The Secret of the Woman's Root: The Power of Emunah (Faith), Wisdom, and Prophecy
Class #201 | Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh (Saturday night) Parashas Eikev, the eve of 19 Menachem Av 5759 - Sheva Brachos (Seven Blessings of marriage) at the Old Beis Yaakov
According to the secrets of Kabbalah, the woman was created from a high and pure spiritual root that grants her burning emunah (faith) and extraordinary wisdom. This article reveals the secrets of the 'Name of Ba"n'.
Mordechai HaYehudi knew how to extract tremendous prophecies and immense revelations of the future from every word and every hint. Mordechai would attain prophecies specifically from the conversations of women. A person can hear prophecies, hints, and future events from the things his wife tells him. Therefore, Mordechai would go every day to the courtyard of the women's house.
The Midrash tells him: "You went to inquire about the welfare of one poor woman (his wife); you only needed to visit her once a week, yet you went every day to see how she was doing. Because you cared for your wife, you will become the leader of the generation and merit to inquire about the welfare of all of Israel." Just as you listened to your wife and cared for her, so too will you merit to lead the entire Jewish nation.
Awesome Secrets: From the Name of Ma"h to the Name of Ba"n
The woman conceals within herself awesome secrets. One must know from which Divine Names the woman was created and from which Names the man was created. According to the holy Arizal, men were created from the "Name of Ma"h" (the Divine Name spelled out to equal 45), while women were created from the "Name of Ba"n" (the Divine Name spelled out to equal 52). The Name of Ba"n (Yud, Hei, Vav, Hei spelled out as יו"ד ק"ה ו"ו ק"ה) has a gematria (numerical value) of 52.
How did Hashem create the woman? He took the first five Sefiros (Divine emanations) of "Keser d'Ba"n" (the Crown of the Name of Ba"n). A woman who merits to be from this root is a creation of "Atika Kadisha" (the Holy Ancient One, the highest level of Divine will and mercy). She has no flaw, no deficiency, no strict judgment, and no anger. She is entirely filled with yearning for Hashem, pure and refined, and rests upon tranquil waters all day long. She is solely attached to Hashem.
Women who were created from the lower Sefiros of Keser d'Ba"n are pure and refined, and they merit prophecy, like Devorah the Prophetess and Miriam the Prophetess.
The Power of Emunah (Faith) Versus the Peak of Despair
In the merit of her tremendous emunah (faith), Miriam merited to bring the well of water to Israel. When Pharaoh issued his decrees, Amram and Yocheved fell into immense despair and divorced. The father struck his head in grief, the mother struck her head, and they thought: "All is lost, they are throwing the children into the Nile River, there is no reason to bring children into the world. Should we bring children just to throw them into the Nile?"
But the rule is that every person, before reaching the peak of their success and salvation, must pass through a state of peak despair. It seems to them that it is the end of the world, darkness from all sides, a dead end, and everything is upside down. If a person had even a drop of emunah (faith), they would say: "What do I care what Pharaoh does? I will do my part, I will walk with the power of faith and illuminate the soul."
The woman is entirely emunah (faith). Miriam, who was filled with faith, restored her father's hope. She told him: "Your decree is harsher than Pharaoh's! Pharaoh only decreed against this world, but you are decreeing against the World to Come as well." She taught that through teshuvah (repentance) and prayer, every decree is nullified. In her merit, Moshe Rabbeinu was born, and when they threw him into the Nile, she did not fall into any despair. She stood from afar and prayed that a princess would come down to save the basket.
In the merit of her emunah (faith), Miriam merited that her well flows every Motzaei Shabbos (Saturday night) into all the wells, springs, and pools of water in the world. Miriam's well is an eternal entity that circulates until the end of all generations, bringing all healing and memory.
The Wisdom of the Woman and the Obligation of Joy
The holy Arizal writes in the book "Eitz Chaim" that the woman, generally, is wiser than the man in worldly matters, and therefore she should be relied upon more. The reason for this is that the man comes from the Sefirah of Binah (Understanding) of the Name of Ma"h, whereas the woman comes from the Sefirah of Chochmah (Wisdom) of the Name of Ba"n. Wisdom resides with her.
The Torah commands the husband:
"And he shall gladden his wife whom he has taken" (Devarim 24:5).
It does not say "they shall rejoice together," but rather "and he shall gladden" – the role of the husband is to bring her joy. He must speak with her in holiness and purity, strengthen her all day long, and be careful not to defile her or lower her from her holiness, God forbid. A man is filled with foreign thoughts, unlike a woman who does not have these thoughts, and therefore he must constantly pray that he merits to protect her elevated status and purity, for today it is the woman who merits Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration).
Part 2 of 3 — Class #201