"He who robs his father or his mother"

48. Rabbi Chiya opened with the words, "He who robs his father or his mother..." (Mishlei 28:24). His father is the Holy One, blessed be He, and his mother is the Congregation of Yisrael. "Robs" is as in the words, "the robbery of the poor is in your houses" (Yeshayah 3:14). What is THE ROBBERY? It is man coveting another woman, who is not his wife.

49. We learned there that whoever derives any enjoyment from this world without blessing, it is as if he robs the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael, as it is written, "He who robs his father or his mother, and says, It is no transgression; he is companion of a destroyer." Whoever enjoys anything of this world, THE WORDS 'WHOEVER ENJOYS' include a woman. Whoever joins a woman to enjoy her without a blessing, NAMELY WITHOUT THE SEVEN BLESSINGS BESTOWED ON THE BRIDE, it is as if HE robs the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael. What is the reason thereof? Because they are united by means of the seven blessings AND HE WHO DERIVES ENJOYMENT WITHOUT THEM BLEMISHES THE SUPERNAL SEVEN BLESSINGS. And if this is true to a single woman, it is all the more true for one who unites with another man's wife, who has the likeness of above by means of the seven blessings through her husband, all the more so.

50. "He is companion of a destroyer" (Mishlei 28:24) refers to Jeroboam, as was explained, who "says, It is no transgression" (Ibid.), saying, she is single, why should it be forbidden? Therefore, he "robs his father or his mother." Moreover, "he is companion of a destroyer." The destroyer is a man who blemishes the form and establishment of above, and all the more so whoever covets his neighbor's wife to cling to her, who blemishes even more. He is thus blemished forever. He is a destroyer because he blemishes above, blemishes below, and blemishes his soul, as it is written, "a destroyer," and, "he who does that destroys his soul" (Mishlei 6:32).