תורה 69

Know, that anyone who robs another person’s money robs him of his children: the robber takes the victim’s children. This is because the essence of a man’s wealth comes to him on account of his wife. Money comes to him through the luminance of her soul—i.e., by the lights of this luminance shining and spreading. These lights are the aspect of wealth, because wealth and the soul are from the same place, as explained elsewhere.

From the works of the Ari we know that the soul (nefesh) corresponds to the feminine aspect, since it is the final element of nefesh - ruach - neshamah. Furthermore, the woman’s combined nefesh - ruach - neshamah parallels the man’s nefesh. This is because the entirety of any lower level corresponds to nefesh, the feminine, vis-à-vis the level above it. Therefore, his wealth comes through the feminine aspect, his wife, since she is his aspect of nefesh .

As explained elsewhere, his wealth essentially depends on her. She is the aspect of the feet; as is written in the Zohar: “He safeguards the feet of His pious ones” (1 Samuel 2:9)—this is woman (Zohar I, 112b). It is also written (Deuteronomy 11:6), “and all the subsistence at their feet”—this is a person’s money, which stands him on his feet (Pesachim 119a). For wealth essentially stems from nefesh, the feminine, the aspect of the feet.

This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “One who lives without a wife, lives without a wall” (Yevamot 62b)—i.e., without wealth. For a wall is the aspect of wealth, as it is written (Proverbs 18:11), “The rich man’s wealth is his stronghold, it is like a towering wall….” Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “Honor your wives in order that you may become wealthy” (Bava Metzia 59a) .

Each man that enters the world, comes with his prospective spouse, the amount of money he is destined to have in this life, and the number of fruits—i.e., children—that he will have here. These are analogous to a tree with branches and fruits: The light of [his wife’s] soul is the tree trunk, from which branches issue and spread out. This is the shining and spreading of her light—i.e., the aspect of wealth, the branches of the tree. And on these branches, the fruits—i.e., the children—grow.

Thus, a person who robs another’s money, robs and takes from him the branches of his tree—i.e., the shining light of [his wife’s] soul, the source of the money. He therefore robs and takes from that person the souls of his sons and daughters, since they are dependent on the light of this branch for their sustenance and growth. They are the very fruits that grow on these branches, so that when one takes the branch, one takes the fruits.

This is as it is written (Esther 5:11), “Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and of his numerous children.” The one is dependent on the other. It is also written (Job 21:7-8), “they grow venerable and even become more powerful. Their offspring are established in their sight, [with them,] and their children’s children are before their eyes.” “They grow venerable and even become more powerful!”—[“more powerful”] alludes to riches, as a result of which “Their offspring are established….”

This is also the meaning of what Rachel and Leah said: “All the wealth that God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children” (Genesis 31:16)—specifically “belongs to us and to our children,” since one’s wealth is on account of one’s wife. And the children are dependent on her, because a wife is the tree itself, wealth is its branches, and the children are the fruits that grow on these branches, as explained above. This is the deeper meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “When someone robs another person, it is as if he robs him of… the souls of his sons and daughters” (Bava Kama 119a) .