The first level of intellect is the innermost. It is intellect purely to understand, similar to what was explained above on the matter of comprehension and analysis. As explained, Abba (Chochmah) is the seminal flash of intuitive insight which flashes into Imma (Binah). Furthermore, in both Chochmah and Binah there are three dimensions, length, breadth and depth. The flash of intuitive insight is the very most external level of Chochmah. It is Chochmah as it comes into Binah. Higher than this is Chochmah as it is in and of itself, before the drops of the spring of Chochmah trickle forth into the river of thought. As mentioned before, although there are dimensions in Chochmah, nonetheless, Chochmah itself is beyond direct grasp or comprehension. It exists in a way which is not directly tangible. It is only through the grasp and comprehension of Binah that the ‘nothingness’ of Chochmah becomes tangible. Because of this Chochmah corresponds to Shabbat, whereas Binah corresponds to Yom Tov. On Shabbat, a Jew is separate from all worldly matters. He does not do any form of work. It is a day devoted to prayer, study and introspection. In contrast, on Yom Tov (The Jewish holidays) a Jew is permitted to do some form of work, such as cooking. From this we see that Binah relates to Yom Tov. Binah is an intermediary level between Chochmah which is separate and holy, and the emotions and action (The sefirot from Chesed through Malchut).
(It is specifically because of this that Chochmah is called “Pleasure” whereas Binah is called “Fiery Joy”. In the same way that pleasure is introverted, and only “drops” of it can trickle out, so is it with Chochmah which the Zohar calls, “A thing unto itself”. In contrast, Binah is tangible comprehension, which can be felt and expressed. In contrast to the introspective pleasure of Chochmah, Binah is a fiery joy, which is felt and expressed.)
This is because, as mentioned above, Chochmah is how the concept is in its source before it comes into comprehension, whereas Binah is how the concept becomes tangible within comprehension.
(As mentioned earlier, both Chochmah and Binah have dimensions of length, breadth and depth. These three dimensions correspond to Keter, Chochmah and Binah of Chochmah and Keter, Chochmah and Binah of Binah. In Binah these three dimensions are as follows;
1. The length of a concept in Binah corresponds to Binah of Binah. This is because Binah is the comprehensive explanation of a subject, to bring it down, into tangibility, all the way until even a child may understand it.
2. The breadth of a concept in Binah corresponds to Chochmah of Binah. This is because Chochmah, (Insight) is what gives breadth to an explanation. In other words, when one thoroughly understands two different wisdoms, like medicine and physics, he will see the correlation between the two. This is a breadth.
3. The depth of a concept in Binah corresponds to Keter of Binah. This is because Keter is the essential point of the concept, from which the width and length spread forth. In Binah this depth is called Omek Hamoosag (The depth of comprehension).
In Chochmah the three dimensions are as follows;
1. The length of the concept in Chochmah corresponds to Binah of Chochmah. This is the power of explanation within Chochmah itself. It is the fact that the insight can be explained in any number of ways. It is the length of Chochmah that reaches down into Binah, causing the concept to flash into tangibility and comprehension. However, Binah of Chochmah is not actual comprehension and tangibility. Rather, it is the potential for tangible explanations and comprehension of any wisdom and explanation.
2. The breadth of the concept in Chochmah corresponds to Chochmah of Chochmah. The breadth of Chochmah is how every individual intellect and wisdom exists as one in its source in Chochmah. It is the source of the fact that two individual intellects can be interrelated to form a breadth in Binah.
3. The depth of the concept in Chochmah corresponds to Keter of Chochmah, which is the desire to bring all wisdom into being. This is the source and depth of all wisdom in contrast to the depth of an individual wisdom in Binah.)
