"And Hashem Elohim built the rib"

201. "And of the side, which Hashem Elohim had taken from the man, He made..." (Beresheet 2:22). Rabbi Shimon says: It is written, "Elohim understood her ways and He knew her place" (Iyov 28:23). There are many ways of looking at it, but what is the principal way of interpreting "Elohim understood (Heb. hevin) her ways?" It is similar to "the side... He made (Heb. vayiven)," SIDE meaning the Oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT, in which there is a path, as it is written, that "makes a way in the sea" (Yeshayah 43:16). THE SEA IS MALCHUT, AND IN IT HE MADE A PATH. Hence "And Elohim understood her ways."

202. "And He knew her place." HE ASKS: What is "her place?" AND HE ANSWERS: It is the Written Torah, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. The Written Torah, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE UPPER ZEIR ANPIN AND OF THE NUKVA FROM THE CHEST UPWARD, has knowledge. Hashem Elohim is a complete name to correct MALCHUT in everything. Hence, THE MOCHIN OF THE NUKVA, OR MALCHUT, are called Chochmah and Binah, because they are created, with the full perfection, in the two names YUD HEI VAV HEI AND ELOHIM, WITH YUD HEI VAV HEI CORRESPONDING TO CHOCHMAH AND ELOHIM TO BINAH. HENCE "ELOHIM UNDERSTOOD HER WAYS" RELATES TO THE EMANATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT COMES THROUGH BINAH, AND THIS EMANATION IS CALLED ELOHIM. "AND HE KNEW HER PLACE" IS DA'AT, THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM AND THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, DRAWN FROM ABA THROUGH ZEIR ANPIN.

203. "The side (Heb. tzela)" is the mirror that does not shine - MALCHUT. As it is written: "But when I stumble (Heb. tzal'I) they rejoice and gather, they assembled together" (Tehilim 35:15). THE WORD INDICATES THE OPAQUE GLASS, WHICH NEEDS CORRECTING. THE WORDS, "THE SIDE which Hashem Elohim had taken from the man," MEAN THAT HE TOOK MALCHUT OUT OF THE WRITTEN TORAH, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, because She originates in MALCHUT OF the Written Torah. "to the woman" indicates her connection with the flames of the left side. Torah, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, was given from the side of Gvurah, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE NUKVA. The word for woman (ishah) IS AN ABBREVIATION OF esh, meaning fire OR THE SIDE OF GVURAH, and Hei, INDICATING (THE HEI,) THE NUKVA to which the fire OF GVURAH is connected.

204. "And He brought her to the man" because it is not fitting FOR THE NUKVA to exist alone; she is included within and cleaves to the Written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN. And when THE NUKVA has united WITH ZEIR ANPIN, he feeds and prepares for her and bestows upon her all that she needs. Hence, it is written "and the earth" (Beresheet 1:1), IN WHICH THE VAV (AND) ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH BESTOWS AN ABUNDANCE UPON HER, CALLED "FOOD," as we have already explained.

205. Here we learn that the mother and father must supply all the needs of a daughter before she is wed. After she has been joined with her husband, it is for him to feed and give her what she requires. Come and behold: It is first written, "And of the side which Hashem Elohim had taken from the man He made," that is, that mother and father have prepared for her. Then, it is written: "He brought her to the man," so they could join together and cleave to one another. Then, it is for HER HUSBAND to give her what she requires.

206. Another interpretation of the verse, "Elohim understood her ways," is that when the daughter is in her mother's home, her mother cares for all her needs every day. Hence, Elohim, THE MOTHER, understood the ways OF THE NUKVA. When her husband marries her, he gives her what she wants and satisfies her needs. Thus, it is said that He, NAMELY THE HUSBAND, "knew her place," MEANING THAT THE HUSBAND CARES FOR THE WIFE ONCE SHE IS MARRIED TO HIM.