The Talmud (Berachos 33a) mentions that on Saturday night one should recite the blessing of אתה חוננתנו, the blessing mentioning the distinction between Shabbos and weekday, as part of the blessing of חונן הדעת, the fourth Brocha of Shemoneh Esray which focuses on the fact that God grants wisdom. The Diveri Chamudos (ברכות פרק ה' מ"ג) in his commentary on the Ros"h elaborates on this change in the Amidah. (For those who are not familiar with the Divrei Chamudos, it was authored by Rabbi YomTov Lippman Heller, author of Tosefos Yom Tov, and is certainly someone who is in the pantheon of great Talmudic scholars across the generations.) He begins by discussing whether or not the Talmud means to replace the standard fourth Brocha of the Amidah with a different formula for post-Shabbos, or if the intention was for this to be an addition to the existing Brocha, which is the common custom today.
Each of these formulae, the weekday as well as the post-Shabbos, are referring to the wisdom that God has granted to mankind, with the one for post-Shabbos focused on our ability to create distinctions. Divrei Chamudos quotes the Levush as explaining that the weekday formula is focused on God's granting us the wisdom to understand secular knowledge, and that it is applicable to both Jews and Gentiles who have the capacity to understand the Seven Wisdoms which are needed by all of mankind. The wording that we add each Saturday night is referring to Torah knowledge and the wisdom given to the Jewish people to understand the distinctions that the Torah creates between pure and impure, holy and secular. Therefore, the Levush maintains that after we discuss the secular category of knowledge we say וחננו מאתך דעה בינה והשכל, grant us from You knowledge, understanding and intellect and then after we discuss Torah knowledge we repeat the same six words asking God to grant us the type of knowledge to which we had just referred. Since these are two distinct areas of knowledge, secular and Torah, we do not include them in one statement asking for knowledge, understanding and intellect, but must clearly separate them.
The Divrei Chamudos finds this to be puzzling. If we do not want to include these two areas of knowledge together because they are distinct, why would we then use the same words to ask for each type of knowledge. Also, it is poor usage of language to use the same terminology repeatedly. If we used these words for one request, we should find other words for the next.
He therefore says that we discuss the need for secular knowledge, then for Torah knowledge and only then to we say וחננו מאתך דעה בינה והשכל, grant us from You knowledge, understanding and intellect, one request for both types of knowledge. Even though the Levush had said that it is inappropriate to put them together the Divrei Chamudos maintains:
Each of these formulae, the weekday as well as the post-Shabbos, are referring to the wisdom that God has granted to mankind, with the one for post-Shabbos focused on our ability to create distinctions. Divrei Chamudos quotes the Levush as explaining that the weekday formula is focused on God's granting us the wisdom to understand secular knowledge, and that it is applicable to both Jews and Gentiles who have the capacity to understand the Seven Wisdoms which are needed by all of mankind. The wording that we add each Saturday night is referring to Torah knowledge and the wisdom given to the Jewish people to understand the distinctions that the Torah creates between pure and impure, holy and secular. Therefore, the Levush maintains that after we discuss the secular category of knowledge we say וחננו מאתך דעה בינה והשכל, grant us from You knowledge, understanding and intellect and then after we discuss Torah knowledge we repeat the same six words asking God to grant us the type of knowledge to which we had just referred. Since these are two distinct areas of knowledge, secular and Torah, we do not include them in one statement asking for knowledge, understanding and intellect, but must clearly separate them.
He therefore says that we discuss the need for secular knowledge, then for Torah knowledge and only then to we say וחננו מאתך דעה בינה והשכל, grant us from You knowledge, understanding and intellect, one request for both types of knowledge. Even though the Levush had said that it is inappropriate to put them together the Divrei Chamudos maintains:
למה לא? והרי הם מחוברים מחומר ונושא א'. וכ"ש שלפי טבע היצירה זו שבהוויות העולם קודמת לזו שבחכמת התורה בזמן וגם דבר ידוע ומוחש שצריכה לה כי איך יעלה למדרגת חכמת התורה ולא ידע בין ימין ושמאל בשום מושכל ראשון ושני. ואם שחכמת התורה עולה על כולנה הלא השבע חכמות כולם כלולים בה ואם לבינה תקרא
Why not? They are both connected by the same material and subject. Even more so, the nature of Creation of the existence of the world precedes that of the wisdom of Torah chronologically. And it is also known and obvious that Torah study requires secular knowledge. How can one rise to the level of Torah Wisdom if does not know right from left in primary and secondary knowledge. Even though Torah knowledge is above all, the Seven Wisdoms are all incorporated within and we should give primacy to wisdom.
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