Household arrangements

Synopsis

Moses compares a virtuous wife to the Shechinah, saying that whoever does kindness by Her will receive invaluable recompense but that whoever is sinful to Her will receive punishment beyond measure. He tells us that anyone who inherits a Neshamah or Ruach or Nefesh from the Shechinah does not require redeeming. The Shechinah's redemption is dependent on God, and that redemption is drawn by the Tefilin, the keeping of the Shabbat, the marking of the festival days, the mark of circumcision, the Torah and with several precepts.

Crowns Evil Gold Job Precepts Shechinah Tree Tree of Life Vessels Wisdom Women

44. The precept following this is the dealing in household arrangements. In the secret of wisdom, a man's house is his wife. If she is a woman of good and evil and he wishes to exchange a bad WOMAN for a good one, he should redeem her from that evil one and give her her worth. However, it says about a woman of the Tree of Life, THAT IS MALCHUT: "gold and glass cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for vessels of fine gold" (Iyov 28:17). She is invaluable, as it says, "a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband" (Mishlei 12:4), and it also says, "who can find a woman of worth..." (Mishlei 31:10). That is the Shechinah. Whoever does kindness by Her shall receive invaluable recompense, and whoever is sinful to Her shall receive punishment beyond measure.

44. פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לָדוּן בְּעֶרְכֵּי בַּיִת. וּבְרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא, בַּיִת דב"נ, דָּא אִתְּתָא. אִי אִיהִי אִתְּתָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע, וּבָעֵי לְהָמִיר רָעָה בְּטוֹבָה, יִפְדֶּה לָהּ מֵהַהוּא רָע, וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ עֵרֶךְ דִּילָהּ. אֲבָל אִתְּתָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּיא, אִתְּמַר בָּהּ לֹא יַעַרְכֶנָּה זָהָב וּזְכוּכִית וּתְמוּרָתָהּ כְּלֵי פָּז, וְאֵין לָהּ עֵרֶךְ. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, אֵשֶׁת חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. וְאִתְּמַר אֵשֶׁת חַיִל מִי יִמְצָא וְגוֹ.' וְדָא שְׁכִינְתָּא. מַאן דְּגָמִיל חֶסֶד עִמָּהּ, לֵית עֵרֶךְ לְאַגְרָא דִּילֵיהּ. וּמַאן דְּחָאב לְגַבָּהּ, לֵית עֵרֶךְ לְעֹנְשָׁא דִּילֵיהּ.

Circumcision Ezekiel Israel Nefesh (Soul) Neshamah (Soul) Other Side Precepts Redemption and Salvation Ruach (Soul) Shabbat Shechinah Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Neshamah) Soul (Ruach) Tfilin Torah Zot (This, Fem.)

45. She has many maidservants who serve her. Each and every one of them has value and each one needs a ransom, MEANING TO RANSOM HER FROM THE HOLD OF THE OTHER SIDE. However, a Neshamah or Ruach or Nefesh inherited from the Shechinah does not require redeeming, since it is said about the Shechinah, "I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory will I not give to another" (Yeshayah 42:8). Her redemption is dependent on the Holy One, blessed be He, which Yisrael draw to Her by the knot of the Tefilin, with the Shabbat sign, with the marking of the festival days, with the mark of circumcision, with Torah, and with many precepts. Since Her ransom is dependent on the Holy One, blessed be He, this is what it says, "but I acted for My Name's sake," (Yechezkel 20:9) and for her: "and yet for all that (Heb. zot)..." (Vayikra 26:44). In this manner, people perform many precepts in order to receive recompense. Each precept has a value in that world. However, the punishment for someone who transgresses them has no value.

45. כַּמָה שְׁפָחוֹת אִית לָהּ דִּמְשַׁמְּשִׁין לָהּ, וְכָל חֲדָא וַחֲדָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, אִית לָהּ עֵרֶךְ. וְכָל חַד וְחַד צָרִיךְ פִּדְיוֹן. אֲבָל מַאן דְּיָרִית נִשְׁמְתָא, אוֹ רוּחָא, אוֹ נַפְשָׁא מִשְׁכִינְתָּא, לָא צָרִיךְ פִּדְיוֹן, דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא עָלָהּ אִתְּמַר אֲנִי יְיָ' הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן. דְּפִדְיוֹן דִּילָהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תַּלְיָא. דְּאַמְשְׁכָן לָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּתְפִילִּין, בְּאוֹת דְּשַׁבָּת, בְּאוֹת דְּיוֹמִין טָבִין, בְּאוֹת דִּבְרִית, וְתוֹרָה, בְּכַמָּה פִּקוּדִין. דְּפִדְיוֹן דִּילָהּ תַּלְיָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הה"ד וָאַעַשׂ לְמַעַן שְׁמִי, וּבְגִינָה וְאַף גַּם זֹאת. הָכִי כַּמָה פִּקוּדִין אִינּוּן דְּעַבְדִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס. וְכַמָּה חוֹבִין. וּלְכָל פִּקּוּדָא אִית לֵיהּ עֵרֶךְ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. אֲבָל עוֹנְשָׁא לְמַאן דְּאַעְבָּר עָלַיְיהוּ, אֵין לֵיהּ עֵרֶךְ וְשִׁיעוּר.