The women are commanded to observe hakhel in order to hear the reading of the Torah. The shmiah, or listening, of the women is in some way higher than the learning of the men. Shmiah, "to hear," means "to absorb," as in Shema Yisrael Hashem Eloheinu Hashem Echad. The woman hears something which is deeper than that which the man understands. When a woman hears, she connects to a higher level of the soul than the mind of the man who rationally learns.
Nashim is the general word for "women." Itis in the plural form. In this plural form it alludes to the word neshima, "breathing," or neshama, "soul." The vocalization, nekudot,below the words, are the neshama of the words (as explained above). The nekudot are called the "soul of the Torah." This also associates with breathing, neshima. The last verse in Psalms says, "Kol haneshama t'hallel Yah, Halleluyah." Our Sages interpret this to mean that every breath that one breathes should have the consciousness of the praise of G-d, who gives the breath. One cannot breathe one breath without the influx of Divine energy. In the beginning of creation, G-d blew the breath of life into the nostrils of man. This should be the level of consciousness with every breath we take. This level of consciousness, that with every breath G-d is breathing into one good life, just as in the beginning of creation, is a woman consciousness.
The cantillation, the ta'amim, above the words, the song of the Torah, is called "the soul of the soul." The taf is connected to a level of the Torah called "the soul of the soul." The source of hatafa drops from the super conscious into the conscious of Ruach Hakodeshand prophecy. This comes from the children. Even now, in the time of the exile,prophecy was taken from men, but not from women and children. Sometimes this is interpreted as a derogatory statement. This is not so. Whatever is eternal is at an infinitely higher source than that which ceases at a certain point. Jewish women and children can retain a dimension of prophecy which is lost to the consciousness of Jewish men. The women and children are connected to a super-rational source of the Torah and Holy Spirit. This is inherent in every Jewish soul, but women and children can manifest it in a way that men cannot.
Other chapters in this series:
- Teneh–Revealed and Concealed Levels of Torah
- Teneh – Categories of the Jewish People Correspond to Levels of Torah
- Hakhel – To Learn, to Hear, to Merit
- Taf (Children) – Drops and Prophecy
- Nashim (Women) – Breath and Soul
- Inner Dimension of Torah and the Inner Dimension of the Heat
- Redemption in Merit of Women and Children
- Search For My Inner Essence
- Two Levels of the Inner Dimension
- Israel, Torah, and God – Inner and External Dimensions
- Four Directions and the Four Worlds
- Emanation Consciousness – No Friction
- Face, Innerness, Glory, and Atzilut (Emanation)
- Awareness of a Higher Dimension Helps to Create a Good Year
