בינה ,the second of the ten ספירות, can be translated as understanding or cognition. בינה deciphers what חכמה theorizes. The אור of חכמה is not fully grasped until it is developed within בינה.[1]
An example is given: a point of light in a palace. If there is no light, the palace is invisible. If there is light but no palace, there is nothing to see. Both are needed—thus, חכמה and בינה are referred to as "שני רעים דלא מתפרשין"—"two friends who never part."[2]
Following חכמה’s state of infinite potential, בינה introduces definition and separation.
It is considered one of the three "mothers" of the soul's powers and is referred to as Ima Ilaah (אמא עילאה), the "supernal mother."[3]
Human Intellect and בינה
In terms of human שכל, בינה is the faculty of deep understanding—breaking a concept into parts, analyzing it from every angle, and grasping it fully. This is likened to holding a tool firmly in one’s hand.
Role in the Intellect
While חכמה represents a seminal, concentrated point of insight—a potential not yet grasped—Binah is the faculty that brings this potential into actuality. It is the process of cogitating on the initial concept from חכמה to understand it profoundly, expanding it in length, width, and depth.[4] This dynamic interplay is captured in the teaching from Sefer Yetzirah: "Understand with Wisdom" (Havein B'Chochmah) and "Be wise in understanding" (Chacham B'Vinah), indicating that the expansive power of Binah reveals the potential within חכמה, and the focused power of חכמה exists within Binah.[5]
Mother of Emotions
Binah is the "mother" that gives birth to the emotional attributes (מידות). From the deep understanding and contemplation of G-d's greatness achieved through Binah, the emotions of love (ahavah) and awe (yirah) are born in the heart.[6] Specifically, an intense, fiery love, described as "fiery coals" (rishfei eish), originates from the supernal gevurot (גבורות, severities) which themselves stem from Binah Ilaah (supernal understanding).[7] The idea that the emotions are the "offspring" of the intellect is alluded to by the term Tevunah (תבונה, intelligence), which contains the letters for "son and daughter" (ben u'vat).[8]
Cosmic Correspondence
Divine Name: Binah corresponds to the first, upper Hey (ה) of the Divine Name Havaya. The form of this letter, with its dimensions of length and breadth, symbolizes the expansion of the concealed intellect of חכמה into a manifest and apprehensible state.[9]
Worlds: The world of Beriah (בריאה), the realm of the Divine Throne, is the abode of Binah. This is where the souls of the righteous, who serve G-d with intellectual fear and love, reside.[10]
Spiritual States: Binah is identified with Olam Haba (עולם הבא), the World to Come, and Gan Eden (גן עדן), the Garden of Eden. It represents the level where divine pleasure and the apprehension of G-d's light are revealed.[11] It is also associated with Ratzo (רצוא), the ecstatic "running" or passionate desire to cleave to G-d, a state of revelation (giluy) connected to the joy (simcha) of Yom Tov.[12]
The Heart: The heart is the seat of Binah, as expressed in the saying, "Binah is the heart, and with it, the heart understands" (Binah liba, u'vah ha'lev mevin).[13]
References
- ↑ Zohar, vol. I, p. 15b
- ↑ Likkutei Torah, Re'eh 18a
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapters 3, 39, 44
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 3; Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 15
- ↑ Sefer Yetzirah; "Understand with Wisdom" and "Be wise in Understanding"
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 3
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 50
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 16, note
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 5
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 39
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 5
- ↑ Teachings on Ratzo veShuv and the nature of Simcha in Yomim Tovim
- ↑ Lessons in Tanya, Chapter 44; Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 5