גיטין א

So my heart rejoices, my whole being exults, and my body rests secure.

Based on the Torah of Hilchos Gitin, Halacha 1 & Likutay Moharan I, §69

"And he shall give to the father of the girl fifty silver shekalim" (Devarim 22:29): According to the Torah teaching mentioned above (in Hilchos Gitin, Halacha 1) — for corresponding to malchus dikudsha (the kingdom of holiness) there is malchus harisha (the wicked kingdom). And malchus dikudsha — its vitality and completeness are through da'as (spiritual knowledge and connection). And conversely, the wicked kingdom strengthens itself over money (mamon) — to gather and accumulate — see there. But malchus dikudsha has the power to extract all the money from it and to make from it da'as — in the aspect of "and to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and accumulating to give to the one who is good before God" (Koheles 2:26) — see there.

Now, marriage in holiness is in the aspect of malchus dikudsha — which receives vitality and da'as from her husband through the holy union (zivug dikudsha). But the rapist (oaness — one who forces a virgin) and the seducer (mifateh — one who deceives and seduces a virgin) — which is the union of the sitra achra — is in the aspect of the wicked kingdom, whose vitality draws from the aspect of the sparks within money (nitzotzos shebimamon), as above. For money (mamon) is in the aspect of the woman — which is the aspect of malchus — as Rabbeinu, his light shall shine, wrote many times. For money comes from the aspect of the gevuros (forces of judgment), which are the aspect of the woman — for "women have light minds" (nashim da'atan kala) and their da'as is only in the aspect of the gevuros, as is brought. And from there the sitra achra draws its vitality, as is brought. And therefore it is necessary to draw down vitality to her — that is, da'as and chesed — to save her and guard her from the sitra dimosa and the sitra achra that are close to her and seize hold there. And when she has no vitality — the aspect of chesed and da'as as above — then they have sustenance, God forbid. And their sustenance draws from the money, which is the aspect of the gevuros — which is the aspect of her own inherent vitality that she has from herself, from which they seize hold, as above. And this is the aspect of the wicked kingdom, whose vitality derives from money, as above.

And therefore the rapist or seducer — who represents the strengthening of the wicked kingdom through the blemish of the union of the sitra achra — therefore his punishment is in money: they extract money from him and give it to her father. For there he blemished in the aspect of money, through which the wicked kingdom strengthened — for then they suckle from the money and wish to gather money to themselves, since there dwell the sparks of holiness. Therefore they extract money from the rapist or the seducer — in order to draw the money out of the aspect of the wicked kingdom — in the aspect of "he swallowed wealth and he shall vomit it out" (Iyov 20:15). For the rapist, etc., is himself in the aspect of the wicked kingdom, as above. And they extract money from him and give it to her father — who is in the aspect of av bachochma (father in wisdom). And then the money returns and becomes wisdom (chochma) and da'as through having left the aspect of the wicked kingdom — the rapist, etc. — and returned to the aspect of av bachochma, as above.

And this is why the woman is always under the authority of another — either under the authority of her husband or under the authority of her father. For she needs to receive vitality through them — the aspect of chochma — so that they do not suckle from her. For their vitality draws only when she lacks the above-mentioned vitality — which is supernal chesed, the aspect of great da'as (da'as gadol) — as is explained there. And therefore the husband and the father acquire rights over all her money that she has — her found objects, the work of her hands, and the other rights — for all her money, which is her own vitality, must be under the authority of the husband or father so that the aspect of da'as and chesed should be drawn into the aspect of money — which is the aspect of the gevuros — so that the wicked kingdom should not gain strength, God forbid, to suckle from the money, as above.

And this is the aspect of the fifty silver shekalim that he gives to her father. For it is necessary to return the money to holiness — to the aspect of av bachochma — so that da'as should be made from it, as above. And da'as is the aspect of the fifty gates of Bina (nun sha'aray Bina), the aspect of the manna (man), as is brought there in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. And therefore they must give fifty shekalim — and then the money returns and becomes the aspect of the fifty gates of Bina.

And from this was derived the measure of the kesuba (marriage contract) as well — fifty shekalim. For in a holy union (zivug dikudsha) it is also necessary to give her a kesuba of fifty shekalim. For all her vitality is through money, as above — and as Rabbeinu, his light shall shine, wrote (§69). And the money must be drawn to her through her husband specifically — for then the money is sweetened (nitmak): the money that is her vitality — which is the aspect of the gevuros — through her husband, who is the aspect of chesed and da'as. He sweetens and rectifies her money and her vitality. And therefore it is necessary to give her a kesuba of fifty silver shekalim — in order to draw money to her that has been sweetened through him, and it becomes the aspect of fifty silver shekalim, the aspect of the fifty gates of Bina, as above — so that she receives the vitality in completeness in the aspect of chesed and da'as, as above.

And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said — that the kesuba is so that she should not be light (kala) in his eyes to divorce her. "Kala" specifically — the aspect of "women have light minds" (nashim da'atan kala), as above. And through his giving her the illumination of the kesuba — the aspect of fifty, etc. — then she is not kala. For da'as and chesed have been drawn to her, as above. And through this very thing she is not kala to divorce — for then the bond is complete. For the essential bond is through da'as — and when she has complete da'as as well, they are bonded properly. And then she is not kala to divorce, for her da'as is complete, as above.

And this is the aspect of the saying: "Your daughter has matured — free your servant and give her to him." For she needs to always be under the authority of her father or under the authority of her husband — in order to be guarded through them, as above. And when she has matured and has thus left the authority of her father, one must hasten to marry her off so that she may be under the authority of her husband, as above.

Tam vinishlam shevach la'El boreh olam. Baruch hanosain la-ya'ef koach u-l'ayn onim atzma yarbeh. Completed and finished, praise to God, Creator of the world. Blessed is He who gives strength to the weary and to those without might increases power.