Our focus today is on Binah, often translated as "understanding." But did you know it's also called Tevunah? Why the different name? The Idra Zuta explains that Ima, the Divine Mother, is called Tevunah specifically when she nourishes her two children. Think of it like a mother with her children, radiating love and sustenance. Who are these children? They are described as Vav-Hei, the son and the daughter, which symbolize Zeir Anpin and Malchut. Zeir Anpin represents the masculine, active principle, and Malchut, the feminine, receptive principle.
But what’s so special about the name Tevunah itself? The text points out that the very letters of the word Tevunah hint at this relationship: it contains within it the ideas of ben (son), bat (daughter), and the letters Vav-Hei. All are intertwined to form one complete whole. It's a beautiful illustration of how language itself can be a vessel for mystical insight.
And here's where it gets even more interesting. The text references Rav Hamnuna Saba, who says that King Solomon's famous verse, "Behold, you are fair, my love" (Song of Songs 1:14), is actually about Ima, whom Aba, the Divine Father, calls "beloved." Solomon, wise beyond measure, was hinting at the deepest mysteries! Then, another verse, "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride" (Song of Songs 4:8), is associated with the lower female, Malchut, the bride.
Now, there's a slight debate here. Some say both verses refer to Malchut, but the Idra Zuta clarifies: the first Hei of the sacred name Yud Hei Vav Hei (יהוה) isn't called a bride but "beloved," like Aba and Ima. The last Hei, however, is called a bride, but only at certain times. Why is that?
Because there are times when the male principle, Zeir Anpin, doesn't unite with Malchut. It’s as if the connection is temporarily withdrawn. This is likened to the biblical verse, "Also you shall not approach to a woman in the impurity of her menstrual flow" (Leviticus 18:19). Think of it as a period of separation and renewal.
However, when Malchut is purified, and Zeir Anpin desires to unite with her, she becomes a bride, "coming verily like a bride." Meaning, Malchut is rebuilt, infused anew with ten Sfirot for every union. This is a constant process of renewal and becoming. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, the Sefirot are the 10 attributes/emanations in Kabbalah through which God reveals himself and continuously creates both the physical realm and the chain of higher metaphysical realms.
But the union of Aba and Ima? That's different. It's continuous and never-ending. It's the constant flow of divine energy and sustenance that underpins all of existence. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, the relationship between Aba and Ima is one of perpetual giving and receiving, a divine dance of creation.
So, what does all this mean for us? Perhaps it reminds us that relationships, both human and divine, are dynamic. There are times of closeness and times of distance, periods of giving and receiving. But the core connection, the potential for union and renewal, always remains. And perhaps, by understanding these ancient mystical concepts, we can find deeper meaning in our own lives and relationships.