The third Sephirah of Divine Manifestation, Binah, or Understanding. It is called Intelligence: in + telos (purpose or the ends); that is, it is ‘in-purposed‘; the ends are in the means. By this we see that Intelligence is the means to production and embedded within these means is the purpose.
A. E. Waite describes the issue thusly, “Like the First Matter of The Great Work in Alchemy, Shekinah is almost myrionymous…acting in virtue of the Word uttered by God in Creation…” The root of the word Alchemy is derived from the Egyptian noun Khem in reference to the deep, black, fertile soil of the Nile River Delta. This is an apt image for the deep fertile soil of the subjective aspect of the psyche in which is planted the seed of ideas directed from the objective mind. The Praxis of this whole Mystery is a method of psychological transformation and transpersonal spiritualization enabling the materialization and dissolution of creative realization through the Word and through Law.
The Secrets of the First Matter are hidden deeply within: working from our subconscious. Without Faith, the Secrets will never be revealed. Binah has been called The Creator of Faith. We are able to cathect the creativity of our subconscious only by virtue of our Faith and in accord with our Belief.
It is a Supernal Conception. Manifestation issues from the creative faculties. Though activated by the Will, Creation springs forth from the Conceptual.“The object of your desire is the one thing out of which all things are made” (Rosinus), and “It is set up for the ruin of many and the salvation of some. To the crowd this matter is vile, exceedingly contemptible and odious, but to the philosophers it is more precious than gems or gold. It loves all, yet is well nigh an enemy of all: it is to be found everywhere, yet scarcely has any one discovered it.” (a Rosicrucian Treatise) What we are discussing here is a Cornucopia: the gift that keeps on giving. And since it is manifested through our subjective mind (which having been informed by our thoughts and beliefs), all that we conceive of as beneficial will be manifested as benevolence, while all that we conceive of as malevolent will be realized to our detriment. That having been said, when the bulk of the population feed their psyche on images of violence; soundtracks filled with screaming, gasping, screechy cacophonous music, and explosions; greet the fresh new day with headlines burning with fear, controversy, and disaster; and wind down at night with a little pornography and some drugs; then the store house of the majority are indeed set up for the ruin of many. Those who know the secret and cultivate the fertile soil of their own subconscious with quality thoughts, images of beauty, gentle sounds, words of kindness, harmonious and benevolent attitudes and pleasant dispositions reap the harvest of Peace, Love, Joy, Happiness and Health and do thereby Prosper.
I do not think that I could describe it any more forthright. “Do not despise it, therefore, when you see it (in disguise): if you do you will never accomplish our Magistery…and if you can change its countenance, the transformation will be Glorious. (Philalethes)
What seems to be a double nature is but a single, reliable nature expressed through the Law of Belief in accordance with the Free Will of Individual Man, as noted in the Zohar: “The side of severity emanates from the (left-hand path), though She is not, Herself, severity”. “She, Herself is revealed in Wisdom by the mode of the Law of Mercy, so that she is Mercy on the one side although Severity proceeds from the other”. (Waite) “She is a pure and simple substance, yielding to nothing but Love, because generation is Her aim, and that is never accomplished by violence. (Anastratus) The Mysteries of my art are to be performed magnanimously, and with great courage ..if thou ..wouldst overcome ..the violence ..which hath been the destruction of many…Ordained was I by the Almighty God for men ..that they may relieve the poor with my treasures, and not set their minds on ..that (which) perisheth”. (Thomas Vaughan)
The Shekinah is the Liberating Angel who delivers the world in all ages; Who is ever near to Man and never separated from the Just”. (Zohar)

The Angelic Beings of Binah are known as the Aralim (Thrones), and are often called Powers. The actual God-Name is El (God), though Governorship is generally attributed to Elohim (God’s Consorts). The word Binah means ‘Understanding’, and has to do with Karma (cause and effect). The Order of Exousai (from the Essence, meaning ‘Derived from Kethyr’) is attributed to Binah.