Healing Well of Miriam

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Binah, which means understanding, is known as the left brain, as opposed to the right brain sefirah, Chochmah (wisdom).  The Divine Name associated with Binah appears in scripture as YHVH, but it is vowelized to be pronounced Elohim.  In a similar manner to Yesod, Binah is the receptacle of the energy from above—Chochmah (wisdom) and Keter (crown)—and then releases that energy to the seven sefirot below.  Binah is the understanding of one thing from another.  Therefore, this is the attribute from which true understanding of Torah comes, and this is the attribute essential for repentance, which comes from Binah as a gift.   One of the attributes of gevurot, located on the left side, judgement comes down from Binah, but with mercy.  Binah is considered the “upper mother,” as opposed to Malchut, which is the “lower mother.”  These are expressed through the two forms of prayer: “tefillah” (petitioning or pleading) of Malchut and  “tehillah” (praise) of Binah.  The inner soul experience of Binah is “simcha” (gladness or happiness or joy).  From this we can see the ascendence through judgement into pure joy of utter forgiveness.   A meditation on Binah might be:   

ELOHIM, You are my strength and my song.