Binah is usually translated as “understanding.” Binah is a type of cognition where limitation happened. Binah is analysis, breaking a creative idea (chochma) apart to get to the details while building a map. “Meyvin dovor mitoch dovor,” or “understanding one thing from something else,” is a characteristic of binah. Binah is also described in many places as “giluy hahellem,” or discovery.

Binah is related to the first or higher hei of G-d’s name, Havaye. This is because it breaks apart the yud of chochma to create a structure.

Binah, like every other concept in Chassidus, is an abstract process. Here are a few examples brought down in Chassidus:

1. when the Earth breaks down a seed (chochma) and allows it to sprout, the Earth is displaying the characteristic of binah.

2. when the Torah uses very succinct, very precise language and the Chachomim break it down into infinite halochos, they use binah.

3. binah leads to joy because it involves discovery and understanding reality (hashgocho protis).

4. a womb creating new life from “nothing.”

One of my own examples of the chochma-bina-da’as process is:

1. I want to build a building (chochma).

2. I nead to make a blueprint, a list of supplies, calculate expenses, find the location, determine the topography, etc., (binah).

3. Getting the project underway (da’as).

Binah is also referred to in kabbalah as Ima (mother) in that binah can develop an idea until one has emotional excitement and even action. The verse in tehillim, “A joyous mother of children,” alludes to the idea that the binah is the “mother” of emotions.