Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Bechinah
בחינה
Level / aspect (bechinah)
A level, aspect or mode: the general word for any distinct rung or facet, above or in the soul. One thing can hold several bechinos, and be higher in one bechinah, lower in another.
The word In plain Hebrew בחינה is an examination. In LT/TO the noun, mostly abbreviated בחי׳, is the technical “level / aspect”; בחי׳ X can also mean “the mode of X” (בחי׳ עבד, the servant’s way of serving).
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶1Bechinah as a respect: the outer Keser (gulgalta) is higher than Chochmah of Atzilus in one bechinah, while Chochmah has an advantage in another bechinah, being inwardness.
לכן בבחינה זו היא גבוה יותר מהחכמה דאצילות ואף על פי כן בבחינה א׳ יש מעלה בחכמה יותר להיותה בחינת פנימית
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5, ¶6Bechinos as the component aspects of one attribute: six are the essence of the middah and one is its revelation, so the Omer counts seven bechinos in each middah.
כלולים כ״א רק מששה בחי׳ שהם בחי׳ העצמיות של כל מדה והם המתעלים משא״כ הבחינה שביעית שבכל מדה שהוא ענין גילוי המדה
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 13, ¶4All the angels of Michael’s camp come from one bechinah, Chesed, yet Chesed itself holds many kinds of bechinos (Chesed of Chesed of Chesed, Chesed of Gevurah of Chesed), so the angels differ.
אף שכולם מבחי׳ א׳ הוא חסד רק שיש כמה מיני בחי׳ בחסד
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶1Bechinah paired with madregah (level): Yaakov and Yisrael are two levels above, and also two ways of serving G‑d in a person, the servant and the son.
הנה יש ב׳ בחי׳ ומדרגות למעלה בחינת יעקב ובחינת ישראל
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3, ¶6Applied to souls: each has its own bechinah that another lacks, and in Gan Eden too a soul has many different bechinos and levels.
כל אחד יש לו בחי׳ בפני עצמו מה שאין בחבירו יש מי שעובד בבחי׳ ומדרגת כלות הנפש
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Masei 5, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 13, ¶4Torah Ohr, Beshalach 3, ¶6
Where it appears
In 5 paragraphs of 5 maamarim (only where it is the subject: the word is common in its plain sense).
Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.