Illustration credit: Chaim File
Prayer in the Parashah תְּפִלָּה
In the weekday Amidah, we ask God for דַּעַת (da’at, knowledge), and we call God חוֹנֵן הַדַּעַת (honein ha-da’at, the One Who graces us with knowledge).
But is this a request for any knowledge at all (like knowledge of history)? And why does it take grace to have that knowledge?
Here’s a pasuk from our parashah where the same words, חֵן (hein, grace) and דַּעַת (da’at, knowledge), come together. Moshe is speaking to God.
וְעַתָּה אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
הוֹדִעֵנִי נָא אֶת דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ
לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
וּרְאֵה כִּי עַמְּךָ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה׃
“And now, if I have found grace in Your eyes,
teach me Your ways, so that I may know You,
in order to find grace in Your eyes.
And see that Your nation is this people.”
Moshe is asking to know God’s ways and also to find grace in God’s eyes. Together, the request seems to be: I want to be closer to You, God.
- Could we be asking in the Amidah for the same thing Moshe is asking for in our parashah? Why is it important to know more about God and come closer to God?
- Try it! Next time you say honein ha-da’at in the Amidah, consider the kind of knowledge Moshe was asking for. Ask yourself: When and how do I feel close to God? How could I deepen that closeness?
- What knowledge would you like to have about God’s ways? What other types of knowledge are you hoping for?
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