Binah
The God-name associated with Binah is
Elohim Chaim. Binah
is the first feminine Sephirah. It is the female that we encounter the concept
of nurturing. Binah is impregnated by the "thought" of Chokmah. This thought is
nurtured to produce something that is greater than the sum of its parts
(Chokmah + Binah). The number associated with Binah is 3. Here the point
of Kether, manifested in the line of Chokmah, becomes fixed in the triangle of
Binah. This Sephirah holds within itself the primal concept of form.
Without Binah the physical forms manifest in the created universe would not
exist. Binah gives the basis of forms that are actualised by the force of
Chokmah. Binah means "understanding". In the human mind understanding is
exhibited when wisdom (Chokmah) and knowledge are applied. It is Binah that
sets the structured framework for this application to take place. Often
Binah is seen in a negative light. It is considered to be restrictive. It is
true that Binah does restrict the expansiveness of Chokmah, but without this
constriction nothing in the material world would exist. Binah is
archetypal action compared to Chokmah's archetypal intent. As such Binah is the
Sephirah of repentance. The Hebrew for repentance is teshuvah, which
literally means "return". When we repent we ascend to the level of Binah and
undo our misguided actions. Sinning effects a change in our
consciousness and in the energy of reality. Repentance undoes these changes. It
heals ones consciousness and restores reality. In effect repentance remakes the
past and makes us healthier and stronger. Essentially teshuvah is
a return to wholeness. It realigns us to G-d's Will. It operates on all levels
- both personal and societal.
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