The explanation of this subject is discussed frequently in Zohar and Tikkunim: Binah is the superior teshuvah—“The mother crouching over the chicks….”¹ is the “mother” and emotions the “offspring,” or as the verse has it, the “chicks.”

footnotes: ¹ Deuteronomy 22:6. Binah

These emotions are man’s creations, the product of his efforts. They are results of intellectual endeavor, not gift or heritage. He is to meditate profoundly and with concentration on the greatness of G–d, and through his intellectual comprehension arouse a sense of intellectual reverence and love on rational grounds. This love is that of the verse, “To love the L–rd your G–d” for “He is your life….”² He will not be content with the endowed,³, Part I, ch. 44, etc., and Part II, pp. 284-286, on the concealed and created love. latent love alone…. So, too, with fear of G–d, and terror or shame…as is known. This is the import of “The mother crouching over the chicks….”

footnotes: ² Deuteronomy 30:20. ³ See Likkutei Amarim

Ahavah, love, is primarily the cleaving of spirit to spirit, as “He kisses me with the kisses of his mouth…,”⁴ as is known. This cleaving of spirit is the meaning of “With all your soul,”⁵ with every aspect of your soul, with intellect, emotions, and their garbs of thought, speech, and deed. All cleave to Him.

footnotes: ⁴ Song of Songs 1:2. ⁵ Deuteronomy 6:5.

Man’s emotional faculties are bound up with His—“as He is merciful….”⁶ 1:1; Sotah 14a; Shabbat 133b; Maimonides, Hilchot Deot 1:5, 6.

footnotes: ⁶ Jerusalem Talmud, Peah

Man’s intellect adheres to His intellect and wisdom, assiduous Torah study, for “Torah issues from Wisdom.”⁷ II:85a.

footnotes: ⁷ Zohar

Man’s thought is devoted to G–d’s, and his speech is the word of G–d, the halachah,⁸ 138b. as in the passages, “I have placed My word in your mouth,”⁹ and “My words that I have placed in your mouth.”¹⁰

footnotes: ⁸ Cf. Shabbat ⁹ Isaiah 51:16. ¹⁰ Ibid., 59:21.

Man’s deeds shall be works of charity, to revive the spirit of the fallen,¹¹ thus cleaving to G–d’s actions, as in, “For six days G–d wrought….”¹² as is known elsewhere.

footnotes: ¹¹ Ibid., 57:15. ¹² Exodus 20:11.

This is the cleaving of spirit to spirit—the ultimate attachment and union as a result of love…. Since the violation of the covenant through wasteful emission, to say nothing of stark immorality or unions prohibited by Torah or the Sages (for the words of the Sages are more grave…),¹³ 4b; Eruvin 22b; Sanhedrin 88b. causes a blemish in the mind, therefore his rectification is that he occupy himself with Torah that derives from chochmah.

footnotes: ¹³ Cf. Berachot

In Tanna Dvai Eliyahu we find, “A man commits a sin and is liable to death before the Almighty, what shall he do and live? If he was accustomed to studying one page, he shall study two, to studying one chapter, he shall study two chapters….” This parallels the illustration of the cord severed and then reknotted—the place of the knot is so much thicker than the unaffected portion. So it is with the “cord of His possession.”

This is the meaning of the verse, “With kindness and truth is sin forgiven…,”¹⁴ and “There is no ‘truth’ but Torah….”¹⁵ 5b.

footnotes: ¹⁴ Proverbs 16:6. ¹⁵ Cf. Berachot

Similarly, the sin of the house of Eli will not be atoned by sacrifices and offerings,¹⁶ but will be pardoned through Torah and good deeds, as explained in Rosh Hashanah, end of ch. 1.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁶ Cf. I Samuel 3:14. ¹⁷ 18a.