When we ask for daat, we are asking for the power to know what we want and really want it. Many people today simply do not know what they want in life. In fact, I once saw an article titled, “I Can Get Anything I Want If I Only Knew What I Wanted.” Our first request is to know what we want. The greatness of the Amidah is that it outlines for us what is really worth wanting, in the right order of priority, and gives us the words to effectively ask for it. When I was growing up, there was a popular song by the rock singer Janice Joplin, which went, “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz? My friends all have Porches; I must make amends.” The song satirized the fact that people have no idea what is worth wanting. Countless people lead impoverished lives because they want a Mercedes Benz when they could want understanding, wisdom and knowledge. A sad fact of the world today is that people still don’t know what they want or what is worth requesting from God. There is a Chassidic story of a Rebbe who had to get to a certain town in time for Shabbat. He hired a carriage and got on the way, but mid-trip a storm broke out. The Rebbe begged the horseman to try his best to drive on. So the horseman urged his horse through the storm and got the Rebbe to his destination on time. In parting, the Rebbe thanked the horseman profusely and blessed him with “a huge share in the next world.” Meanwhile, as a result of the ordeal, the horse died and the horseman was so devastated over his loss that he also died. God faithfully fulfilled the Rebbe’s blessing and gave the horseman a huge reward in the after life. However, the horseman had no interest in spiritual abundance. All he ever wanted in his life was a horse. Since there was no point in giving him what he didn’t want or appreciate, God gave him a horse. This horseman happily rode his horse forever after. That is all he wanted, so that is all he was receptive to. In this first request of the Amidah we ask, “Please, God, enlighten me to know what is worth wanting and then let me want it. Please, God, empower me to deeply realize my requests. Please, God, grace me with daat, the power to know, feel and make my requests real.”