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It has already been explained at great length in a special pamphlet concerning the specific particulars of the influence on the brain and the heart and thought which is born out of Hisbonenus (deep contemplation) according to the order of the levels of NaRaNCHaI (Nefesh Ruach Neshama Chaya Yechida - the 5 levels of Soul each one representing a higher level - Nefesh being the lowest.) etc.
And now we shall explain well the actual workings of Hisbonenus - what it is, and what is the subject matter of this Hisbonenus.
Hisbonenus is essentially the idea of looking intensely into the depths of a topic and going over it a lot until one understands it clearly with all its parts in particular detail. And this is the innerness of Binah (understanding) which is called in the language of the Talmud Iyun as it says in Tractate Succah "there's a type of study called Girsah (fast superficial study) and a type called Iyun (deep intensive study).
The explanation of Girsah is to just understand the topic at first glance which passes and flows rapidly (from point to point) without any stopping to go over the subject matter at all as is well known. For instance someone who looks with his eye at some object but does not look intensely at the object i.e. how it is and what it is in all its parts, the inner as well as the outer, but only (looks at it) in a superficial manner, so that after some time he will certainly forget about it completely and will not be able to tell someone else about it other than vague generalities about the object which he saw superficially and not deeply and carefully. Analogous to this with the passing of the mind's eye over some logical theory at first glance and without any stopping or waiting to look into it properly, he will not have knowledge into the limits of the theory at all.
For there are three things in every intellectual concept: the depth, length and width. The width is the aspect of the explanations of the concept to every side (from every angle) with many particular details as in the width of a river and not just the ideas as they are as in a narrow river.
And the length is the immense lowering of the intellect to enclothe the concept in various allegories until it is brought down to the grasp of a little child etc. Like a river that flows and is drawn (down) its length. [as is explained at great length in the (Kabbalistic) writings on the topic of the length of the curtains (in the Sanctuary)]
And the depth is like the depth of the river from which it widens and itself is not wide at all but is the main self of the river [called the storm (or the main current of the river)] which is the main running of its flow from its source. And the water which are above it to the height and to the sides of the depth are secondary to it (the depth) since they are only the aspect of the strength of its spreading out alone to the sides in width and height and the length of its flowing etc.
In the same way, the depth of the Muskal (the concept as it is in Chochma when it first comes into the mind) is the aspect of its quintessential (self) point the way it is. And this is called the depth of the Musag (the idea as it is in Binah - the way the mind grasps the idea) since everything that spreads out in the explanations of the idea to every side with a great width with several details and also to the length with the immense bringing down (of the intellect) as well as to the heights above, (i.e.) to understand from it (from the depth of the Musag) even more into levels that are much higher than it (the original idea) ** all this **
[(all the way) until the aspect of the depths of above as from the mighty floods of waters higher and higher at the time of the Flood (of Noah) and thus will it be in the days of the Messiah in spirituality in the year 600 of the life of Noah, as it says in the Zohar, that the springwells of Chochmah (wisdom) were opened etc. That is, the springs of the abyss of Chochmah that will flood mightily upwards and cover all the mountains etc. and the great pipes of the heavens were opened up etc. to bring down the waters which are above the heavens which is called the depth of the height which depends on the depth of below because their beginning is connected to their end as in "Ask a deep question or a very lofty matter" etc. (that is, the depth and the height are closely connected concepts) and like it says in the (Kabbalistic) writings)
** all this comes out of the essence of the depth of its point the way it flows out from Chochmah which is called Ein (non) (meaning non-existing - the non apprehended point of wisdom) and as it says "a river flows out of Eden" for Binah (understanding) is called a river and Chochmah is called a spring as is known.
And this is what's called Iyun (deep looking into something) that he goes over the conceived thing and looks into it very much which is the slowing down -the opposite of going over a subject fast- that is, in order to come to the depths of the concept as it is in its essential self innerness and the inner insides of it specifically.
As one who looks at something with his physical eye and not just glancing over it but with an open eye and deep looking for a long time till he knows this (physical object) well with all its inner parts and inner innerness (like inside workings).
And this is what's called Hisbonenus with a double Nun specifically. (two N's -hisboNeNus the same root as Binah) that is , that he thinks into the thing and looks at it a lot. And like Rash"i explains on the meaning of the word "Iyun" : -to go over the thing until it is understood clearly etc.-
Now we find that this aspect of Iyun (repetitive deep study) is just in the aspect of a vessel in regard to the actual deep delving of Binah itself.Because at first glance this Iyun is what is called the deep concentration of the mind in the language of the world, but it is not so since the concentration of the mind is just a vessel to come to the depths of the thing actually (as it is).
And higher than this is called a Ma'amik (deep delver) who reaches higher than even the wisdom itself. Even though the Chochmah is in the aspect of being the actual Ein (nothing) (non-apprehended ethereal source) of the concept before it came to be include in the depth of the point of the Musag of Binah (the idea as it is intellectually grasped by understanding). Like a spring in regards to a river as stated above. But the aspect of going deep into the root of the idea, the root of this (aspect) reaches into the root which brings forth the flowing of the spring of Chochmah etc. and is called the depths of Chochmah or the hidden places of Chochmah.
For in the same way that there is a depth and a length and a width in Binah (Understanding) as stated above, so too there is a depth and a length and a width in the spring of Chochmah (wisdom) which is called the Ein (nothing). And the depth of the spring, that is, the beginning of the root of its origins in its depth from whence its flowing spreads upwards until it breaks through and comes out drop by drop as it reveals itself from its hiding and its total hidenness, that (depth of Chochmah) is its total depth below like the springs of the abyss (the hidden reservoirs of great waters that are hidden deep in the earth from whence the outer spring flows) which burst open (at the time of the Flood). For the earth is full of tunnels and channels etc. in the veins (of the earth) which have a primary depth. And this is what is written "and the Chochmah comes into existence from the Ein (nothingness)". That is from the hidenness of the Chochmah which is called the depth of Chochmah.
Now Chochmah is the discovery of a new intellectual idea which comes out like a flash of lightning etc. as is known and the source of its origins in its hidden depth is its main essence and inner innerness as was explained above about the depth of the Musag of Binah (the idea as it is intellectually grasped by Understanding) which is just the depth of the apprehension of Binah which is felt in the way of a Yesh (something) during the understanding of some subject through a revealed theory. (It was explained) that the depth of the explanations of the Hassogah (the reach of Binah) is in the aspect of being an Ein (nothing) only in respect to the Yesh (somethingness) of the Hassogah itself and this has no comparison to the Ein (nothingness) of Chochmah itself before it comes to be included in the Hassogah at all not even in the depths of it (the Hassogah of Binah) which is its essence. (i.e. the nothing of Binah is more of a something than the something of Chochmah).
However, the true depth of the Musag is called Sha'ar HaNun (the Fiftieth Gate) of Binah (which), even though it is brought down from the Ein (nothing) of Chochmah into the Yesh (something) (of Binah when one by repetitive Iyun study, i.e. Hisbonenus, brings the concept into his mind in a way it can be grasped), nonetheless ***
[As it is written "A spring comes out from under the Holy of Holies, its beginning is thin like the horns of grasshoppers etc." and the like]
***nonetheless the root of it (Sha'ar HaNun) reaches until the depth of Chochmah as is explained above.
As we see in actuality that anyone who delves deeply just into the depth of the Musag (of Binah) will eventually discover the root and source of the Muskal (the pure intellectual idea of Chochmah) and will be able to discover new aspects of the light of Chochmah and bring them into Binah (felt, graspable Understanding).
And this is what is called a deep delver (lit. a deepener) because he deepens the depths of Chochmah and Binah.
[ And according to this are the explanations of what is meant by: "Understand in wisdom and be wise in understanding" which are explained in the writings that is the 72 of the 63 (in the mystical kabbalistic numerous there are various numerical combinations of various divine names. In this particular case 72 represents Chochmah and 63, Binah) -Chochmah of Binah - which is simply to understand another new thing (interpretation, meaning, function, etc.) from the Musag of Binah.)
All this comes only through the exercise of Iyun (repetitive intensive analytical study), as is explained above, which is to analyze the subject matter into all of its parts with detailed identification (of each). And this is called Binah of Binah.
And only after this (process of Iyun/analysis) is it possible to give birth to new ideas and to discover in Chochmah new reaches of understanding (Binah) but only in this particular Musag. And this is called Chochmah of Binah.
However, the Crown (Kesser) of Binah is the depth of the Musag as explained above whose root reaches into the depth of Chochmah as explained above.
And understanding of wisdom (Binah of Chochmah) that is the 63 of the 72 is the power of explanation within the Chochmah itself that he is able to bring it out in many different methods of explanation. This is referring to the idea the way it is above the grasp of Binah (when the idea is still a flash of inspiration within Chochmah)
Now, what they were referring to when they said "Nevonim (men of understanding) were not found (by Moses to place as judges)" this refers specifically to one who can understand something from inside of something which comes from the source of this power of Binah of Chochmah which reaches into the depth of Chochmah as above. And therefore he can understand a whole different wisdom from his understanding of this wisdom. (that is, his comprehension can spread from one subject matter to another because when - through his deep Iyun study of the first subject matter and the awakening of the bower of Binah of Chochmah - he reaches the inner depths of Chochmah of the first subject matter, this inner depth may be the inner depth of Chochmah of other subject matters too, sometimes even deeper subject matters.)
And this (power of understanding something from inside of something) is a higher level than a wise man (Chochom). That is, it is even higher than the discovery of a particular concept of Chochmah from the Ein(the ethereal, non existent state of the concept before it even came into the mind as a flash of inspiration) since the wise man cannot understand any other wisdoms or intellectual concepts out of the new inspirational discovery.
[But nonetheless, when he understands through the Hasogah of Binah (the reach of the power of Understanding) into a new Hasogah (idea) within the original Hasogah (Chochmah of Binah as explained above), the root of this (power of the mind) is Binah of Chochmah (i.e. the root of Chochmah of Binah is in Binah of Chochmah) which is the power to understand something (totally new) from inside of something except that this (power of Binah of Chochmah within Chochmah of Binah) is hidden in the source of the intellect.]
And we find that the order of the levels is as follows:
1. The aspect of Iyun (which is synonymous with Hisbonenus) which was explained above which is to go over the matter and analyze it clearly (into all its parts) which is called Binah of Binah which is to analytically examine (the subject matter) totally into all its various separations and definitions of both the internal and external aspects of the topic.
And from this can come out the length (of Binah) to bring down the Hasogah (intellectual reach into the idea) with many enclothments until it is gross enough for the intellectual grasp of a baby as was explained before. But not the width with many different explanations to different sides (from different angles) etc.
2. And afterwards, from the aspect of Chochmah of Binah, to discover new things in one Hasogah as explained above (that is, to discover new facets or ways of looking into the topic but only into this topic and not another topic)
And this is what's called width and from this (power of Chochmah of Binah) comes the power of Binah of Binah to bring about the length.
3. But the amount of length and width of Chochmah and Binah Which are in Binah depends on the depth of the Musag (idea) which is called Kesser (Crown) of Binah. As we see in actuality that according to the depth thus will be the amount of width and length of any intellectual topic and this is enough for he who understands. (The amount of width and length in a very deep topic will be more than in a shallow topic.)]
And according to the above, what the world calls Haamakas Hadaas (the deep engrossment of the mind - Daas is usually translated as knowledge),this is not the main substance of the deep delving like the depth of the Musag of Binah for this has no relationship to Daas.
But rather, Daas is the aspect of the thorough bonding of his feeling (of the mind) to the Musag (concept) and this is what brings about the aspect of deep (comprehension) of the musag after the above mentioned Iyun so that it is just like an aspect of a vessel to the depth of the Hasogah (the understood concept) as was stated above. And in Daas there is also length and width and depth. For example one whose Daas (Attention, attachment to the idea) is short and one whose Daas is long and one whose Daas is wide but not long and a strong Daas or a light Daas such as women whose Daas is light, that is, without the depth of Daas and automatically his Daas is short etc.
And this difference between those of light Daas and deep Daas, between a mature adult and a young child is known. that the child's Daas is light, that is he does not have the (mental) power of feeling and connection to this thing that he understands or wants except in a very external way that's why he can easily be swayed to its opposite. Whereas it is not like that by an adult whose Daas is deep into this thing which he understands or wants and this is called Haamokas HaDaas (the Deep connection or concentration of the mind) and therefore there will automatically be the length of Daas and the width of Daas as explained above about Binah.
And the sign of Haamokas HaDaas is when it looks as if he is concentrating and compressing his brain because of his great connection to the Muskal (the Idea)...
[He is very taken up and strongly squeezed into it because he is very concentrated into one aspect and view]
.....and it is specifically from this (concentration) that the essence of the depth of the Hasoga comes through the Iyun of Binah which is the opposite of concentration and compression since the Iyun of Binah, even though he stands over it and tarries in a concentrated compressed way in the beginning, but immediately he spreads out into a great width into all the particular divisions (of the concept) with a very particular examination as is known.
However it is not so with the concentration compression of Haamakas Hadaas (the deepening of Daas), on the contrary, it's just the concentration which is the gathering and collection of the entire power of his brain to be connected exclusively to this (particular) Muskal (idea), which is the opposite of the spreading out of the Iyun with the widening of the subject of the Muskal. However, it is specifically through Haamokas HaDaas (concentration on the subject matter) that he comes to the depth of the Muskal all the way till its source in the depths of Chochmah and Binah. [All the way to Daas Elion (Upper Daas i.e. Kesser) which joins Chochmah and Binah together as was explained above about the depth of the Musag of Binah. And this is (what it means when it says that) Daas is hidden in the mouth of the Mother (Binah) etc. And like they said: Moses, who is the Daas, merited to Binah which is the Shaar HaNun (the 50th gate) because this depends on that (i.e. Daas & Binah are interdependent) as it is written in the Writings and in various places, and this is enough for he who understands.)
*NOTE - Musag = the idea in Binah. Muskal = the idea in Chochmah
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