Gate of Unity
Two: harnessing the mind

Opening Questions: Jews like to answer a question with a question. This is because every question stems from a lack of clarity, some distinction we are missing. Often the right questions help us recognize these vital points.
What is the difference between the ancient Greeks philosophers and scientists and today’s scientist?
Chapter Objective: To learn the method of study that brings theory to practice, so that we can apply the Torah’s secrets for practical results in day-to-day life.
Introduction
Chapter One explained how hisbonenus activates the mental faculties of chochmah, binah, and daas, bringing a person to deeper and deeper levels of understanding. But a deep theoretical understanding is not enough. The main thing, after all, is action. Does hisbonenus brings practical results, as well?
Chapter Two answers this question with a definite “yes”. It explains that binah has two aspects: binah and tvunah. Binah is theoretical tvunah is practical.
Concepts:
• the difference between binah and tvunah – understanding and application
• yisroel saba – “Grandfather Israel” – intuitive application
• how tvunah works
• five ways that tvunah applies a theory
• and how hisbonenus activates tvunah

From the source:
It is known to those familiar with Kabbalah that binah contains two faculties: binah and tvunah. (Understanding and Application.)
Tvunah is the extension of binah’s light to something practical. This occurs when the mind thoroughly absorbs the understanding of binah. Then, one can apply the idea to many matters detached from the theoretical understanding.
As the Zohar states (III, Idra Zuta, 290b; 291a): The lower father and mother (that is, the lower aspects of chochmah and binah) are yisroel saba and tvunah. Tvunah is called the “lower” mother—indicating that tvunah is how binah (the mother) relates to what is lower than it.
This is called “a man of tvunah,” as it states, “Counsel is like deep waters in the heart of man; and the man of tvunah will draw them forth.”

The Paradigm:
ϖ Shepherd drawing water for sheep – Water in a well is far beyond the sheep’s reach. The shepherd draws the water and pours it into a trough so that the very same water is now surface level.


5 Tvunah Applications:
1. Analogies to explain the depth of binah to someone else.
2. A decision or ruling based on the understanding of binah, such as a legal ruling.
3. A practical application, like an innovation or invention.
4. Emotions resulting from the intellect.
5. Verbal thought from nonverbal understanding.

Applications in binah and in tvunah:

Binah also has some sort of application (called the emotions or midos of binah). However, these are still theoretical. Like a debating a hypothetical situation, or inventing something to demonstrate a theory, but not using it for anything.
Tvunah application is all practical and results oriented. The theory is only used to help practical problems.
The difference between these two approaches is the difference between pure science and applied science. A great example of this is the difference between the ancient Greeks, and Western scientists. The ancient Greeks invented the steam turbine! However, to them it was just a toy, or a demonstration of a theory.
Binah application
Tvunah application
$ee the difference!


Western scientist took this invention and applied it; they made the steam engine to power ships and trains.


The dimensions of tvunah

Tvunah: Application – the ability to apply a theory to something tangible or practical; something beyond the theory.
It is compared to drawing water from a well.

• Depth – absorption and integration of idea. Gives ability to explain to others.
• Length – ability to apply the theory to something separate, tangible and practical.
• Width – ability to express a theory in one’s own words, examples, metaphors and analogies.

What this means for me – exercise your brain

To summarize what these chapters mean for you:
1. Exercise your Binah: Increasing your understanding through hisbonenus. This means you need to study these lessons over and over. It used to be common practice to study a lesson one hundred times! Today five is recommended, but no less than three times. Review! Review! Review!
2. Exercise your Daas: Increase your connection by exposing yourself to and expressing these ideas as much as possible and in as many forms as possible. This means you want to expose yourself verbally, in writing, and visually as much and as often as possible. The more you talk about it, write about it, think about it, even doodle about it, the more you will connect. And the deeper your connection, the more sensitive you will be and the better you will understand.
3. Exercise your Tvunah: Increase your ability to apply these ideas by putting everything you learn into your own words. This helps you internalize and integrate what you learn into your own mind. Once you really absorb the idea, you will be able to see how it applies in totally different situations. Eventually, your natural and intuitive reaction will be inline with what you learned.
So don’t forget to do your homework. The more you put in, the more you will get out.

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