Sometimes I get hit by a flash of creative lightning. An idea for a book or a vacation, or a new way to broil chicken so my family members won’t notice it’s the third time in one week having chicken.

But then comes the real work. Mapping out the details. Planning. An idea without the expounded particulars remains another orphaned brainstorm.

When an idea is in a germinal, highly condensed form, it is called chochmah, conception. When the details have been developed, it is called binah, comprehension, for the mind has the ability to grasp the idea in full.

Chochmah is also referred to as av, “father,” for a father’s role in creating a child stops at conception. Binah, on the other hand, is referred to as “mother,” for it is a mother’s role to carry the fetus and develop it from a tiny embryo to a full-term baby.

Just as it is a feminine trait to develop a thought intellectually, the primary responsibility to nurture and cultivate a sense of morality and good character in a child is in the mother’s domain.

Thoughtstream: Today, I will focus on my responsibility to nurture the good in my family.


(Adapted from Sichot Kodesh 5722, p. 590.)