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There are two nusachos with the fourth brocha in Shemoneh Esreh of which I am aware. One, extant today in nusach Ashkenaz, certain nusach Sefard, and Teman Baladi, and present in very old siddurim, ends "deah, binah, v'haskel". Why are these three words linked conceptually?

Strictly by way of comparison, other nusachos have "chochmah, binah, vadaas", which have a clear source in that they are three linked sefiros.

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    The former method is AFAIK a Nusach Sefard change.
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 2:17
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    Rambam's siddur and R Amram Gaon has the regular Nusach Ashkenaz version. Machzor Vitri seems to have two versions: one like Nusach Ashkenaz and one that adds Chochmah. I suspect the latter is a typo because a similar mistake appears in some printings of the Rambam.
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 2:26
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    Yoel, do you want the origin (like the first Siddur to use it), or the textual/conceptual basis (like a Pasuk or reformulation of a series of Pesukim)?
    – Seth J
    Jan 3, 2013 at 3:13
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    @yoel Do you have any evidence that Chochmah Binah vaDaat is not a "later" Kabbalistic/Arizal adjustment to the Siddur? If you don't, then I'm not sure I follow how the comparison in the question strengthens your question. Deah Binah veHaskel is original and you can ask why the Anshei Keneset Hagedola chose it just as easily as you can ask why they chose lots of other words in Tefillah (which is fine as a question).
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 5:58

1 Answer 1

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Avudraham explains that Deah and Haskel are based on the Posuk in Jeremiah 3:15. The earliest source I can find is Tana Davai Eliyahu.

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  • Ok...and it exists hundreds of years earlier in the Rambam, Seder Amram Gaon and Machzor Vitri as we already established above.
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 16:25
  • Also, the question did not seek "the origin (like the first Siddur to use it)," but rather it sought "the textual/conceptual basis (like a Pasuk or reformulation of a series of Pesukim)". So not sure how this answer the question.
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 16:28
  • @GershonGold (and Double AA) does my edit improve the question, and make it easier to provide an answer?
    – yoel
    Jan 3, 2013 at 16:45
  • @yoel IMHO yes!
    – Double AA
    Jan 3, 2013 at 16:55
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    So what about binah? Seems weird to stick it in between them if that's the source. I think it's also telling that binah is the one shared between nusachos.
    – yoel
    Jan 3, 2013 at 21:10

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