Binah (בינה) — Understanding

Core definition

Binah is the third sefirah, the faculty of comprehension and understanding "in length and breadth" — the expansion of an idea into full detail [31671/maamar_006 :: עמוד פג]. Where Chochmah is a single flash of insight, a "point," a spring and an ayin (nothingness) corresponding to the yud of the Havayah name, Binah is spreading: a river, a sea, corresponding to the hei of the Havayah name [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י]. Chochmah is revelation in the manner of nearness, called "seeing"; Binah is revelation in the manner of distance, called "hearing" [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י]. Binah is also called the upper, hidden world; "this" (זאת); the holy; and the source of the encompassing ones (makkifim) [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Binah is the level of yesh (somethingness) drawn out of Chochmah's ayin: "the switching — the level of the yesh of binah was in the level of ayin of chochmah," and at Matan Torah "they heard with hearing" because the fiftieth gate of Binah shone [31671/maamar_006 :: עמוד צא]. That fiftieth gate unites both levels, chochmah and binah together; Moshe merited it only at his passing [31671/maamar_006 :: עמוד צא]. Daas is the bridge that carries the flashing-bolt level of chochmah into comprehension and understanding in binah [31671/maamar_006 :: עמוד פג], and Binah's yesh must be constantly renewed from Chochmah's ayin, "Binah according to Chochmah" [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י].

Binah is called "the mother of children" (אם הבנים שמחה), the mother of the six middos of Ze'eir Anpin, since emotional attributes are "born" only out of detailed comprehension [31674/maamar_026 :: עמוד קעה]. Joy belongs in Binah: delight (oneg) is hidden and restful and shines in Chochmah, while joy (simchah) expands outward and belongs to Binah, the aspect of revelation — hence Yom Tov, the mochin of Imma, is called "mo'adim lesimcha" [31674/maamar_026 :: עמוד קעד].

In the cosmic order, the patriarchs (avos) are chochmah and binah, whose root is chesed, gevurah, tiferes of Arich Anpin [31654/maamar_011 :: עמוד שצט], and the angels' root is the external union of chochmah and binah — a spiritual union "of kisses," in contrast to souls, which come from an internal union [31654/maamar_011 :: עמוד שצח]. Remarkably, only Binah reveals delight: Binah's root is in the delight above Chochmah, and the revelation of delight is only in Binah [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י]. Atik is revealed in Binah — in the "nun's gate," i.e., the fiftieth gate — and Atik's internality rests in Binah's internality [57653/maamar_092 :: עמוד א׳י].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Chochmah (wisdom), Daas (knowledge), Ima (the mother partzuf), Atik Yomin, the fiftieth gate, iskafya/is'hapcha, the Havayah name's letters, Ze'eir Anpin's middos.

Sources