Messiah in Yom Kippur Chapter 3
- All the sustenance we receive is in truth a Gift from Above
- Charity and the merit of laying up treasure in heaven
- Women light candles before sunset
- “This is how you shall bless the children of Israel”
- “May Adonai make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”
- “May Adonai make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah”
- Proximity to the Center of Life—“Twelve Reflections”
All the sustenance we receive is in truth a Gift from Above:
Humble Dependence on God: It is customary to ask for and receive “lekach” (עוגת לייקח-a spiced honey cake — signifying a sweet year) from someone (usually one’s mentor or parent) on the day before Yom Kippur. One of the reasons given for this custom is that if it had been decreed, Lord forbid, that during the year we should need to resort to a handout from others, the decree should be satisfied with this asking for food.
All is a “Gift from Above”: Asking for lekach” on the eve of Yom Kippur instills in us the recognition that all the sustenance we receive throughout the year, including that which we supposedly “earn” by our own powers and endeavors, is in truth a gift from Above (from Avinu Shebashamayim), granted in response to our daily requests from “He who nourishes the entire world” with in His “goodness,” “grace,” “benevolence,” and “compassion.”
Charity and the merit of laying up treasure in heaven:
לֹא־יֹועִילוּ אֹוצְרֹות רֶשַׁע וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּֽוֶת׃
“Treasures of wickedness do not profit but Tzedakah (Righteousness) delivers from death.”
Throughout the Ten Days of Repentance it is especially meritorious to dispense charity (Tzedakah) generously, for it is written, “Charity (Tzedakah) saves one from death” (Proverbs 10:22). Given its proximity to the judgment of Yom Kippur, it is especially important to distribute charity on Erev Yom Kippur. Many communities have a custom to place charity boxes on the Bimah (בימה) before the Minchah service and encourage the congregation to contribute generously.
אל תאצרו לכם אוצרות עלי אדמות, במקום שהעש והחלודה משחיתים והגנבים חופרים וגונבים. אצרו לכם אוצרות בשמים, במקום אשר עש וחלודה לא ישחיתו וגנבים לא יחפרו ולא יגנבו; כי במקום שאוצרך נמצא, שם יהיה גם לבבך. פ
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Treasure in Heaven: Messiah ben Yosef taught us to: Sell our possessions and give to charity. This means we should make for ourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure stored in our souls to be enjoyed in heaven forever, where such treasure cannot be destroyed or stolen. Charity is good for the soul. It is pleasing to Adonai that the poor and the needy be invited to join in the meals. For what we do to the least among us we do to the Holy One whose sacred image they bear.
Why Psalm 126? Psalm 126 should be read before Birkat HaMazon (ברכת המזון), grace after a meal, and then all the blessings during and after the meals should be recited with sincere feeling (devotion) and concentration (humility), in view of the nearness of Yom Kippur. In Jewish tradition, ordinary weekdays call for the solemn Psalm 137 (“By the Rivers of Babylon”) to be recited before Birkat HaMazon to mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple. However, on Shabbat and festive holidays, Psalm 137 is replaced by the joyful Psalm 126
Women light candles at least 18 minutes before sunset:
All women and girls (or, if there isn’t a woman in the house, the head of the household) light candles at least 18 minutes before sunset and recite the following blessings:
ברוך אתה ה’ אלוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קידשנו במצוותיו וציוונו להדליק נר של (אם זה גם שבת – שבת ושל) יום הכיפורים. פ
1. Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-deshanu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzvi-va-nu le-had-lik ner shel (if Yom Kippur is on Shabbat add: Sha-bat vi-shel) Yom Ha-Ki-pu-rim.
Translation: Blessed are You, Adonai Eloheinu, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to kindle the light of (if Yom Kippur is on Shabbat add: Shabbat and) Yom Kippurim.
.ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, שהחינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה
2. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech ha-o-lam she-he-che-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-hi-gi-ya-nu liz-man ha-zeh.
Translation: Blessed are You, Adonai Eloheinu, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
“This is how you shall bless the children of Israel”
Blessing the Children: It is customary for parents to bless their children immediately before the fast. There is no required formula for this blessing, but it is customary to say: Adonai spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them:
“May Adonai bless you and watch over you.
“May Adonai cause His countenance to shine to you and favor you.
“May Adonai raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.”
They shall bestow My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
“May Adonai make you like Ephraim and Manasseh:”
Adoption of Grandsons: For a son the blessing is that he be like Ephraim and Manasseh. Literally the blessing is may you be “Doubly Fruitful” (Ephraim) and “Forgotten” (Manasseh). Originally the firstborn of Joseph (Yosef) in Egypt was Manasseh. When father Israel adopted and made these two grandsons “his sons,” he placed them in the birth order of his firstborn and second born sons:
Blessing #1. Reuben (רְאוּבֵן) – “Behold [My] Son.” From the imperative raah- רָאָה – to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider, learn about Him (the Messiah): and
Blessing #2. Shim’on (שִׁמְעוֹן) – “Hearing with Acceptance.” From shama’- שָׁמַע – to hear, understand and obey (the Messiah).
The Great Switch: The Sign of the Tav When Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own full sons, he elevates them to the status of his first two sons, Reuben (“Behold, a Son”) and Simeon (“Hearing with Acceptance”). However, during the blessing, Jacob intentionally crosses his hands, placing his right hand (the hand of the primary blessing) on the younger son, Ephraim, and his left hand on the older son, Manasseh. This crossing of the arms forms the ancient Hebrew letter Tav (𐤕 or ✝), which historically represents a sign, a covenant, or a mark of ownership. Through this prophetic act, the natural birth order is upended under a divine sign.
Prophetic Core: Forgiven and Fruitful The simplest core meaning of the blessing is a beautiful picture of redemption
[ Your Past Is Forgotten ] ------------► [ You Become Doubly Fruitful ]
(Manasseh / Sins erased) (Ephraim / Spiritual abundance)
Dual Reality: In the adoption ceremony Jacob/Israel switched the birth order! Therefore, under the Sign of the Tav the second born son Ephraim was made the firstborn son and the firstborn son was made the second born son. By wishing a son to be like Ephraim and Manasseh, a parent is praying for a dual reality:
Divine Amnesia of Sin: May all of your mistakes, shortcomings, sins, and the heavy oppression of the world be completely forgotten and remembered no more by God. Father Israel’s blessing was a prophetic role-play. There are many facets to the blessing but its simplest core meaning is may your sins—and the oppression of the world that goes with it—be one day (completely) “Forgotten.”
Supernatural Abundance: Once the slate is wiped clean, may you become “Doubly Fruitful.” Therefore, father Israel is saying to these two new adopted sons—born of an Egyptian mother and an Jewish father—may you (adopted ones) one day realize and enjoy all of the blessings and blessedness that is promised to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel by Adonai our Father; and may all of your trespasses, sins, and transgressions be forgotten and remembered no more.
[ Manasseh (1st Born) ] \ / [ Ephraim (2nd Born) ]
\ /
\ / <-- The Crossed Arms (Sign of the Tav)
/ \
/ \
[ Left Hand Blessing ] [ Right Hand Blessing ]Blessing of Full Adoption: Ephraim and Manasseh were born in exile (Egypt) to a Gentile mother (Asenath) and a Jewish father (Yoseph). Yet, Jacob completely adopts them, ensuring they receive the exact same status and inheritance as those born directly into the covenant. Therefore, when this blessing is spoken, it carries the powerful declaration that no matter your background, pedigree, or past environment, you are fully adopted by Adonai. You are granted full access to the promises, protection, and blessedness originally given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Divine Order: In the ancient Near East, the firstborn had a legal right to the double portion. By switching his hands, Jacob was demonstrating that grace bypasses natural entitlement.
Why Manasseh must precede Ephraim: This highlights a crucial spiritual law: Manasseh (Forgotten) must come before Ephraim (Fruitful), even though Jacob switched their prominent status. In the spiritual life, you cannot experience true, lasting “Ephraim-level” spiritual fruitfulness until you have experienced “Manasseh-level” deliverance from your past.
Egyptian (Worldly) Environment: Both boys were born in Egypt (a biblical symbol for the world, bondage, and system of sin). Joseph name-stamped his life experience on his children.
The Clearance (Manasseh): Before you can build a holy structure, the ground must be cleared. Manasseh represents the erasure of the old identity. It is the forgetting of the “land of my affliction,” the washing away of guilt, shame, and generational trauma.
The Growth (Ephraim): Once the past is forgotten and forgiven, the soil of your life becomes fertile. You are no longer acting out of survival or hurt; you are now free to bear “double fruit”—the good deeds, character, and spiritual legacy of a life led and guided by the indwelling Presence of the Spirit of the Holy One.
“May the Adonai make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah:”
“Overcoming” Virtue and Strength: For a daughter the blessing is that she be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. Here are four names with great meanings: Sarah is the mother of us all. Her name means “Princess.” Literally her name means one who has “struggled” and “overcome.” So when is the time that a woman struggles and overcomes to the greatest degree? Sarah struggled and overcame in child birth. She gave birth to Isaac, whose name means “Laughter.”
A Universal Tribute to Women: All of the good, finer things of life come into existence in the world through the procreative struggles, nurture and personal sacrifices of women.This blessing declares that the most beautiful, civilized, and “finer things of life” (love, culture, family, kindness) do not appear by accident. They are actively brought into existence through the unique sacrifices, nurturing spirit, and procreative struggles of women.
Legacy of the Matriarchs: In Jewish tradition, parents bless their daughters by asking God to make them “like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.” These four women are the foundational matriarchs of the Jewish people. The blessing wishes for the daughter to inherit their strength, wisdom, resilience, and righteousness, which allowed the nation of Israel to endure.
Meaning of Sarah: Princess and Overcomer: There are two layers of meaning for the name Sarah: “Princess” is the literal Hebrew translation of Sarah (שָׂרָה), signifying dignity, nobility, and leadership; and “Struggled and Overcame” expresses a deeper spiritual concept (similar to the root of the name Israel, which means “to wrestle/struggle with God and overcome”). This re-frames womanhood not as passive, but as a journey of overcoming great challenges.
Ultimate Struggle and “Laughter:” “Princess and Overcomer” points to childbirth and motherhood as the ultimate expression of a woman’s strength. Sarah was barren for most of her life and gave birth to her son, Isaac, in her old age. This required immense faith, physical endurance, and emotional resilience.
The Reward: Her struggle resulted in Isaac, whose name in Hebrew (Yitzhak) means “Laughter” or “Joy.” This leads us to a beautiful insight: The pain and struggle of Sarah’s labor and sacrifice directly birthed her deepest joy.
Meaning of Rebecca: Gatekeeper and Catalyst: The name Rivkah (רִבְקָה) comes from a root meaning “to tie, bind, or secure” (like a sturdy rope or a team of oxen). It carries the connotation of a captivating beauty that draws things together, but also an unwavering, unbreakable strength.
Overcoming Virtue of Kindness: We first meet Rebecca at the well, where she single-handedly draws hundreds of gallons of water for Abraham’s servant and his ten camels. This represents a staggering physical effort and a heart of radical hospitality. She overcomes apathy with overwhelming, proactive kindness.
Strategic Battle: Rebecca’s greatest struggle occurs during a agonizing pregnancy, where the twins Jacob and Esau wrestle inside her womb. When she inquires of Adonai, she receives a direct prophecy that the younger will lead.
Tying into Sarah’s Legacy: Like Sarah, Rebecca realizes that human traditions (like the natural right of the firstborn Esau) must be bypassed to protect the divine legacy. She orchestrates the strategic plan for Jacob to receive Isaac’s blessing. If Sarah is the Princess who establishes the royal house, Rebecca is the secure knot that ensures the house does not fall into the wrong hands.
Rachel: The Pure Lamb and Suffering One: The name Rachel (רָחֵל) literally means “Ewe”—a female lamb. In the ancient biblical economy, the lamb was the ultimate symbol of purity, gentleness, innocence, and immense value. Rachel’s life was defined by a heartbreaking romantic and maternal struggle. Her father, Laban, deceptively substituted her older sister Leah on her wedding night.
Eternal Intercessor: Rachel struggled through years of agonizing barrenness before giving birth to Joseph and Benjamin, ultimately dying in childbirth on the road to Bethlehem. Because of her sacrifice, the prophet Jeremiah depicts Rachel not as a passive victim, but as a intercessor mother crying out from the grave for her exiled children: “Rachel is weeping for her children… but Adonai says: ‘Keep your voice from weeping… for your work shall be rewarded.'” (Jeremiah 31:15-16).
Tying into Sarah’s Legacy: Rachel takes Sarah’s procreative struggle to its ultimate, literal limit. She sacrifices her very life to bring the final pillars of the nation into existence. She transforms the vulnerability of a “lamb” into an eternal, intercessory power that moves the heart of God. She is a type of the Messiah ben Yosef (Suffering Servant), the Lamb of God. For it is written:
נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו׃
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a rachel (רָחֵל), a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth
Ultimate Humility: In Isaiah 53:7, the Suffering Servant prophecy of a sheep or lamb before its shearers represents silent submission, ultimate humility, and a willing acceptance of suffering. While the text specifically uses the broader phrase “as a sheep before her shearers is silent,” the deeper meaning connects to the virtues of innocence and vulnerability:
Voluntary Submission: The Messiah ben Yoseph did not protest, defend himself, or cry out against the injustice being done to him.
Vulnerability and Defenselessness: A sheep being sheared is completely helpless, stripped of its fleece, and entirely at the mercy of the shearer, yet it does not fight back or bite.
Submission to a Purpose: The shearing process, while jarring and stripping, is part of a larger design; similarly, the passage emphasizes that the Suffering Servant willingly submits to a painful process for a greater, sacrificial purpose.
Innocence Under Trial: Just as a lamb has done nothing wrong to warrant harsh treatment, the Messiah is depicted as completely blameless, bearing the weight and sins of others without retaliation.
Meaning of Leah: God’s Strength made Perfect in Weakness: The name Leah (לֵאָה) historically translates to “Weary,” “Languid,” or “Grieved,” often associated with her “tender” or “weak” eyes; which had grown tired from weeping.
Struggle for Belonging: Leah’s entire marriage was a battle against rejection. She was the unloved wife, constantly overlooked in favor of her sister Rachel. Every time she gave birth, she named her sons in a desperate, heartbreaking attempt to win her husband’s affection (“Now my husband will love me”).
Buying Love: For years, Leah tried to buy Jacob’s love using her fertility as currency. You can see her emotional exhaustion step-by-step in the names she gave her first three sons:
Reuben (“Behold, a son”): She says, “Surely Adonai has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.”
Simeon (“Hearing”): She says, “Because Adonai has heard that I am hated, He has therefore given me this son also.”
Levi (“Attached/Joined”): She says, “Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons.”
Weary from Performing: With every birth, Leah is pacing the floor, weary from performing, striving, and hoping that this milestone will finally make her chosen, seen, and loved by a human being. She was exhausted from fighting a battle she could not win.
Spiritual Victory: Leah’s true transformation—her moment of “overcoming”—happens at the birth of her fourth son. She stops wrestling for human approval, turns her gaze entirely to God, and declares: “This time I will praise Adonai.” Therefore, she names the boy Judah (Yehudah, meaning “Gratitude” or “Praise”). From this act of overcoming her emotional exile, the Tribe of Judah was born, which eventually produced King David and the Messiah ben Yoseph ben David.
Tying into Sarah’s Legacy: While Sarah overcame physical barrenness, Leah overcame emotional and relational barrenness. She teaches a daughter how to rise above rejection, find her ultimate worth in the Creator, and build a legacy of praise out of the weary and heavy laden places of life. Leah teaches us the spiritual mechanics of how praise breaks weariness. Praise is not a happy feeling; it is a strategic weapon that shifts spiritual gravity.
Praise Breaks Codependency: Leah’s weariness came from making Jacob the source of her identity. When she praised God instead of seeking Jacob’s approval, she broke the idol of human validation. She essentially said, “Even if I am unloved by my husband, I am seen, validated, and chosen by the King of the Universe.”
Praise Operates in the Active Voice: By choosing to praise Adonia in the middle of a painful marriage, Leah refused to be a passive victim of her circumstances. Her praise was a declaration of sovereignty over her own heart.
Praise Releases the Burden: The Hebrew root Yadah also carries the literal meaning of “to throw down or cast away” (like throwing a stone). When Leah praised, she was literally throwing down the heavy burden of her weariness at the feet of God!
Proximity to the Center of Life—“Twelve Reflections”:
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָֽאָדָם בְּצַלְמֹו בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתֹו זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָֽם׃
Elohim created man (אָדָם) in His own image (צֶלֶם), in the image of Elohim He created him (a unity); zakar (זָכָר-a male part) and nekvah (נְקֵבָה-a female part) He created them (a unity).
Treasured Interior of Adonai: When God made ishah (woman) out of ish (man) He did not make her out of the protective exterior of man (זָכָר). The heavenly Father made woman out of the exceedingly more vulnerable and far more precious interior of man (נְקֵבָה). Woman was made out of the best part of man that is most intimately located next to the Center of Life, the Heart. The Torah frames the creation of woman (Ishah) not as a secondary afterthought, but as the ultimate, exquisite completion of the Divine Image. By analyzing the Hebrew text of Genesis alongside human anatomy and spiritual symbolism, the following twelve reflections reverse thousands of years of misinterpretations. They positively reframe womanhood as the very heart, relational intelligence, and most treasured interior of both humanity and the Divine.
וַיַּפֵּל ה’ אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃
So Adonai Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one (sing.) of his ribs (plural) and closed up the flesh at that place.
The Fifth Rib / Adam Ishah: (Reflection #1). The fifth rib is the rib that most intimately rests just over the apex of the Heart. The life-treasure (blood) that is produced from the center of the soul—metaphorically from ‘inside’ the bone—is what the Heart distributes and circulates throughout the entire body. The apex of the heart is located at a point in between the fifth and the sixth left ribs. It is at a distance of about 3 and a ½ inch from the center of your heart.
Heart / Spirit of Adonai. (Reflection #2). The Heart is the symbol of the Spirit of the Holy One. The Heart distributes the life of the blood throughout the body. Our entire physical being depends on the heart. Blood that is generated in the marrow of the bone is symbolic of the Life of the Holy One. “Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” in context means the “best of my soul and the best of my body”:
וַיֹּאמֶר הָֽאָדָם זֹאת הַפַּעַם עֶצֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַי וּבָשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא אִשָּׁה כִּי מֵאִישׁ לֻֽקֳחָה־זֹּֽאת׃
The man said,
“This is now bone (sing.) of my bones (plural),
And flesh (sing.) of my flesh (plural);
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Suffice it to say that women are representative of the finest, most exquisite intimacies of the Life of the Holy One and therefore, of their husbands too (Adam).
Adam Him and Adam Her. (Reflection #3). In their original (very good) perfect unity there was no separate name for him and her until after sin came into the world. in our innocence we were made inseparably one with Adonai. We were not separate. We existed as echad (one) in the unity (echad) of the Spirit of the holy One. Regarding this state of perfect unity it is important to remember that Avinu Shebashamayim, our heavenly Father, is neither male or female. He is the Source of both and the inseparable unity of both. He is Eternal Spirit. Not Human. The Hebrew male gender is assigned to the Creator (Hayotzer) only because He pre-exists everyone and everything. In Hebrew order counts: male is first in order and female is what comes out of the order; everything comes out of the Creator, therefore, He is designated by the male gender.
וַיִּבֶן ה’ אֱלֹהִים אֶֽת־הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר־לָקַח מִן־הָֽאָדָם לְאִשָּׁה וַיְבִאֶהָ אֶל־הָֽאָדָֽם׃
And Adonai Elohim built the rib that He had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man.
Soul Resting on God’s Unfailing Heart: (Reflection #4). Before sin both Ish and Ishah as echad (one unity) shared the same name. In the unity of the same name the woman represents the special part of the Soul (the rib) that rests most closely upon Adonai’s Unfailing Heart (His Divine Spirit).
וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֱלֹהִים לֹא־טֹוב הֱיֹות הָֽאָדָם לְבַדֹּו אֶֽעֱשֶׂהּ־לֹּו עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדֹּֽו׃
Then Adonai Elohim said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper (ezer-עֵזֶר) for him, corresponding to him.”
The Treasured One: (Reflection #5). Although woman came out of man and she is the second born, she is the most treasured one. She is the completer/helper (עֵזֶר) of man. Adam him/her is the totality of the Image of Adonai. The woman is the best of that totality. This means:
The woman is the best of the totality of the Image of God.”
Ultimate Intimacy: (Reflection #6). Before sin the First Adam possessed the Unfailing Heart. He possessed all twenty-four ribs; the fullness of the Spirit in his soul (nephesh). Of special prominence he possessed five ribs (ribs 2 through 6) that cover the Heart (the Spirit) and ribs that cover the lungs (where the breath of the Spirit is distributed). But Ish Adam’s multiplicity of protective and life preserving internal and external features do not allow him to so completely give himself over to a life of shared emotional intimacy with the Holy One, as is the case with the woman.
The Best of the Totality of God: (Reflection #7). The woman is the closest (sing. fifth rib) to the Heart and is thereby the “best of the man” and as such she is the most treasured part of Adonai (His eternal emotional/relational intelligence). Adonai has charged Adam-Man with the most sacred duty of protecting and serving the most treasured part of Himself and that is the most excellent emotional and relational life of the Woman.
Most Exalted: (Reflection #8). The Woman originated solely from the most exalted of the 24 ribs of Man (the fifth rib). So precious and highly valued was her divinely appointed role that man was expected to sacrificially lay down his life in protection of her. When Woman (Ishah) was seduced and assaulted with lies (deceived) by the evil one, her Man (Ish) failed to defend and protect her.
Deceived and Abandoned: (Reflection #9). The Woman did not sin. She was deceived. Her husband, on the other hand, the First Adam did consciously and willfully sin. With full awareness, premeditation, and deliberateness the Man (Adam ben HaElohim) chose to disobey the Holy One, who was Adonai His Father.
From Defender to Accuser: (Reflection #10). So what was the first woman to do? Her protector, the First Adam ben Elohim, who at the first correctly showered her with love and protection, who sheltered her with Paradise (Gan Eden), now, at the last, became her “Accuser.” Adam miserably failed God’s love test. He rejected and abandoned his wife; who was the exalted treasure, the best of Adonai.
Adam used his wife as a human shield to “cover” (protect) himself.
The First Adam chose to blame the most cherished, beautiful, and vulnerable part of his being. Adam, the protector of the woman, blamed the protected one for his failure to be her deliverer. Adam, the protector of the woman, in disobedience became devilish. He became the woman’s Accuser. So he deflected all of the blame off of himself onto his wife. He even blamed the heavenly Father!
וַיֹּאמֶר הָֽאָדָם הָֽאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עִמָּדִי הִוא נָֽתְנָה־לִּי מִן־הָעֵץ וָאֹכֵֽל׃
The man said, “The woman (הָֽאִשָּׁה-ha-ishah) whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
From Treasure to “Human Shield.” (Reflection #11). “The ishah You made from my rib, she seduced me.” As if to say, none of this is due to my failure it is all due to You Adonai Elohim and to the woman Ýou gave me. When Adam isolated himself from God and sought to protect only himself, he stripped off the covering from his wife and left her naked. Adam then reversed his role as protector (and redeemer) and chose to wickedly use the woman as a means of “covering” himself.
Adam-Man thereafter assigned the Woman a separate name and her own separate (subordinated) place. The First Adam HaElohim failed to atone for the trespass (non-premeditated) deception of his wife. He failed miserably when he willfully chose to ally himself with the evil one and become His deceived wife’s sinful Accuser instead the woman’s righteous Redeemer. Adam became estranged from Adonai and from the most treasured part of his life, his wife.
So What did Adonai do to deliver His Adam Ish and Ishah?
Ultimate Redemption, the Final Adam: (Reflection #12). God’s treasure was the man (precious) and woman (most precious) together. They (him-her) came out of His own being. As one Unity of the Spirit they were the Image of the Eternal One. He so enjoyed the crown of His creation (Ish) and the crown of His Unfailing Heart (Ishah). So what was He to do? To rescue the man and the woman the heavenly Father sent a Final Adam HaElohim, His Suffering Servant. Rather than using humanity as a shield as the first Adam did, the Messiah ben Yoseph sacrificed himself to “cover” all of humanity, restoring the original unity (echad) of the Spirit and the lost reflection of the Divine Image.