessing, "Blessed are You Hashem the Granter of Wisdom!"
3. When Hashem fulfilled Shlomo HaMelech's request and endowed him with an enormous amount of knowledge.
(ט) וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חׇכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃ (י) וַתֵּ֙רֶב֙ חׇכְמַ֣ת שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֵחׇכְמַ֖ת כׇּל־בְּנֵי־קֶ֑דֶם וּמִכֹּ֖ל חׇכְמַ֥ת מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (יא) וַיֶּחְכַּם֮ מִכׇּל־הָאָדָם֒ מֵאֵיתָ֣ן הָאֶזְרָחִ֗י וְהֵימָ֧ן וְכַלְכֹּ֛ל וְדַרְדַּ֖ע בְּנֵ֣י מָח֑וֹל וַיְהִֽי־שְׁמ֥וֹ בְכׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃ (יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֕ר שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים מָשָׁ֑ל וַיְהִ֥י שִׁיר֖וֹ חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה וָאָֽלֶף׃ (יג) וַיְדַבֵּר֮ עַל־הָעֵצִים֒ מִן־הָאֶ֙רֶז֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן וְעַד֙ הָאֵז֔וֹב אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֹצֵ֖א בַּקִּ֑יר וַיְדַבֵּר֙ עַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה וְעַל־הָע֔וֹף וְעַל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַל־הַדָּגִֽים׃ (יד) וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִכׇּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים לִשְׁמֹ֕עַ אֵ֖ת חׇכְמַ֣ת שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה מֵאֵת֙ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָֽׁמְע֖וּ אֶת־חׇכְמָתֽוֹ׃ {ס}
(9) God endowed Solomon with wisdom and discernment in great measure, with understanding as vast as the sands on the seashore. (10) Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wis
dom of the Egyptians. (11) He was the wisest of all men: [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations. (12) He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five. (13) He discoursed about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; and he discoursed about beasts, birds, creeping things, and fishes. (14) Men of all peoples came to hear Solomon’s wisdom, [sent] by all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
(ג) וַיַּגֶּד־לָ֥הּ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה אֶת־כׇּל־דְּבָרֶ֑יהָ לֹֽא־הָיָ֤ה דָּבָר֙ נֶעְלָ֣ם מִן־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א הִגִּ֖יד לָֽהּ׃ (ד) וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ מַֽלְכַּת־שְׁבָ֔א אֵ֖ת כׇּל־חׇכְמַ֣ת שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָֽה׃ (ה) וּמַאֲכַ֣ל שֻׁלְחָנ֡וֹ וּמוֹשַׁ֣ב עֲבָדָיו֩ וּמַעֲמַ֨ד מְשָׁרְתָ֜ו וּמַלְבֻּֽשֵׁיהֶם֙ וּמַשְׁקָ֔יו וְעֹ֣לָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲלֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה בָ֛הּ ע֖וֹד רֽוּחַ׃ (ו) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֱמֶת֙ הָיָ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בְּאַרְצִ֑י עַל־דְּבָרֶ֖יךָ וְעַל־חׇכְמָתֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְלֹא־הֶאֱמַ֣נְתִּי לַדְּבָרִ֗ים עַ֤ד אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֙אתִי֙ וַתִּרְאֶ֣ינָה עֵינַ֔י וְהִנֵּ֥ה לֹֽא־הֻגַּד־לִ֖י הַחֵ֑צִי הוֹסַ֤פְתָּ חׇכְמָה֙ וָט֔וֹב אֶל־הַשְּׁמוּעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמָֽעְתִּי׃
(3) Solomon had answers for all her questions; there was nothing that the king did not know, [nothing] to which he could not give her an answer. (4) When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, and the palace he had built, (5) the fare of his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, and his wine service, and the burnt offerings that he offered at-b the House of the LORD, she was left breathless. (6) She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own land about you and your wisdom was true. (7) But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even the half had been told me; your wisdom and wealth surpass the reports that I heard.
אַתָּה חונַנְתָּנוּ לְמַדַּע תּורָתֶךָ
You, Hashem, have endowed us with the intelligence to learn Your Torah.
וַתְּלַמְּדֵנוּ לַעֲשות חֻקֵּי רְצונֶךָ
And although we rely on our logical minds in the pursuit of understanding the Torah, we gladly repress our logical mode of thought when we are commanded in chukim, statutes, whose reasons are beyond our capacity to understand (or are contradictory in nature).
The message we send to Hashem by keeping His statutes, accentuates the fact that our subservience to Him isn't a conditional relationship, where our observance only goes as far as we understand its purpose and find it intellectually satisfying.
Rather, our subservience is greater and more deeply rooted fitting into the capacity of an indentured servant of Hashem.
And just as an ordinary indentured servant must fulfill his master's request under all circumstances, whether he understands its purpose or not, so too we are beholden to Hashem's word, whether we understand its purpose or not, because He is our Master and we are His servants.
בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחל.
This phrase alludes to the passuk in Vayikra which commands the Kohanim not to serve in the Mishkan while they are intoxicated in order to keep a safe boundary between holy (clear minded) service and profaned (intoxicated) service. The passuk reads:
בֵּין אור לְחשֶׁךְ.
This phrase parallels the passuk in Bereishis discussing the first day of Creation when Hashem separated light from darkness, as the passuk says:
בֵּין יִשרָאֵל לָעַמִּים.
The separation between the Jewish people and the other nations being focused on here is specifically in respect to the dietary differences which separate them.
In Parshas Shemini the Torah gives a lengthy enumeration of animals which are deemed impure and are thus forbidden for Klal Yisrael to eat.
At the end of the Parsha, the Torah says the reason Klal Yisrael was put onto this restrictive diet disallowing them to eat impure animals is due to their unique holiness over the other nations:
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ
We refer to Hashem by these two titles which parallel the attributes He shows towards us which were mentioned in the beginning of this extra beracha of Ata Chonantanu.
We call Hashem our Father in His capacity of teaching us Torah.
And we call Hashem our King in His capacity of ordering us to follow His statutes.
(See later in Hashiveinu where this concept is developed in more detail)
-חֲשוּכִים מִכָּל חֵטְא.
In the upcoming days of this week, please, Hashem, let us not encounter a situation where we will commit a sin inadvertently.
One may ask, if the aveira is done inadvertently and didn't willfully flout Hashem's command, why are we so concerned so far as to Daven that we don't accidentally transgress one of His laws? The answer can be found in a comment the Ramban makes about bringing a Korban Chatas, which one brings after transgressing (a kares injunction) unintentionally. He writes:
(א) נפש כי תחטא בשגגה בעבור היות המחשבה בנפש והיא השוגגת הזכיר כאן נפש וטעם הקרבנות על הנפש השוגגת מפני שכל העונות יולידו גנאי בנפש והם מום בה ולא תזכה להקביל פני יוצרה רק בהיותה טהורה מכל חטא...
---
(1) IF A SOUL SHALL SIN IN ERROR. Since the process of thinking is centered in the soul, and it is the soul which commits the error, Scripture mentions here nefesh (soul). The reason for the offerings for the erring soul is that all sins [even if committed unwittingly] produce a particular “stain” upon the soul and constitute a blemish thereon, and the soul is only worthy to be received by the countenance of its Creator when it is pure of all sin...
---
-וּמְנֻקִּים מִכָּל עָון.
Whereas in the last supplication we asked Hashem to help us steer clear of inadvertent sins, here we ask Hashem to let this week begin with a "clean slate" in regards to the willful sins we committed in the past.
The concept of this tefilla is based on a Mishna in Avos which says:
(ב) בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי רָץ לְמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, וּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה. שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וַעֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה...
(2) Ben Azzai said: Be quick in performing a minor commandment as in the case of a major one, and flee from transgression; For one commandment leads to another commandment, and transgression leads to another transgression...
Different reasons are offered as to why one transgressing sin leads into the progression of another sin, but all agree that the momentum of one sin causes one to do another sin.
Therefore, we ask Hashem that if we sinned last week, please halt the negative spiritual momentum which will drag us down in the coming week, and instead grant us a clean slate where we can perform mitzvos unfettered by the vibrations of previously committed aveiros which pull us in the opposite direction.