R. Simeon was once going to Tiberias accompanied by R. Jose and R. Judah and R. Hiya. On the way they saw R. Phineas coming towards them. When they met, they dismounted and sat down under a large tree. Said R. Phineas, ‘Now that I am sitting here, I should like to hear some of those wonderful ideas to which you daily give utterance.’
R. Simeon thereupon opened a discourse with the text, And he went on his journeys from the South even unto Bethel, unto the place where his tent was at first, between Bethel and Ai, (Gen. 13, 3). He said: ‘The word “journeys” is used here where we might have expected “journey”, to indicate that the Shekinah was journeying with him. It is incumbent on a man to be ever “male and female”, in order that his faith may be firm, and that the Shekinah may never depart from him.
What, then, you will say, of a man who goes on a journey and, being absent from his wife, is no longer “male and female”? His remedy is to pray to God before he starts his journey, while he is still “male and female”, in order to draw to himself the presence of his Master. When he has offered his prayer and thanksgiving and the Shekinah rests on him, then he can depart, for through his union with the Shekinah he has become “male and female” in the country as he was “male and female,’ in the town, as it is written: “Righteousness (zedek, the female of zaddik) shall go before him and shall place his footsteps on the way” (Ps. 85, 14).
Observe this. All the time that a man is on his travels he should be very careful of his actions, in order that the celestial partner may not desert him and leave him defective, through lacking the union with the female. If this was necessary when his wife was with him, how much more so is it necessary when a heavenly partner is attached to him? All the more so since this heavenly partner guards him on the way all the time until he returns home.
When he does reach home again, it is his duty to give his wife some pleasure, because it is she who procured for him this heavenly partner. It is his duty to do this for two reasons. One is that this pleasure is a religious pleasure, and one which gives joy to the Shekinah also,
and what is more, by its means he spreads peace in the world, as it is written, “thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace, and thou shalt visit thy fold and not sin” (Job. 5, 24). (Is it a sin, it may be asked, if he does not visit his wife? The answer is that it is so because he thereby derogates from the honour of the celestial partner who was joined with him on account of his wife.)
The other is, that if his wife becomes pregnant, the celestial partner imparts to the child a holy soul, for this covenant is called the covenant of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore he should be as diligent to procure this gladness as to procure the gladness of the Sabbath, which is the partner of the Sages. Hence “thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace”, since the Shekinah comes with thee and abides in thy house, and therefore “thou shalt visit thy house and not sin”, by performing with gladness the religious duty of conjugal intercourse in the presence of the Shekinah.
In this way the students of the Torah who separate from their wives during the six days of the week in order to devote themselves to study are accompanied by a heavenly partner in order that they may continue to be “male and female”. When Sabbath comes, it is incumbent on them to gladden their wives for the sake of the honour of the heavenly partner, and to seek to perform the will of their Master, as has been said.
Similarly again, if a man’s wife is observing the days of her separation, during all those days that he waits for her the heavenly partner is associated with him, so that he is still “male and female”. When his wife is purified, it is his duty to gladden her through the glad performance of a religious precept. All the reasons we have mentioned above apply to this case also. The esoteric doctrine is that men of true faith should concentrate their whole thought and purpose on this one (the Shekinah).
You may object that, according to what has been said, a man enjoys greater dignity when he is on a journey than when he is at home, on account of the heavenly partner who is then associated with him. This is not so. For when a man is at home, the foundation of his house is the wife, for it is on account of her that the Shekinah departs not from the house. So our teachers have understood the verse, “and he brought her to the tent of his mother Sarah” (Gen. 24, 67), to indicate that with Rebecca the Shekinah came to Isaac’s house.
Esoterically speaking, the supernal Mother is found in company with the male only at the time when the house is prepared, and the male and female are joined. Then the supernal Mother pours forth blessings for them. Similarly the lower Mother is not found in company with the male save when the house is prepared and the male visits the female and they join together; then the lower Mother pours forth blessings for them.
Hence the man in his house is to be encompassed by two females, like the Male above. There is an allusion to this in the verse “Unto (‘ad) the desire of the everlasting hills” (Gen. 49, 26). This ‘ad is the object of the desire of the “everlasting hills”, viz. the supreme female, who is to prepare for him and beatify and bless him, and the secondary female, who is to be conjoined with him and to be supported by him.
Similarly below, when the man is married the desire of the “everlasting hills” is towards him, and he is beatified by two females, one of the upper and one of the lower world-the upper one to pour blessings upon him, and the lower one to be supported by him and to be conjoined with him. So much for the man in his house.
When, however, he goes forth on a journey, while the celestial Mother still accompanies him, the lower wife is left behind: so when he comes back he has to take measures to encompass himself with two females, as we have said.’ Said R. Phineas: ‘Even the angels above would not dare to open their mouths before thee.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל לִטְבֶרְיָה, וְהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא. אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ כְּחֲדָא, נַחֲתוּ וְיָתְבוּ תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד מֵאִילָנֵי טוּרָא. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס הָא יָתִיבְנָא, מֵאִלֵּין מִלֵּי מַעַלְיָיתָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר בְּכָל יוֹמָא בְּעֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע.
R. Simeon was once going to Tiberias accompanied by R. Jose and R. Judah and R. Hiya. On the way they saw R. Phineas coming towards them. When they met, they dismounted and sat down under a large tree. Said R. Phineas, ‘Now that I am sitting here, I should like to hear some of those wonderful ideas to which you daily give utterance.’
פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (בראשית י״ג:ג׳) וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל עַד הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּית אֵל וּבֵין הָעָי. וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו, לְמַסָּעוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. מַאי לְמַסָּעָיו. אֶלָּא תְּרֵין מַטְלָנִין אִנּוּן. חַד דִּידֵיהּ וְחַד דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. דְּהָא כָּל בַּר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּגִין לְאַתְקָפָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וּכְדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.
R. Simeon thereupon opened a discourse with the text, And he went on his journeys from the South even unto Bethel, unto the place where his tent was at first, between Bethel and Ai, (Gen. 13, 3). He said: ‘The word “journeys” is used here where we might have expected “journey”, to indicate that the Shekinah was journeying with him. It is incumbent on a man to be ever “male and female”, in order that his faith may be firm, and that the Shekinah may never depart from him.
וְאִי תֵימָא מָאן דְּנָפִיק לְאוֹרְחָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנִּיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי מַאן דְּנָפִיק לְאָרְחָא (קסח א) יְסַדֵּר צְלוֹתָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּמָרֵיהּ עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְאָרְחָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּסַדַּר צְלוֹתֵיהּ וְשִׁבְחֵיהּ וּשְׁכִינְתָּא שָׁרְיָיא עֲלֵיהּ יִפּוּק. דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִזְדַּוְוגַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּמָתָא. דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּחַקְלָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים פ״ה:י״ד) צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו.
What, then, you will say, of a man who goes on a journey and, being absent from his wife, is no longer “male and female”? His remedy is to pray to God before he starts his journey, while he is still “male and female”, in order to draw to himself the presence of his Master. When he has offered his prayer and thanksgiving and the Shekinah rests on him, then he can depart, for through his union with the Shekinah he has become “male and female” in the country as he was “male and female,’ in the town, as it is written: “Righteousness (zedek, the female of zaddik) shall go before him and shall place his footsteps on the way” (Ps. 85, 14).
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַכַּב בְּאוֹרְחָא (בכל חיליה) בָּעֵי לְנַטְרָא עוֹבָדוֹי. בְּגִין דְּזִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה לָא יִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ וְיִשְׁתְּכַח פָּגִים בְּלָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. בְּמָתָא אִצְטְרִיךְ כַּד נוּקְבֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ, כָּל שְׁכֵּן הָכָא דְּזִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה אִתְקַשְּׁרַת בֵּיהּ. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּהָא זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה נָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּאָרְחָא וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ עַד דְּיִתוֹב לְבֵיתֵיהּ.
Observe this. All the time that a man is on his travels he should be very careful of his actions, in order that the celestial partner may not desert him and leave him defective, through lacking the union with the female. If this was necessary when his wife was with him, how much more so is it necessary when a heavenly partner is attached to him? All the more so since this heavenly partner guards him on the way all the time until he returns home.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָאל לְבֵיתֵיהּ בָּעָא לְחַדְתָּא דְּבִיתְהוּ (ביתיה). בְּגִין דִּדְבִיתְהוּ גָּרְמָא לֵיהּ הַהוּא זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא לְגַבָּהּ בָּעֵי לְחַדְתָּא לָהּ בְּגִין תְּרֵין גַּוְונֵי. חַד בְּגִין חֶדְוָתָא דְּהַהִיא זִוּוגָא חֶדְוָותָא דְמִצְוָה הִיא וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּמִצְוָה חֶדְוָותָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהוּ.
When he does reach home again, it is his duty to give his wife some pleasure, because it is she who procured for him this heavenly partner. It is his duty to do this for two reasons. One is that this pleasure is a religious pleasure, and one which gives joy to the Shekinah also,
וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְאַסְגֵי שָׁלוֹם סְתָם (לתתא) (נ"א לאתתא) הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ה׳:כ״ד) וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי שָׁלוֹם אָהֳלֶךָ, וּפָקַדְתָּ נָוֶךָ וְלֹא תֶחטָא. וְכִי אִי לָא פָּקִיד לְאִתְּתֵיהּ חֵטְא אִיהוּ. הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. בְּגִין דְּגָרַע יְקַר זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִזְדַּוְוגַת בֵּיהּ וּדְבִיתְהוּ גָּרְמָא לֵיהּ.
and what is more, by its means he spreads peace in the world, as it is written, “thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace, and thou shalt visit thy fold and not sin” (Job. 5, 24). (Is it a sin, it may be asked, if he does not visit his wife? The answer is that it is so because he thereby derogates from the honour of the celestial partner who was joined with him on account of his wife.)
וְחַד דְּאִי מִתְעַבְּרָא אִתְּתֵיהּ זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה אֲרִיקַת בָּהּ נִשְׁמָתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּהַאי בְּרִית אִקְרֵי בְּרִית דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי לְכַוְונָא בְּחֶדְוָותָא דָא כְּמָה דְבָעֵי בְּחֶדְוָותָא דְשַׁבָּת (דאנון חכימין) דְּאִיהוּ זִוּוּגָא דְחֲכִּימִין. וְעַל דָּא וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי שָׁלוֹם אָהֳלֶךָ דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אַתְיָא עִמָּךְ וְשָׁרְיָא בְּבֵיתָךְ. וְעַל דָּא (איוב ה׳:כ״ד) וּפָקַדְתָּ נָוֶךָ וְלֹא תֶחטָא. מַאי וְלֹא תֶחטָא. לְשַׁמָּשָׁא קַמֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא חֶדְוָותָא דְמִצְוָה.
The other is, that if his wife becomes pregnant, the celestial partner imparts to the child a holy soul, for this covenant is called the covenant of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore he should be as diligent to procure this gladness as to procure the gladness of the Sabbath, which is the partner of the Sages. Hence “thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace”, since the Shekinah comes with thee and abides in thy house, and therefore “thou shalt visit thy house and not sin”, by performing with gladness the religious duty of conjugal intercourse in the presence of the Shekinah.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִנְּשַׁיְיהוּ כָּל אִנּוּן יוֹמִין דְּשַׁבַּתָּא בְּגִין לְאִתְעַסְּקָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה אִזְדַּוַּוג בְּהוּ וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל שַׁבָּת בָּעְיָין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים לְחַדְתָּא לִדְבִיתְהוּ בְּגִין יְקַר זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה. וּלְכַוְּונָא לִבַּיְיהוּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.
In this way the students of the Torah who separate from their wives during the six days of the week in order to devote themselves to study are accompanied by a heavenly partner in order that they may continue to be “male and female”. When Sabbath comes, it is incumbent on them to gladden their wives for the sake of the honour of the heavenly partner, and to seek to perform the will of their Master, as has been said.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא, הַאי מַאן דְּאִתְּתֵיהּ בְּיוֹמֵי מְסָאֲבוּ דִילָהּ וְנָטִיר לָהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. כָּל אִנּוּן יוֹמִין זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה אִזְדַּוַּוג בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְדְּכִיאַת אִתְּתֵיהּ בָּעֵי לְחַדְתָּא לָהּ חֶדְוָה דְמִצְוָה חֶדְוָה עִלָּאָה. וְכֻלְהוּ טַעֲמֵי דְּקָא אֲמָרָן בְּחַד דַּרְגָא סָלְקִין. סְתָמָא דְמִלָּה כָּל אִנּוּן בְּנִי מְהֵימְנוּתָא בָּעֳיָין לְכַוְּונָא לִבָּא וּרְעוּתָא בְּהַאי.
Similarly again, if a man’s wife is observing the days of her separation, during all those days that he waits for her the heavenly partner is associated with him, so that he is still “male and female”. When his wife is purified, it is his duty to gladden her through the glad performance of a religious precept. All the reasons we have mentioned above apply to this case also. The esoteric doctrine is that men of true faith should concentrate their whole thought and purpose on this one (the Shekinah).
וְאִי תֵימָא אִי הָכִי שְׁבָחָא הוּא דְּבַר נָשׁ כַּד נָפִיק לְאָרְחָא יַתִּיר מִן בֵּיתֵיהּ בְּגִין זִוּוּגָא עִלָּאָה דְאִזְדַּוְוגַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּזִמְנָא דְבַר נָשׁ הוּא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, עִקְּרָא דְּבֵיתָא דְּבִיתְהוּ. בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָא לָא אִתְעַדֵּי מִן בֵּיתָא בְּגִין דְּבִיתְהוּ. כְּמָה דְּתָנִינָן דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ד:ס״ז) וַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ, דִּשְׁרַגָּא אִתְדְּלָקַת, מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָא אָתַת לְבֵיתָא.
You may object that, according to what has been said, a man enjoys greater dignity when he is on a journey than when he is at home, on account of the heavenly partner who is then associated with him. This is not so. For when a man is at home, the foundation of his house is the wife, for it is on account of her that the Shekinah departs not from the house. So our teachers have understood the verse, “and he brought her to the tent of his mother Sarah” (Gen. 24, 67), to indicate that with Rebecca the Shekinah came to Isaac’s house.
רָזָא דְּמִלָּה אִמָּא עִלָּאָה לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת גַּבֵּי דְכוּרָא אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְתַּקְנַת בֵּיתָא וְאִתְחַבְּרוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, כְּדֵין אִמָּא עִלָּאָה אֲרִיקַת בִּרְכָאן לִבָרוּכֵּי לוֹן. כְּגַוְונָא דָא אִמָּא תַּתָּאָה לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְתַּקְנַת בֵּיתָא וְאָתֵי דְכַר לְגַבָּהּ דְּנוּקְבֵיהּ וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ כְּחֲדָא כְּדֵין אִמָּא תַּתָּאָה אֲרִיקַת בִּרְכָאן לְבָרְכָא לוֹן.
Esoterically speaking, the supernal Mother is found in company with the male only at the time when the house is prepared, and the male and female are joined. Then the supernal Mother pours forth blessings for them. Similarly the lower Mother is not found in company with the male save when the house is prepared and the male visits the female and they join together; then the lower Mother pours forth blessings for them.
וְעַל דָּא בִּתְרֵי נוּקְבִין אִתְעַטַּר דְּכוּרָא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָא. וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ט:כ״ו) עַד תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם. הַאי ע"ד תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּגִבְעוֹת עוֹלָם בֵּיהּ. נוּקְבָא עִלָּאָה לְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ וּלְאַעַטְּרָא לֵיהּ וּלְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ. נוּקְבָא תַּתָּאָה לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בֵּיהּ וּלְאִתְזְנָא מִנֵּיהּ.
Hence the man in his house is to be encompassed by two females, like the Male above. There is an allusion to this in the verse “Unto (‘ad) the desire of the everlasting hills” (Gen. 49, 26). This ‘ad is the object of the desire of the “everlasting hills”, viz. the supreme female, who is to prepare for him and beatify and bless him, and the secondary female, who is to be conjoined with him and to be supported by him.
וּכְגַוְונָא דָא לְתַתָּא כַּד דְּכוּרָא אִינְסִיב, תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם לְגַבֵּיהּ וְאִתְעַטַּר בִּתְרֵי נוּקְבֵי חַד עִלָּאָה וְחַד תַּתָּאָה. עִלָּאָה לְאַרְקָא עֲלֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן. תַּתָּאָה לְאִתְזְנָא מִנֵּיהּ וּלְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וּבַּר נָשׁ בְּבֵיתֵיהּ תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם לְגַבֵּיהּ וְאִתְעַטַּר בְּהוּ.
Similarly below, when the man is married the desire of the “everlasting hills” is towards him, and he is beatified by two females, one of the upper and one of the lower world-the upper one to pour blessings upon him, and the lower one to be supported by him and to be conjoined with him. So much for the man in his house.
כַּד נָפִיק בְּאָרְחָא לָאו הָכִי. אִימָּא עִלָּאָה אִתְחַבְּרַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ וְתַתָּאָה אִשְׁתְּאָרַת. כַּד תָּב לְבֵיתֵיהּ בָּעֵי לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בִּתְרֵי נוּקְבֵי כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס אֲפִילּוּ בִּקְלִיפֵּי סַנְפּוֹרֵי קִטְרָא לָא פַּתְחֵי עִטְּרָא קַמָּךְ.
When, however, he goes forth on a journey, while the celestial Mother still accompanies him, the lower wife is left behind: so when he comes back he has to take measures to encompass himself with two females, as we have said.’ Said R. Phineas: ‘Even the angels above would not dare to open their mouths before thee.’