Thursday, January 14, 2021

Pleasure and chasidim

Noam Elimelech (1:10-11): And Adam know Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Caine (Bereishis 4:1).  It would seem that the meaning of the word "know" isn't clear. The Torah could have simply said that Adam had intercourse?. This can be explained that the matter is similar to the verses regarding Avraham's description of his wife Sarah – "Now I know that you are a beautiful woman." I heard that there is  a sefer that says that because Avraham went to Egypt where there they are steeped in sexuality and because of their thoughts and fantasy about sexuality – that Avraham was  effected and he started to think about his wife. That is why he said, "Now I know." The path of the true tzadik is not to have any thoughts or fantasies or lusts – even about his wife. And even when he is having intercourse with his wife he should be thinking about the higher spiritual worlds and not be aware at all that he is with his wife. Therefore the meaning of "And Adam knew his wife Eve" is that he paid attention and knew that she was his wife during intercourse. Consequently she became pregnant and gave birth to Caine who is described in the Zohar (1: 54a) as "the nest of evil". The gemora (Sanhedrin 38b) says that two got into bed and seven came out of the bed. This is an allusion to his great level that he started with but that he went down 7 spiritual levels because of his awareness of the physical pleasure of being with his wife. A person who conducts himself  with proper holiness will regain the 7 spiritual levels that Adam lost.

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