חכמה | Sefaria

חכמה

These two passages below use the word חכמה somewhat differently. Explain how you see the word functioning in each passage.

שמות ל״ה:ל׳-ל״א

(ל) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רְא֛וּ קָרָ֥א יְהוָ֖ה בְּשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃ (לא) וַיְמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃

Exodus 35:30-31

(30) And Moses said to the Israelites: See, the LORD has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. (31) He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft

מלכים א ג׳:י״א-י״ב

(יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֵלָ֗יו יַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁאַ֜לְתָּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־שָׁאַ֨לְתָּ לְּךָ֜ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְלֹֽא־שָׁאַ֤לְתָּ לְּךָ֙ עֹ֔שֶׁר וְלֹ֥א שָׁאַ֖לְתָּ נֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁאַ֧לְתָּ לְּךָ֛ הָבִ֖ין לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (יב) הִנֵּ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתִי כִּדְבָרֶ֑יךָ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ נָתַ֣תִּי לְךָ֗ לֵ֚ב חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמ֙וֹךָ֙ לֹא־הָיָ֣ה לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לֹא־יָק֥וּם כָּמֽוֹךָ׃

I Kings 3:11-12

(11) And God said to him, “Because you asked for this—you did not ask for long life, you did not ask for riches, you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for discernment in dispensing justice— (12) I now do as you have spoken. I grant you a wise and discerning mind; there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you arise again.

משנה אבות ד׳:א׳

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי." (תהלים קיט)

Pirkei Avot 4:1

Ben Zoma says Who is wise? One who learns from all people, as it is written: "From all of my teachers I grew wise." (Psalms 119:99)

Question:

1. How is learning from everyone you encounter a sign of wisdom?

2. How do you discern whose wisdom/advice to listen to and whose to ignore?

"The primary meaning of חכמה is skill, the ability to excel in a particular activity...The intellectual element in Hebrew Wisdom usually is secondary to the religious and ethical element." - Anchor Bible, Proverbs p. 23

What does the Anchor Bible mean by saying that "the intellectual" is less important than the "religion and ethical" dimensions of חכמה?

Watch the video below, until 1:07. [Please excuse the gendered language for God and for "man"]

Questions:

1. How does the kabbalistic/mystical use of the term חכמה align with the earlier uses we have been exploring? How does it differ?

2. Why do you think that Jewish mystics understand חכמה to be one of the basic human attributes/one of the attributes of God?

Now that you have learned a little bit about the meaning of חכמה in Jewish texts over time, it is time to actively engage in the concept yourself. Please create a artistic expression of the term חכמה, and the use(s) that most resonate with you. In other words: what does חכמה mean to you?