Tanya: Chapter 3 - Part 2

These seven attributes are known as the “seven days of Creation,” for it was through these seven attributes that G‑d created the world. Each day’s creation came about through a particular attribute: during the first day chesed was dominant, the second day gevurah, and so on.

Love corresponds to chesed (“kindness”), as they are, respectively, the internal (i.e., emotional) and external (i.e., practical) aspects of the same trait; the dread and awe of G‑d correspond to gevurah, as they are its inner aspect; so, too, the glorification of Him corresponds to tiferet.

At this point, it would be worthwhile to explain briefly the function of the faculties chochmah, binah, and daat (abbreviated as ChaBaD), mentioned frequently in the coming chapters.

Chochmah is the first flash of intellect. It is the seminal and inner point of an idea. This seminal point of intellect already includes within it all the details and ramifications of the idea, but as yet, they are concentrated and obscured. (This is analogous to a dot, in which the dimensions of length and breadth are not evident—all that is seen is the dot—although for the dot to exist, it must certainly contain length and breadth.)

Chochmah is also called barak hamavrik—the intuitive flash of illumination which is the beginning of intellectual revelation. For instance, we may observe how a person striving to answer an intellectual question suddenly realizes in a flash of intuition that the question can be answered along a particular line of reasoning. At the moment of illumination, he is as yet unaware exactly how the particular question is answered: he knows only that he has found an adequate solution to the problem.

Thereafter, the faculty of binah (“understanding”) comes into play. Through cogitation, binah apprehends, crystallizes, and clarifies the details of the idea which was obscured in chochmah, until the whole edifice of the idea, in all its length and breadth, becomes manifest. For this reason, the function of binah is described as meivin davar mitoch davar—“to understand (or deduce) one matter out of another”—i.e., that which was previously concentrated in the obscure, intuitive flash of chochmah is now revealed and understood.

After the person fully understands the idea with all its details and ramifications, he must then immerse himself in it, binding and unifying himself with it to the extent that he not only understands it but also feels it. Only in this way can he be affected by the idea; if his understanding points to the desirability of a particular thing, it will give birth to a love for it; if his understanding indicates instead the harmfulness of a particular thing, he will react with a feeling of fear and flee from it, and similarly with other emotions. The faculty with which one thus immerses himself in an idea is called daat (“knowledge”), which is etymologically related to the expression, “And Adam knew (יָדַע) Eve,”3 a verb which denotes attachment and union. We now return to the text:

It is a faculty concerning which one can only pose the question “Mah?” (“What is it?”)—for at this stage, the idea in question is not yet clear or comprehensible logically, since its details are still in potentia, emerging only at a later stage.

That is: when he ponders all the details which make up the totality of the particular idea in its length and breadth. “Length” involves the range of an idea; when one draws down a concept from a lofty level to a lower one (by way of a parable, for example) in order to make it more readily understood, he is “lengthening” it, giving it a greater range of accessibility, so that it will be more readily intelligible to a student. For a student whose capacity is more limited, one parable may not suffice; it may be necessary to provide a second parable to explain the first, thereby “lengthening” the concept still further downward. (As Scripture writes concerning King Solomon: “He spoke three thousand parables.”5 So great was Solomon’s wisdom that to explain one of his thoughts, he had to give three thousand parables; one parable to explain the basic concept, a second parable to explain the first parable, and so forth, until ultimately giving three thousand parables—an extreme example of the “length” of an idea.)

The “breadth” of an idea means the multitude of details which the concept comprises, as well as all its ramifications. For example, the logic behind a halachic ruling in the laws of kashrut may also apply to laws governing financial disputes.

This is the meaning of the word לַאֲשׁוּרוֹ (“full well”)—understanding the intellectual concept completely, in both its length and breadth.

I.e., how G‑d animates all of creation with an immanent divine light and life-force (just as the soul fills and gives life to every part of the body)—a life-force which clothes itself in and unifies itself with each creature and which adapts itself to the individual needs of that creature.

He illuminates the worlds with a G‑dly light and life-force that is far beyond the capacity of the worlds to receive internally; rather, it affects them in an encompassing manner.

I.e., the fear will be coupled and permeated with humility, as in the awe one feels in the presence of a very wise or righteous person, which expresses one’s bashfulness and humility before him,

This explains how contemplating G‑d’s greatness arouses a fear and dread of Him—an expression of the attribute of gevurah.

So intense can one’s love become that the soul risks being consumed in the fiery flames of its love of G‑d and totally leaving the body. In fact, were one not to forestall this danger and contain this great love, he would indeed expire. But he restrains himself so that his soul will remain clothed in his body—the only condition in which it is possible for him to fulfill his G‑d-given mission.

Inasmuch as the heart is the seat of the emotions—of warmth—we say that it is the abode of the element of Fire. In contrast, the brain—being the seat of “cold” intellect, calm and measured intelligence—is the source of the element of Water. One can readily observe this by comparing the demeanor of an emotional person to that of an intellectual.

So, too, with the intellect and emotions of the divine soul: the heat and passion of one’s love of G‑d is expressed in the heart, ultimately leading him to expire in kalot hanefesh. The mind, however, remains cool. This capacity of the intellect for calm appraisal of a situation leads it to comprehend that G‑d’s intent is that the soul remain clothed in the body so that it will be able to fulfill the Torah and its commandments. This realization cools the fiery ardor of the heart and thus prevents the soul from actually expiring in kalot hanefesh.

The Alter Rebbe’s discussion of the birth of middot from the intellect has thus far been centered on two emotions: love and fear of G‑d. What of the others?

All the above explains why chochmah and binah are called the “father” and “mother” of the middot, for it is through the contemplation exercised by chochmah and binah that the middot are born. Chochmah is called the “father.” Just as the drop of semen which derives from the father’s brain comprises, in concentrated and concealed form, all the organs of the child’s body, similarly the seminal point of chochmah contains, in a concealed manner, all the details of an idea, as explained above. And just as it is the mother who reveals the child’s organs from their concealed state and brings them to a state of completion, similarly, binah reveals, expands, and elucidates the concept in all its details.

But what of daat, the third of the intellectual faculties? Daat, too, as explained earlier, is a “mother” and source of middot. What does it contribute to their birth? This issue is now addressed.

He will only imagine that he fears G‑d and loves Him. True fear and love are attained only by way of daat.