Genesis 2:22: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”

 

This is a very well know passage of Scripture to Christians. Probably all that can be said about this passage in Christianity has been said.  This has been interpreted to show the superiority of man to woman or the equality of man and woman, or even the superiority of a woman to man.  Millions of sermons have been given on this passage to explain the relationship of a man and woman and their relationship to God.

 

Can anything more be said about this passage?  I search through Jewish literature and found some interesting takes on the Hebrew which does offer some insight worthy of one’s consideration.

 

For instance, the word rib in the Hebrew is hazela which simply means side or body part as well as rib.  Who is to say what English word we should apply to hazela?  Tradition, bias, speculation as well as sound linguistical principles all goes into what our Bible translators finally decided what English word is eventually applied but many definitions found in our lexicons are still man’s best guess. What we are sure of is that God used a hazela to fashion a woman.  Man and Woman share something in a physical sense to be joined together as one. We know form the word hazela that a woman was created to stand at man’s side to be – what?   His servant, cook, dishwasher?   Hazela is truly a puzzle and like many ancient words for a language that has been dead for almost 3,000 years we are left with only traditional, speculation and our best guess. If God gave us His inspired word in a language that would die out during the captivity period, it would stand to reason that He would also give us that word in a language where there would be, what my study partner calls, a built in commentary. In my doctoral research I have learned that the ancient sages and Jewish teachers used such a commentary to teach the Word of God by using phonetic sounds and that these sounds which spell out many words form the letters of the words and if we were to understand these meanings it might shed some light on the original intent of the meaning of many Hebrew words where the original has become lost. In my research of Jewish literature for my doctoral dissertation I ran across some ancient discussions by learned Jewish rabbis who used this built in commentary.

 

The word hazela (rib) is spelled Hei, Zayin Lamed.   Like a puzzle the ancient sages took the letters and rearranged them in a predetermined pattern and they got Lamed, Zayin, Hei or leezah. Leezah means for advice.   A woman was granted an extra measure of wisdom so she could stand at a man’s side and offer advice.  Hence the Talmud teaches: “If a man’s wife be short, let him bend down and incline his ears to listen unto her sage counsel.”

 

God is commonly referred to as Elohiym which is in a masculine form.  God is also call YHVH which has a feminine grammatical ending.  Elohiym implies judgment and accountability.  YHVH implies compassion and lovingkindness.  Hence a father is the counterpart to Elohiym, the masculine name of God. A father is the strict disciplinarian in the home and a mother represents the counter part to YHVH who provides the compassion and lovingkindness in the home.   In gematria the word woman (ishah) has a numerical value of 306.   Honey (devash) is often a term of endearment used by a husband for his wife.  Men have called their wives Honey throughout the ages and it is believed it has its origins in the word Davash which also has a numerical value of 306. The mother is like honey as the land of Israel is referred to as a land of milk and honey.   Man (iysh) has a numerical value of 311.  Shevet also has a numerical value of 311. Shevet means a scepter or symbol of authority.   We are given two parents; a Father who is the one who has the authority to discipline and a Mother is the one who is like honey. God represents both Mother and Father, one who is both an authority to decree discipline and is also honey.

 

Man and woman (iysh, ishah) share identical letters, the Aleph and Shin.  Man has an additional letter, a Yod, and woman has the additional letter, the Hei.   Yod and He together create the presence of Yah the name of God.  Without God all that is left is the Aleph and Shin (esh) which is the word for fire. Fire is a symbol of passion which allows for the intimacy between a man and woman, but in the absence of the Yod and Hei fire will consume and destroy the union.

 

The word for father is av, Aleph and Beth.   Aleph represents God and the Beth represents the home.  A father’s function is to introduce the oneness of God into the home.  Aleph is one, beth is two, add this together and you have a total of three.  What is three? It is the trinity. (Opps that is my little contribution, not the sages).  Every father must incorporate the characteristics of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the paradigm of paternal perfection.

 

The word for mother is em  which is the same word  im but with different vowel pointings. Im means if.   The sages teach that the mother is the big if in family life. In her hands is the future and fate of her children.  In Jewish law, a child takes after the identity of his or her mother. Women are considered more important than men in religious training.  Women are to be taught first for the mother is the big if.

 

Ok, so we have been thinking out of the box and played around with the Hebrew to bring us into some deeper insight. But have I really shared anything that is not Scriptural? Have I shared anything  that could be called heresy?   Or does this little study from ancient Jewish teachers using God’s built in commentary in the Hebrew help to broaden our understanding?  Well, only you can decide for yourself what you will believe.

 

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