This week’s Parsha starts with the verse: אִשָּׁה כִי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָּׁלְדָּׁה זָּׁכָּׁר גוֹ׳ “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male”.
In the section for this week’s Parsha (The Chassidisha Parsha) in Likkutei Torah, The Alter Rebbe explains whilst quoting the Talmud: “A woman who emits seed first, bears a male” and the reason for this is: Because all things in holiness are integrated with each other.
So too, the same principle applies with regards to Man and Woman, in other words, masculine and feminine which corresponds to the attributes of Chessed and Gevurah: they incorporate each other. As is apparent that within Chessed, Gevurah is revealed. Within Gevurah, Chessed is revealed.
We see the similar principle in the world itself: South is on the right side, the side corresponding to Chessed, in which we experience intense heat (in a real manner). This is why the skin colour of the people of the southern hemisphere is black. This is also why that side of the world is far less inhabited. Because the Chessed of the south incorporates Gevurah which is a blackness and is lacking settlement.
On the other hand, the North [of the world] which is on the left side corresponds to Gevurah which is manifested in this world as Chessed. We observe that the skin colour of the people of the northern hemisphere is white. And it is the main habitation of the world’s seventy nations. [Within these two directions, the whole of the four directions are all completely included. Because Mizrach (East) is called Ponim (Face) and Maariv (West) is called rear. Therefore, South is to the right and north is to the left].
In like manner we can apply the same principles of integration to the higher spiritual worlds to the concepts as Hashem calls them. There is the Divine name ‘Mah’ which represents the supernal attribute of Chessed, and there is the Divine name ‘Ban’ which represents the supernal attribute of Gevurah. Then [it follows that] there is a state of ‘Ban’ of ‘Mah’ and a state of ‘Mah’ of ‘Ban’.
With this it should be understood why it is that when a woman emits seed first she bears a male. Because the woman’s giving is a state of Chessed.
Accordingly, it is also explained in ‘Likkutei Torah’ that in a person’s spiritual Avodah there also needs to be an inter-inclusion of the other Middos etc.
Two Explanations for the Talmudic Dictum
At the beginning of the Maamor, the Alter Rebbe brings a different explanation explaining this previously above-mentioned Talmudic dictum: “A woman who emits seed first bears a male” and says: The philosophers are pressed to answer that this is because the woman emits seed first, and the man’s seed comes thereafter and sits on top and in line with the rule that the ‘upper dominates’ [therefore the child is a male]. (As in the Talmudic principle: “everything follows the conclusion”).
But the Alter Rebbe then quashes this answer and asserts that the child’s male gender actually comes from the woman’s seed etc. [and not from the man’s].
It is obvious that there is scope to consider the first explanation since it is brought in Torah. And as the Rebbe’s father highlights in a letter that everything that is written in Torah, even if it is a Halochoh which is rejected, is all said by Hashem. Hashem Himself said these [words] and [He] also said בְדוּתָּׁא הִיא that they are not correct.
Similarly, when a question remains unanswered, it is also said by Hashem and questioned and allowed to remain as an unanswered question by Hashem. -In other words, this is all part of the Torah which is eternal.
And if this is the case with regards to the revealed dimension of Torah, how much more so is it with regards to the esoteric dimension of Torah. Even the initial assumptions remain an integral part of the eternal Torah. Except that in the upper realm the conclusion lies with the second opinion.
Why Bring the First Answer?
However, seemingly this all still requires some explanation. Why did the Alter Rebbe bring the philosopher’s answer first and then refute it? Why did he not go straight to the second answer with which he concludes? Specifically considering that the second answer comes from the inner dimension of Torah, that the Chessed...
