#PracticalTakeout 3: For A Woman To Be Free, She Needs More Of Herself
The Masculine and Feminine Journey
From Meditations For The Passover Seder - Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson
During the Seder we eat three Matzos and we drink four cups of wine. The three matzos represent the three Patriarchs of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the four cups of wine personify the four Matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.
This distinction between masculine matzah and feminine wine is connected to their respective journeys to freedom.
The main challenge of a male in his journey to freedom is to become like matzah. To deflate and flatten his ego; to challenge the arrogance and the self-consciousness that obstruct his path to liberation.
The main challenge of a woman in her journey to liberation is to allow her inner power, represented by wine, to emerge and bring joy and holiness to the world. Kedusah, sanctification, occurs through the wine.
For a man to be free, he needs less of himself. For a woman to be free, she needs more of herself.
See the chaf beis shvat sicha where the Rebbe formally announced a new avoda for the women – specifically to take gashmius/physicality, the mundane, to the next level and use it now not only for mitzvoth, but for the purpose of creating a state of harchavas hada’as/ pleasure, expansiveness for the household so that we are more patient, loving, non judgmental, generous ,open – geuladig. Yet most of all, the Rebbe says, when we are in this state, it affects the entire universe on cosmic levels, giving harchavas Hada’as/pleasure, expainveness to the higher worlds, even the Etzem of Hashem , kaviyachul!
Why woman specifically?
Because women are from a higher source, from the Atzmus/Essence of G-d itself rather than Ohr Ein Sof/Infinite light in contracted form, that’s why they have more Tohu (chaos) lights to reveal. For this reason, when women intentionally reveal the lights beneath the kelipas nogah (slightly covered up permissible mundane or physical) , they not only reveal the light that was hidden beneath the skin – the fruit of the grape, but they reveal an even greater light ,than that which was originally hidden by the kelipah – the intoxicating wine which brings forth great healing, joy peace and serenity! This is because the kelipah/coverup itself turns into a more brilliant light (the lower something falls, the higher it can be elevated)
You may enjoy watching this : The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Valorization of the Feminine
"In The Merit Of the Righteous Women, Our Forefathers Were Redeemed From Egypt, and In Their Merit Will Be The Final Redemption As Well."
In the Rebbe's talks, the Rebbe tells us that it is specifically the process of the rise of the Feminine, as she awakens from her previously silenced state into the embodiment of her truth, that will be credit the women of our generation with bringing about the true and final redemption.
What is the truth about the Feminine Dimension?
The truth about malchus, the Feminine dimension, was silenced by the cover up of kelipas Nogah of Eitz Hada’s - the blockage that Adam and Eve ingested when they ate from the forbidden tree.
This blockage is what created the suppression of the Feminine dimension throughout the thousands of years of exile. In fact, it is this cover up that allowed for evil to exist and create the pain and suffering that we’ve endured for thousands of years.
Today, we are finally nearing the end of these times, for we are in the era of the end of exile and beginning stages of redemption, which brings forth the restoration the Feminine, not only to her former glory, but to her greatest heights - only possible to have reached due to the transformative service of thousands of years of exile.
The unveiling of her truth is accomplished when we recognize that beneath the surface of the kelipas nogah/mundane, physical, is a deeper truth than even that of ruchnius/spirituality.
What are these truths that were covered up?
(here are but a few)
- We are actually a piece (aspect) of Hashem Himself, and therefore, we worthy of all good, including respect, dignity, harchava, pleasure etc.
- that the whole purpose of creation was to reveal Hashem in the very lowest of low aspects of creation –that this is Hashem Himself –the Atzmus! And that’s why the behamis will do anything to live – for it’s truth is ,v’chai bahem.
- That the function of malchus is primarily that of receiver, while masculine is primarily the giver.
- That pleasure is the highest faculty – for the Essence of Hashem’s Essence is pleasure!, and therefore, experiencing real, mindful, physical pleasure – particularly for the Jewish women at this time, as elaborated on below - is how we connect to the Essence of the Essence of Hashem – and it is for this reason that the soul was willing to come down into this world of darkness!
- That gashmius, the mundane, the physical, material (the lights of Tohu), and the body, are actually higher than ruchnius/spirituality(the lights of tikkun), and the soul. For it is specifically in gashmius/physical, that the Essence of Hashem is found, waiting to be revealed in order to make this world a complete home, dirah b’tachtonim for Hashem/G-d......and that’s when we will recognize that all gashmius is actually Hashem Himself!
In fact, precisely because these truths were denied ,is why the Beinoni/Intermediate man of the Tanya, struggles with negativity, hence , once all these deep truths are uncovered (there are possibly many more than listed above) and honor them properly, the Beinoni’s forever battle with “the other side” is practically over.
Nashim Tzidkaniyos! May this Koach Nissan be the empowerment behind all of us finding the inspiration to finally bring about the complete and final geulah shleima v’amitis forever! Let’s do it!