In the previous post, I explained how I think about Da’as in terms the Sephirah, that Da’as is seen only when dealing with reality on a level where one cannot “see” as high as Keser — the highest level of perception of the Divine. (As per the Gra’s description of when each Sephirah is invoked.) Thus, I think of the Da’as that we are asking Hashem to give us as being the knowledge and conclusions that shapes how we think going forward. (Whereas Keser is about the origin of a Divine Action as the beginning of that cycle.) And from there, we can apply Binah to get to Haskeil, the intelligence to be a better and more effective person going forward.

I left out two more ideas about Da’as. I toyed with leaving them out, because at some point we cross the line between giving our tefillah meaning and writing philosophy sourced in the siddur. (As per the aforementioned warning by my chavrusah-rebbe.) Over Yom Tov, I decided to add them after all.

1- The unity of knower and known that Daas implies explains why the same root is used in the genealogies in Bereishis for marital intimacy. (E.g. 4:1, “וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ…”) What they used to call in English “to know someone in the Biblical sense”, or “carnal knowledge”.

2- R Tanchum bar Chanilai says one’s learning should be divided into thirds between Miqra (Tanakh), Mishnah and Talmud. (AZ 19b, and anonymously at Qiddushin 30a.) cannot be referring to the Mishnah and Talmuds we know of today – as neither Talmuds were compiled yet when he was alive. (He was a third generation Israeli Amora, who is cited numerous times in the Yerushalmi.)

According to the Rambam (Talmud Torah 1:11), Mishnah is established halakhah and Talmud is learning how to derive new law. Implying that the gemara is called Talmud Bavli because its primary goal is to show you how to think in ways consistent with Torah. Da’as.

So, when we ask for Da’as we are asking that what we learn, both from texts and from life experience and observation, make us smarter people at living the lives Hashem lays out for us.

Only after we ask to know how to properly use the tools He gives us to live that life it is more appropriate to ask for them.