It’s a story of light, vessels, and intricate relationships, a dance of creation that's both complex and beautiful. Today, we're going to delve into a specific part of that story: the birth of Bina from Ḥokhma in the realm of Adam Kadmon, as explained in the introduction to the Sulam commentary.
Now, hold on. I know those are a lot of terms! Don't worry, we'll break it down. Think of Adam Kadmon as the primordial man, a vessel for divine light. Within Adam Kadmon, there are different partzufim, or "faces," each representing a different aspect or attribute of God. Two of these are Ḥokhma (wisdom) and Bina (understanding).
The Sulam commentary explains that just as the partzuf of Ḥokhma of Adam Kadmon emerged from the "mouth" (so to speak) of the head of the partzuf of Keter (the crown) of Adam Kadmon, the partzuf of Bina emerged from the mouth of the head of Ḥokhma in a very similar way. It’s a process of emanation, one aspect giving rise to the next.
So, how exactly does this happen? After the partzuf of Ḥokhma is complete, with both its "head" (the more refined aspects) and "body" (the more manifest aspects), something interesting happens. There's a "beating" between the surrounding light (Or Chozer) and the inner light (Or Yashar). Imagine it as a kind of cosmic refinement process.
This "beating" purifies the opacity of the partition (or masach), which is like a veil or filter that limits the light. It creates an equating of form of the lower partition with the partition of the Malkhut (kingdom) of the head of Ḥokhma. As in the previous example, the purified lower partition is thus incorporated in the fusion through collision of the partition of the head, the opacity it contains is renewed, except for the last level, which was lost.
From upon the remaining opacity, the ten sefirot (divine emanations) of the height of Bina emerge. This opacity is capable of creating a height of returning light able to enclothe as high as the height of Tiferet, the next in line in the series of partzufim.
Because this new partzuf, Bina, is shorter in height than Ḥokhma, it is considered separate. It's born as its own domain. However, it still enclothes the body of Ḥokhma, because its root originates from there. As seen in the previous example in the preceding section, this lower partzuf also enclothes the first three sefirot of the body, which is the place of Ḥesed (loving-kindness), Gevura (strength), and Tiferet (beauty).
In other words, Bina arises from Ḥokhma, but is distinct, and yet remains intimately connected. It's a little like children growing up and leaving home, while still being part of the family.
What does all this mean for us? Well, it highlights the interconnectedness of all things. The Kabbalah teaches that everything is part of a divine flow, a constant process of emanation and return. It reminds us that even as we grow and develop our own individual identities (like Bina separating from Ḥokhma), we are always connected to our source, to something larger than ourselves. Just like the relationship between Ḥokhma and Bina, our own lives are a constant dance of separation and connection, of individual expression and ultimate unity. It's a profound and beautiful idea, isn't it?