Zohar was not originally in the form we have today

 This is an attempt to properly manage the outpouring of major hashkofa questions that have appeared in the comments section of the post regarding the Arizal and the Gra. I am taking one of the questions there with my response.
http://daattorah.blogspot.co.il/2013/01/part-i-gra-arizal-disagreed-r-michael.html

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EmesLeYaacovJanuary 10, 2013 3:26 PM

Chevra,

I don't think anyone is denying that there existed in ancient times some type of "Kabbalistic" Torah (Chagiga 11b).

But the real issue is - we are being told by R. Tzadok and other Kabbalah supporters that the sefer Zohar has a "mesora".

CAN ANY ZOHAR SUPPORTERS PLEASE ADDRESS THIS QUESTION?

In which authentic seforim or documents did ANY of the major Rishonim such as Rambam, Rashi, Rosh, Ramban, Rif etc. ever write that:

1) A Kabbalistic sefer known as the Zohar existed at the time of the Rishonim, or else had existed in ancient times
2) The sefer Zohar was authored by R. Shimon Bar Yochai or other ancient rabbinic authorities
3) The sefer Zohar was accurately and completely transmitted from the ancient rabbis to the time of the Rishonim

Please cite the exact sources where Rishonim mentioned Nos. 1, 2, or 3 above. Simply claiming that a Rishon recognized some type of "Kabbalah" is not an intellectually honest answer to my question.

If the Zohar supporters cannot provide valid answers to questions 1-3 above, how can they possibly argue that the Zohar represents "mesora"?

================================

I responded with the following:

@emes l'yaakov you are simply repeated a rather tired argument. It might enlighten you to read Prof Moshe Idel's Introduction to Kabbalah: New Perspectives (Yale UP 1988). There he contrasts Gershon Sholem's obsession with texts as the necessary basis for the study of kabbala while Idel argues that Kabbala is not primarily text based but Oral. Oral transmission is the foundation of the Oral Torah - which includes obviously kabbala. 

Even though there are prohibition of writing the Oral Torah - this was bypassed out of necessity. We are the people of the book - a Muslim designation - not by nature. The switch between an Oral transmission to a written one - especially with advances in technology such as the printing press or computers with databases - has created major difficulties. The accelerated growth of material which needs to be known is primarily a result of this written culture. With an Oral Transmission there are refinements, evolution and forgotting - just as there is with the human mind.

An example of what I am saying was stated by Rav Moshe Chagiz - one of the major zealot's and opponent of the Ramchal.   Mishnas Chachomim 232-234

Rav Moshe Chagiz (Mishnas Chochomim #332): Included in the proper requirements for love of one’s companions is to accept the truth from anyone who says it. The truth is clear that the editor and arranger of the holy Zohar was definitely a great man. He obtained material in written form. He then merited from Heaven to redact and publish it’s  exalted and sublime wisdom according to the order of the Torah. However this redaction and publication of the book which we have today, that is called the Zohar, was not  Heaven forfend  organized  by Rav Shimon bar Yochai or Rabbi Abba. It is a serious mistake to belive such a thing which blatently foolish. A similar mistaken belief is the belief that the Talmud that we have today is exactly that which Avraham had. This mistaken belief is something which should not even occur to G-d’s people who are Avraham’s direct descendants. We – thank G‑d - know how the Oral Torah developed  and how it was transmitted to us by oral transmission from Moshe who received it from G‑d. Mishnas Chochomim #333): And this that our Sages say that Avraham fulfilled the entire Torah even eiruv tavshilin  - it is not to be taken literally but only in the manner that I wrote in my first introduction to Eilu haMizvos. While it is true that everything was revealed to Avraham as our Sages learned from Bereishis (18:17), And G‑d said, How can I conceal from Avraham what I am about to do?... but we need to shut the mouths of critics who think we are fools and idiots who believe everything. Similarly, G‑d forfend that this wise and understanding people should understand literally the statement of our Sages (Berachos 5a), The verse “And I will give you the Tablets” refers to the Ten Commandments while “Torah” is refering to the Five Books of Moses, “And mitzvos” is referring to the Mishna, “which I have written” is referring to the Prophets and Writings , “to teach them” is referring to the Talmud – that this teaches us that all of this was given to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. It is clearly false to say that our Sages meant to tell us that Moshe received all of this the way we have it written down today.That is because prior to Rabbi Yehuda haNassi the entire Oral Torah was prohibited to put in written form. Consequently it is obvious that G‑d transmitted the Oral Torah (Mishna and Gemora) to Moshe not in written form. Rather it was only orally that G‑d revealed to him every generation and its authorities as well as all that which the diligent student would ask in the future. The majority of that transmission is that we remains and exists amongst us that has been validated,  certified and established so that there is no basis for us to question it. All of this I have already written in the Introduction I mentioned before. Mishnas Chochomim #334): And so it is with this awesome composition – the Zohar. There is no basis to question that the essence of the words as they are – came from the mouth of the Rashbi and his colleagues. Therefore whoever raises doubts about it is no different than one who raises doubts about G‑d. Nonetheless the one who redacted it made the connections  and continuity as he saw fit as is clear from the selection of the Zohar that I presented before in section 329.  
Mishnas Chochomim #329):Zohar (2:190b):’ “When they came into his presence R. Simeon at once saw from their faces that something was troubling them. He said to them: ‘Enter, my holy children! Come, O ye beloved sons of the King! Come, my cherished and dearly loved ones, ye who love one another!’-for R. Abba once said that Companions who love not one another pass away from the world before their time. All the Companions in the time of R. Simeon loved one another with heart and soul, and therefore in his generation the secrets were revealed; for he was wont to say that students of the Holy Torah who do not love one another cause a departure from the right path, and what is even more serious, cause a blemish in the very Torah itself, for the Torah is the essence of love, brotherhood, and truth. Abraham loved Isaac, and Isaac loved Abraham. They embraced one another; and Jacob was held by both in love and fellowship, intermingling their spirits each with each. Therefore members of the fellowship follow that example in order not to cause any blemish in the Torah.  As we have said, R. Simeon, having observed a certain sign in the faces of the newcomers, welcomed them with words of love; and they answered him saying, ‘Of a truth the spirit of prophecy rests upon the Holy Lamp, and so we should have known”.’... we see from this that even though all the words of this selection are true, it clearly indicates that the Zohar we have was only composed some time after the lifetime of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai by means of someone else who used his own mind to determine its form.

Rav Sternbuch:Taking care of senile ex- wife?

Teshuvos v'Hanhagos (5:316): A woman who has Alzheimer's  and her husband wants to divorce her.

Question: Regarding a woman who has Alzheimer's and the husband wants a normal married life and even though they have children - he is not able to live without a healthy wife. Therefore he was given permission to marry a second wife after he deposited a get and kesuba with beis din and guaranteed support for his first wife. However he feels pity for his first wife and wants with the agreement of his second wife to take care of his first wife when she needs it and to deal with her medical issues. Thus the question is since he has married a second wife and thus the first wife is prohibited to him - is it prohibited for him to have yichud and physical contact with her? Answer: It would seem that since it is prohibited for him to have two wife and therefore sexual relations with the first wife is prohibited it should also be prohibited for him to touch her as is explained in Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 615), It is prohibited on Yom Kippur to have sexual relations and therefore it is prohibited to touch one's wife as if she were Niddah. However a distinction can clearly be made since on Yom Kippur there is concern that he will have desire for his wife and therefore if he touches her then he might transgress and have sexual relations. However in the present case one can argue that because of his wife's condition she is not capable of sexual relations and in addition he has a healthy wife that he will be thinking about. Therefore perhaps there is no basis to be concerned about sexual relations?

 We see that Rabbi Akiva Eiger (#44) cites the Tzemach Tzedek [hakadmon #67] that it is obvious that if the first wife is cured that beis din will force him to divorce her in order that he should not have two wives. Rabbi Akiva Eiger finds this conclusion questionable and asks what is the justification for this psak since the first wife was his original wife and he married the second women with rabbinic permission. According to his words that in a case where the wife becomes senile and he then marries a second wife legally then he should be able to keep both wives. That is because Rabbeinu Gershom did not prohibit such a situation and therfore he would be permitted to have two wives.

However Otzer HaPoskim (vol 1 page 18) brings the words of the great poskim that disagree with Rabbi Akiva Eiger and insist that the husband can not have two wives and therefore he must divorce the first wife as soon as she recovers. It seems that the reason for this is that Rabbeinu Gershom made his prohibition against having two wives to avoid conflict and arguments. Thus the problem is that the second wife is likely to claim that the husband is interested only in the first wife and not her. Therefore the decree of Rabbeinu Gershom is still applicable that it is prohibited to have two wives. Consequently it seems that the cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom prohibits sexual relations  with the sick first wife but would not prohibit yichud. Concerning hugging and kissing my opinion is that it should be prohibited - not because the decree of Rabbeinu Gershom but because it is likely to cause lust. And thought about sin is worse than the sin. Therefore the husband should make an agreement with the second wife and receive her permission to visit his first wife and to deal with her needs and medical treatment when needed. However if the first wife is a Niddah it is not permitted except if there is no one else and it is not done in an affectionate manner.

However it is necesssary to clarfiy what is the basis for abrogating the cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom when his wife is sick with Alzheimer's.  Because even according to those authorities who allow what is prohibited by Rabbeinu Gershom when the wife is insane even when the husband has fulfilled the mitzvoa of having children - is because they are concerned with his sexual thoughts. That doesn't apply so much in the present case. The husband is already in his sixties and she is living quietly with him in their home. But she is senile and doesn't know what is going on. Therefore he wants to divorce her and marry another woman so that he have a healthy wife who can take care of him and he can fulfil the mitzva of sexual relations.

However I am concerned about the issue of chilul HaShem that people will say that his first wife was with him all this time and took care of him and now when she is old and sick and can not do anything for him he is throwing her  out and taking another wife.  I am also concerned that if he is permitted to take a second wife - even in these unique circumstances - it will cause a breakdown of the observance of the prohibition of Rabbeinu Gershom. Therefore the matter needs to be considered carefully by great poskim. I personally would not agree to allow him to remarry. However this needs to be throughly thought through and perhaps if he is permitted to take care of her and he does so then there wouldn't be a chilul haShem. This require further careful thought..

Maharal - pilpul without understanding text - stupifies

Maharal( Nesivos HaTorah #5): [from my sefer Daas Torah] Woe to the embarrassment and degradation that we have changed our way of learning Torah from previous generations. This change is entirely because people say they need to sharpen themselves with subtle textual analyses (pilpul). Even if there was such a need, our Sages (Berachos 63b) have said: You should first learn the text and thoroughly familiarize yourself with it before deep analysis is done…. Therefore, if analysis is to be done on the text - it is still a precondition that the text be learned. The analysis that is done today purely for sharpness - without mastering the text - in fact stupefies with utter nonsense. We see what this “sharpness” is and what it is producing. Typically, one would expect young students to be learning and mastering many tractates before marriage. However now when a student marries he has mastered nothing. This is because they are learning Tosfos - which was meant as a supplement to the gemora. They should in fact be acquiring the gemora itself first. The reason for the focus on Tosfos is simply because it was printed on the page of the gemora. If the Rosh or other halachic commentaries had been printed there instead, they would be learning Halacha instead… What is the need for the young student to be involved in subtle textual analysis in the same way as the mature student? The consequence of this misplaced focus is that the students do not achieve mastery of Halacha. If you try explaining to the students’ fathers that they should be learning Halacha and not Tosfos, they react as if you were trying to convince them that their children should stop learning Torah! This is because all the father is concerned about is that his child has a reputation as a sharp mind - rather than that he learns Torah properly…

Maharal - BM (84a): discussing marital relations

Maharal (Be’er HaGolah 5:4): Opponents of the Talmud claim that there are issues in the Talmud – that even though they describe real matters – nevertheless are improper for people to speak about them and surely to write about them – because they are disgusting. For example Bava Metzia (84a) describes a Roman noblewoman who told Rav Eliezer Ben Rav Shimon and Rabbi Yosse that they could not have fathered their children because they were so fat that it would have been impossible for them to have had sexual relations with their wives. They replied that, Each man according to his strength (Shoftim 8:21) or others say that they replied that “love compresses the flesh.” The gemora ends this discussion with a description of the large size of their genitals – either 3 or 5 kabbim or as big as wicker workbaskets. Obviously it seems bizarre to write these matters in the Talmud. Even though Tosfos offers an explanation for this gemora [that it was needed to silence rumors that their children were mamzerim], however that explanation was only for the masses who don’t understand deep ideas. However in truth these matters are profound esoteric matters… You should realize that these matters were said to honor G‑d and to glorify Him. Unfortunately there are many scholars [e.g., Rambam More Nevuchim 3:49] - i.e., those who investigate the world with the power of their intellect – who claim that sexual relations are inherently disgraceful, shameful and an embarrassment to man. In fact these scholars unequivocally believe that the sense of touch is inherently shameful to us. The purpose of this gemora is to reject their claim. In fact it is totally incomprehensible that the foundation of all, the basis for sustaining the world i.e., propagating mankind – is built on something which is inherently disgusting and shameful. Even more problematic is that it is not respectful for G‑d that the foundation of the world is a shameful and degrading matter. As is well known if the foundation is rotten then the structure built on it will collapse. Therefore it is important to reject this view because there is nothing in the sexual relations of a man with his wife that is the slightest degrading. This positive view of sexuality is in fact Daas Torah – the view of the Torah. Bereishis (2; 25) says, And both were naked… and but they weren’t ashamed. Thus we see that there is nothing degrading about this at all because if it were degrading why shouldn’t they be ashamed? If you want to answer that they weren’t intelligent at that time –such an assertion is simply incomprehensible. We know that Adam was incredibly intelligent because he was able to profoundly understand the nature of each creature and give each creature its correct name (Bereishis 2:20) – so how can it be claimed that he was lacking in intelligence? This assertion about Adam was refuted by the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchimn 1:2)… One cannot say that before Adam sinned he lacked intelligence and after he sinned he acquired intelligence and wisdom! So obviously the matters is as we have said – there is inherently absolutely no degradation is this matter at all. Whatever is degrading is the result of man focusing on his lusts and animals desires – from that aspect it is shameful. Therefore before the sin of Adam, man merely had some inclination toward lust and desire - and there was no absolutely nothing shameful. It was only shameful when desire was no longer external but fully entered him and lust became part of his physical nature. But even then it was only shameful because of the aspect of his lust.

How Rav Aharon picked his son-in-law Rav Dov

The Yated reported

"Throughout the olam hayeshivos of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Rav Dov Schwartzman was spoken about with awe. There are numerous stories and legends of his greatness and of how Rav Aharon Kotler sought out a bochur who was a true gadol baTorah as a son-in-law. What is clear is that when Rav Aharon traveled to Eretz Yisroel and delivered shiurim there, Rav Dov’s incisive questions and insights, and the fiery Torah debates between them, made such a profound impression on Rav Aharon and convinced him that here was the gaon and ilui whom he was seeking."

I heard the following from Rabbi Rakefet regarding Rav Aharon's decision to have Rav Dov as his son-in-law.

Rav Aharon gave a shiur at Chevron Yeshiva. All were very attentive to his brilliant Torah analysis - except for one. There was a bachor sitting in the back who seemed bored and inattentive - sitting with his feet propped up. Rav Aharon angrily walked to the back of the room to confront this arrogant young man. [Rav Aharon had a deep impatience with anyone who was not interested in Torah - especially to his own insights which he had worked for hours to understand properly. My brother who learned in Lakewood under Rav Aharon told me that he had a special briefcase to carry his chidusshim. When he was finally given permission to leave communist Russia with minimum belongs - he personally carried that briefcase. At the border he was stopped and the official perused the papers and asked him whether they were state secrets. When Rav Ahron told him it was Torah chiddushim - the guard laughed and told him he could keep the "nonsense" and cross the border to freedom. Rav Ahron was furious and started yelling at the official for his chutzpah and contempt for Torah. Fortunately there were others who quickly got him past the check point - or he problably would have been sent to jail or worse.] Rav Aharon stood over the bachor and demanded to hear what he thought of the shiur. Rav Dov nonchalantly replied, "The Kletzer is a great Torah genius - but his shiur is based on an error. He forgot an explicit mishna." Rav Aharon fainted from the shock and when he recovered said -"that is the one I want as my son-in-law."

Abarbanel:Understanding Marriage through Divorce

Abarbanel (Devarim 21, 24):  [see post of Chinuch]  The 12^th question is how is it possible that G‑d’s Torah agrees that marriage can be dissolved by divorce. It would seem to be wrong that a man and woman who were  united before G‑d should be able to separate from each other  and that the woman be allowed to have sexual relations with another man and that the man should marry a different woman. It would seem that those things which are done as mitzvos should not be subject to regret and reversal. And surely this would apply to divorce which can be done without significant justification. The Torah simply says, “If she does not find favor in his eyes because he found in her something unseemly (ervas davar) then he should write a document of divorce and give it to her and send her away.” This is especially problematic according to the view  that divorce can result even if he doesn’t like the way she makes his meals. Concerning marriage the Torah says (Bereishis 2:24), Therefore a man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife and they should be one flesh.” This is a general lesson concerning the nature of man and how human relations change. So how is it possible that this natural process be reversed?
 
Answer: There is no question that the actions of man in this world are in order to achieve one of five goals. 1) Acquiring wealth, 2) love of honor  3) physical pleasures 4) spiritual perfection or 5) welfare of one’s children. The joining together of a man and his wife in marriage can bring about all 5 of these goals. Marriage can provide good financial benefits because man is not like other creatures who obtain their clothing through nature as well as their food. In contrast man must acquire clothing and food through work which requires much preparations in order to obtain these things. A wife can be very helpful in acquiring material objects as well as food and clothing. Marriage is also inherently helpful in obtaining honor and respect since a single man finds it difficult to obtain honor because true glory goes to one who has a household. Marriage also provides physical pleasures especially since she obviates the need for prostitutes. There are also additional physical benefits in that she can help him with his tasks and work as well as taking care of his bodily needs and pleasures. Marriage also is helpful in spiritual perfection  - not only by keeping him from sin and pursing his lusts - also in the fulfilling of the mitzva of having children aside from the mitzvos that are available to him as married man. In fact marriage is also beneficial for the woman in that she has children. She is the cause of their existence and she raises and educates them as our Sages said in Yevamos (63), It is sufficient for a wife if she simply raises the children and saves her husband from sin. That is why G‑d’s Torah commands us concerning marriage because G‑d saw that it was not good for man to be alone. He also commanded the woman  not to commit adultery and that the man was obligated in providing her food, clothing and conjugal duties.

However all these benefits of marriage do not automatically exist and come about simply by getting married. Rather these benefits are conditional on there being a compatibility between the couple regarding their natures and personality to the maximum degree possible. This compatibility also causes love and tranquility between them as it says that G‑d made her an ezer kenego. In other words an ezer kenegdo means that she is an ezer (help) if she is like him (kenegdo) and agrees with him in all matters.

The importance of this compatibility can be seen from the fact that G‑d brought all the animals and birds to Adam in order to that he determine the name of each creature. In other words he was to observe each creature to see whether there was one which had the appropriate temperament and was compatible with his personality and his nature. That is why the Torah notes that after examining every creature Adam had not found his ezer kenedgo (his compatible mate). In other words even though he found those creatures which would be ezer (be of help) to him but none which were kenegdo (compatible and complementary to his nature). Because compatibility can not be based solely on the fact that a creature is female. Therefore it was necessary to do something different in order to create the proper compatibility and love. G‑d took one of Adam’s ribs and cloned a woman from it and then brought her to Adam - in order that she have his personality and nature. All of this was done to ensure the proper match and complementarity of the personality and attributes between a man and his wife and that it was inherent from her creation. That is because if it were the opposite then there would be no actual compatibility and thus there would be no basis for a successful household and not one of the five goals we mentioned would be accomplished. If there was no compatibility with the woman then it would be better for the man to remain alone and not join with that vile serpent – the bad wife. This is stated by Shlomo (Koheles 7), I find the woman more bitter than death...Similarly in Mishlei (25), It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a roomy house. Another source is Yevamos (63a), If he merits she is a helper (ezer) and if not she is his opponent (kenegdo). What this gemora is saying is that there is no middle neutral position regarding a man and woman. In fact the wife is either a help or an opponent since it is totally dependent upon the compatibility or incompatibility of their natures. How can there be a middle position in being compatible or incompatible? Consequently G‑d has commanded that when a man finds that his nature and personality are not compatible with that of his wife as expressed by the verse, “And if she doesn’t find favor in his eyes because he found in her ervas davar (an unseemly thing) - that their incompatible natures are the reason that he should divorce her. That is because it is better that they get divorced than have increasing hatred,  fights and bickering between them. 


The philosopher (Aristotle) has already mentioned this idea in relationship to the conduct of society. He has noted that because of this question of compatibility, men have agreed that there should be a period of engagement (eirusin) prior to marriage in order that they have a trial period to see how compatible they are. Only if they experience the love and tranquility that are the indicators of compatibility will they get married. That is because it is better to divorce her while she is still a virgin then a married non-virgin. This is a very solid reason for divorce besides the reason given by the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:49). However if they did get married and do not experience the indicators of compatibility in any way, the Torah says that they should get divorced which is the lesser of evils. Because perhaps he will marry a different woman who is compatible to his nature and personality and she will marry someone who is like her. This is preferable to them living their lives in suffering and torment and even worse perhaps killing or adultery and other serious evils. Therefore the Torah said, When a man takes a woman for a wife and has sexual intercourse with her. This means that even though she had intercourse with him which you might think make it wrong to get divorced since he has tormented her – nevertheless if she doesn’t find favor in his eyes or he hates her ... then he has the choice of divorcing her. Nevertheless the Torah doesn’t want her divorced by simply telling her that she is divorced or by giving her money or by sending her from his house. That is to ensure that divorce is not easy to do which would result in a woman being divorced multiple times from her husband – because he was in a bad mood. Another negative consequence of easy divorce would be that she could go and falsely tell people that she was divorced in order to commit adultery with another man. Therefore in order to remove all these pitfalls from divorce, G‑d commanded that a man can only divorce his wife with a written document which requires many conditions to be valid as well as witnesses. All of these serve the purpose of making it not so easy for the husband to get divorced. Consequently if the husband wants to divorce his wife when he is in a state of anger and outrage, this will form a difficult barrier to overcome and he will calm down. This complicated procedure also serves to prevent her from falsely declaring that she is divorced – as the Rambam says in Moreh Nevuchim.... 

Rav Y. Kaminetski: Understanding Marriage through Divorce

Rav Yaakov Kaminetski (Emes L’Yaakov, Devarim 24:1): In the Mishna (Gittin 90a) there is a dispute between Tannaim. Beis Hillel says that a man can divorce his wife even if she ruined his food while Rabbi Akiva says even if he found another woman who is prettier than his wife.... This dispute needs further clarification as to why the Torah would permit a man to divorce his wife for such trivial reasons. What horrible thing did she do that justified divorce? In fact it seems the Torah is clarifying to us the underlying dynamics of a viable marriage. The fact is in order to have a good marriage, it is necessary for every man to view his wife has the most wise, the most beautiful and the most wonderful all the women in the world ( And similarly she needs to have comparable thoughts about him.) Therefore if he happens to discover another woman to be more beautiful than her that is an indication that he no longer views his wife as the most beautiful. Thus this is a sign that the marriage is not working out. Similarly this is true regarding the fact that she ruins his food. There is a general rule that a person doesn’t view anything wrong with himself. For example if it happens that he mistakenly said something that he didn’t want to say, there is no question that he won’t get angry with his tongue – since he is his tongue and his tongue is he. Consequently if he feels any criticism against her such as that she is ruining his meals – this is a sign that he doesn’t feel the necessary unity with her and thus the marriage is not working out. Therefore he is able to divorce her. Thus we see that the ruining of the food is not the cause of divorce but rather the cause is the fact that he feels a need to criticize her.

Sanhedrin (7a): When the love between me and my wife [Rashi] was intense a bed the width of a blade [of a sword – Rashi] was enough to lie one. However now that our love is not so intense – a bed the width of sixty cubits is not sufficient to lie on [Rashi].

Rav Dessler: Free-will & creation of Adam

Rav Dessler (Michtav M’Eliyahu 4:116): Free-will of men and women and its relationship to Adam being created with two faces (partzuf). It states in Eiruvin (18b) in the beginning Adam and Eve had a single body (guf) except they had two faces (partzuf) and later they were separated. The term “guf” is refering to lower part of the nefesh (as I explain elsewhere). That is where man has free-will. This that originally that Adam and Eve had a single “guf” that means that originally woman was only created as a means that Adam could reproduce but not that each one of them had separate free-will. Rather their free-will i.e., “guf"  was the same. It is clear that Adam was a very wise person as we see that his comprehension was in truth great  because he gave names to all the animals. His ability to give names means that he perceived the essence and true purpose of each creature. In addition the Torah says that the name he gave was in fact its name i.e., his understanding of the animals agreed with that of G‑d (Chizkuni). Adam himself never sinned in any matter and in fact it never occurred to him to sin to the slightest degree. This can be seen from that he did not eat from the Tree of Knowledge [to transgress G‑d command] but simply to listen to his wife. Because his understanding was so great when there was only one decisor it was impossible for Satan (devil) to seduce him.  In other words, originally his good inclination was not equal in strength to his evil inclination [but was greater]. Therefore G‑d separated the woman from him. That means He gave her independent free‑will. By doing so it strengthen the power of the evil inclination and thus equated the power of the good inclination to that of the bad inclination. (It is to be understood that all of this is referring to the level of Garden of Eden as we discuss in volume II page 137). The reason why man was originally created as one entity and then separated in order that there should be no entry for at all for  the evil inclination – was in order to establish the foundation of the good aspect and that man should have his awareness of truth strengthened. This would provide significant help for him after he was seduced by his evil inclination. In the original condition the woman was simply an appendage for the an without any independent free-will of her own (as we mentioned previously). In true also now after the separation - that the woman’s free-will is to be an instrument for the man. As it says in Sanhedrin (22a), A woman is unformed matter (golem) and she does not establish a covenant except with the one who made her a utensil. The nature of a women is that a women experiences her honor and importance in the honor and importance of her husband. That is because the purpose of the woman is from the aspect of “the mitzva is a candle” while that of her husband  is from the aspect of “the Torah is light” (See Zohar Terumah 161a). In other words the free will of the woman is to correct the material aspect of existence regarding mitzvos and good deeds and to prepare the candle (the material means i.e., the home). While the free will of the man is to ascend in Torah and to light the candle with the light of Torah in order that the light of the spiritual Torah fill the home. This is similar to the fact that a candle without a flame is nothing and so is a flame without a candle can not provide illumination (Zohar there). In other words the free will of the man and that of the woman complement each other. [ see here for the Hebrew text ]

Chasam Sofer: Women superior to men?

חתם סופר (תורת משה בראשית ג:יז): כי שמעת לקול אשתך ותאכל מן העץ. יל"ד הי' לו לכתוב בקיצור ותאכל מפרי העץ אשר צויתיך לבתלי אכול ממנו, ולמה מאריך בלשונו לאמור כי שמעת לקול אשתך ותאכל וגו'. אחז"ל שנענש על שהלך אחר עצת אשתו משמע שזה ענין בפני עצמו הוא. חדא שהלך אחר עצת אשתו, שנית כי אכל מעץ הדעת [עיין ברמב"ן], מפני שהיא היתה חשובה יותר ממנו. יען שהיא נבראת בג"ע עצמו, ועפרו של אדם נלקט מהעולם כולו כדאי' במדרש [בילקוט רמז י"ג שקבץ הקב"ה עפרו מד' פנות העולם, אדום שחור לבן ירקרק וכו' והובא ברש"י לעיל בפסוק וייצר וכו' את האדם עפר מן האדמה], ועל שאכל מפרי העץ יכול להשיב שראה שחוה אכלה ולא מתה, והי' לו מקום לטעות, אך ממ"נ חטא האדם, כי הי' לו לתלות באמת משו"ה לא מתה היא יען שהיא חשובה ממנו שהיא נבראת בג"ע יותר בקדושה לכן מותרת לאכול ולא יזיקנה, אבל הוא שנתגשם גופו מלקיטת עפרו מכל העולם כולו לו יזיק אכילת עץ הדעת, וא"כ נענש אדם או על ששמע והלך אחר עצת אשתו או על שאכל מעץ הדעת

Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe Bereishis 3:17)  Because you listened to the voice of the  your wife and you ate from the Tree.  Why didn't the verse simply say  and "You ate from the fruit of the tree which you had been commanded not to eat?" Why does it go into apparently irrelevant detail saying you listened to your wife and you ate? Our Sages say that Adam was punished because he followed the advice of his wife which indicates that this is a separate issue. Thus there were two issues 1) he followed his wife's advice 2) he ate from the Tree of Knowledge [see Ramban].  This was because she was superior [chasuv] to him as the result of being created in Garden of Eden itself. In contrast the dirt that Adam was created was collected from all over the world as mention in the Medrash [Yalkut #13 ... and this is mentioned in Rashi on the verse that man was created from the ground] Therefore regarding his transgression of eating from the fruit of the Tree he could justify it by saying  that he had seen Eve eat it and she hadn't died. Thus he had a basis for making a mistake [since G-d had said he would die from eating the fruit.] In spite of this excuse he had committed a sin because he should have assumed that she hadn't died from eating it because she was superior to him since she had been created in the Garden of Eden and thus had higher kedusha than him. Consequently she was allowed to eat from the fruit without being harmed. In contrast he had a lower level of physicality since his body was created from the dirt of the world - he would be damaged by eating of the Tree of Knowledge.  So either he was punished for following the advice of his wife or that he ate from the Tree of Knowledge.