The Bina Promise

It is interesting and important to notice the usage of the word, “Hanosein”  used in this Morning Blessing.

Why?

If I am saying this blessing every morning and describing something Hashem does for us, I need to know what is it He is doing, or what can I learn from  His ways.

 

“הַּנוֹתֵן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה”

 הַּנוֹתֵן- Who Gives

Q: What kind of “Giving” does this refer to?

• Is it conditional?
• Is it an offer?
• Is it free?
• Is it a right bestowed upon us?
• When does this “giving”,using this word, נוֹתֵן occur in Torah?

 

A Promise from Hashem Yisborach

Rabeinu Bachya, z”tzl brings light to this word and asserts that whenever this root word of נוֹתֵן is used to describe a giving of Hashem, it is considered a Promise, a Shevuah.

“We may therefore understand “I have given,” as “I have sworn”.

“ויש לפרש מה שאמר נתתי כאלו אמר נשבעתי, כי מתנת הש”י באמירה בלבד

הרי היא קיימת כשבועה” ^[1]

Some Implications

This concept of הַּנוֹתֵן לַשֶּֽׂכְוִי בִינָה לְהַבְחִין בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לָֽיְלָה is actually a promise Hashem has made in His giving this to us!

The primary association with this word is “Nosein Hatorah”.

When describing this giving, it is associated with extra love for Am Yisroel in the giving described as:

חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם

“Beloved are Israel, who were given a precious vessel (the Torah). Additional love was made known to them, that they were given a precious vessel by which the world was created.”

There is an association of deep love with this Promise-Gift.

When looking at the other applications found in the Torah, we find the most elevated essentials are promises of this kind to us.

1. Torah
2. Neshama^[2]
3. Shabbos^[3]
4. The Bris of the Mabul^[4]
5. Eretz Yisroel ,Achuza, and Nachala^[5][6]
6. Bread to those who are hungry^[7]
7. The Adama for those who honor their father and mother^[8]
8. The Power to “laasot chayil” ^[9]
9. Bris of Shalom (Pinchas)^[10]

 

So, to summarize, this gift of Binah is a Promise from Hashem that we can rely on.  It is part of the creation!  When we use our Bina we are activating His promise and fulfilling it therefore.

Bina – Activator of His Promises

The Bina Gift to distinguish between day and night,  seems to be that which activates our Neshamos, Shabbos, Eretz Yisroel… to fulfill the fundamental promises Hashem has made to us, to fulfill the purpose of creation!

Hashem’s Anvusanuso- in His Promises to Us

This concept to me, shows the humility of Kavyachol to us, by granting us human beings the capacity to access Him through these Divine gifts.  He does all this for us!  He makes a promise of treasures , only waiting on us to accept and use!

Yiras Hashem part of the promise- and so much more!

We also know that one can acquire the midah of Yiras Hashem  when one applies Bina as per the promise of Shlomo Hamelech in the second verse of Mishlei.

I therefore suggest that the promises of Shlomo Hamelech in understanding the “imrei Bina” are also part of the promise starting with yirah, and the remaining essentials he outlines in Mishlei that have no end^[11][12].

May we all be Zoche to appreciate His promises, and experience the Awe of Him in just understanding how much there is in one Bracha and there is so much more…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^[1] Rabeinu Bachya (Genesis, 9:13)

^[2] כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יְהוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ

(Yeshayahu, 42:5)

 

^[3] רְא֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהוָה֮ נָתַ֣ן לָכֶ֣ם הַשַּׁבָּת֒ עַל־כֵּ֠ן ה֣וּא נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶ֛ם בַּיֹּ֥ום הַשִּׁשִּׁ֖י לֶ֣חֶם יֹומָ֑יִם שְׁב֣וּ ׀ אִ֣ישׁ תַּחְתָּ֗יו אַל־יֵ֥צֵא אִ֛ישׁ מִמְּקֹמֹ֖ו בַּיֹּ֥ום הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי (Sh’mos, 16:29)

 

^[4] וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים זֹ֤את אֹֽות־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֣י נֹתֵ֗ן בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כׇּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֑ם לְדֹרֹ֖ת עֹולָֽם (Genesis, 9:12)

^[5] וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ (Devarim, 26:1)

^[6] כִּ֤י תָבֹ֨אוּ֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶ֖ם לַאֲחֻזָּ֑ה וְנָתַתִּי֙ נֶ֣גַע צָרַ֔עַת בְּבֵ֖ית אֶ֥רֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶֽם (Vayikra, 14:34)

^[7] עֹשֶׂ֤ה מִשְׁפָּ֨ט ׀ לָעֲשׁוּקִ֗ים נֹתֵ֣ן לֶ֭חֶם לָרְעֵבִ֑ים יְ֝הוָ֗ה מַתִּ֥יר אֲסוּרִֽים (Tehillim, 146:7

 

^[8] כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֨עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ (Exodus, 20:12)

^[9]

וְזָֽכַרְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כִּ֣י ה֗וּא הַנֹּתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חָ֑יִל לְמַ֨עַן הָקִ֧ים אֶת־בְּרִית֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה(Devarim, 8:18)

^[10] לָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן לֹ֛ו אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֹֽום (Devarim, 16:18)

 

^[11] לָדַ֣עַת חׇכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה (Mishlei 1:2)

^[12] לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵשָׁרִֽים (Mishlei 1:3)