"And shall cheer his wife whom he has taken"

Synopsis

We learn of the precept for a man to rejoice in his new bride for a whole year, during which he needn't go to war or pay taxes. Here everything pertains to the mystery of the year, that is said to be Malchut, and the number twelve is the linkage between the twelve months, the twelve oxen that supported the molten sea, the four Sfirot in each of three columns, and the twelve stones that Jacob took.

Bride Briyah Jacob Ox Precepts Seas Stones Twelve Twelve Stones War Worlds Year

43. "When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war...and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken" (Devarim 24:5). This precept is for the groom to rejoice in his wife for one year, as it is written, "but he shall be free at home one year" (Ibid.), since these twelve months are hers. For the year is a bride, NAMELY MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED A YEAR, and the bride is present only with twelve months, as it is written, "AND HE MADE A MOLTEN SEA... It stood upon twelve oxen" (I Melachim 7:23-25). FOR THE SEA IS MALCHUT; TWELVE OXEN ARE THE SECRET OF FOUR SFIROT, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, EACH OF THREE COLUMNS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS TWELVE. And since the bride is perfected only with twelve, the groom needs to cheer her and her household, her and her equipment, as it is above. Hence it is written of Jacob, "and he took of the stones of that place" (Beresheet 28:11), THE PLACE BEING MALCHUT. There are twelve stones to that place, and whoever cheers the bride cheers her maids, HER SFIROT IN BRIYAH. There are twelve maids FOR THE SAME REASON. Everything pertains to the mystery of the year. For that reason the groom has to rejoice in his bride for one year.

43. כִּי יִקַּח אִישׁ אִשָּׁה חֲדָשָׁה לֹא יֵצֵא בַּצָּבָא וְגוֹ.' וְשִׂמַּח אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לָקָח. פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, חָתָן לְמֶחְדֵּי בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ שַׁתָּא חַד, דִּכְתִּיב נָקִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵיתוֹ שָׁנָה אֶחָת. וְאִינּוּן י"ב יַרְחִין אִינּוּן מִדִילָהּ. דְּהָא שָׁנָה אִיהִי כַּלָּה, וְלֵית כַּלָּה בַּר בי"ב יַרְחִין, דִּכְתִּיב עוֹמֵד עַל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר בָּקָר. וְהוֹאִיל וְלֵית תִּקּוּנָא דְּכַלָּה, בַּר בי"ב, אִצְטְרִיךְ חָתָן לְמֶחְדֵּי לָהּ, וּלְבֵיתָה, לָהּ וּלְתִקּוּנָהָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. וְע"ד יַעֲקֺב כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם. אַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם י"ב הֲווֹ, וּמַאן דְּחַדֵּי לְכַלָּה, חַדֵּי לְעוֹלֵימְתָהָא, וְעוּלֵימָתָן י"ב הֲווֹ. וְכֺלָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּשָׁנָה. בְּגִין כַּךְ אִצְטְרִיךְ לְחָתָן לְמֶחְדֵּי בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ שָׁנָה אֶחָת.

Body Bride Righteous War World to Come, The

44. Yet we have explained that this joy is not his but hers, as it is written, "and shall rejoice with his wife." It does not say that he shall rejoice in his wife but "shall rejoice with," which means that he shall rejoice with the bride. Similarly, the bride has no joy save in the body and her jewels. Who rejoices with them? The righteous does. For that reason, "he shall be free at home," free from toiling in worldly matters, so that he shall have the desire to rejoice with her. He shall be free of all, free of taxes, crop taxes and poll tax. He shall be free from going to the army to war, so there shall be joy above and below and to evoke joy above. Blessed is the Holy Nation, whose Master rejoices in them. Blessed are they in this world and blessed they are in the World to Come.

44. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דְּחֶדְוָה דָּא, לָאו דִּילֵיהּ הִיא, אֶלָּא דִּילָהּ. דִּכְתִּיב וְשִׂמַּח אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ. וְיִשְׂמַח אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וְשִׂמַּח, יַחְדֵּי לְכַלָּה. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, לָאו חֵדוּ לְכַלָּה, בַּר בְּגוּפָא וְתִקוּנָהָא. וּמַאן חַדֵּי לוֹן. צַדִּיק. וְעַל דָּא נָקִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵיתוֹ. נָקִי, דְּלָא יַעֲמוֹל בְּמִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא, דִּיהֵא בֵּיהּ רַעֲוָא לְמֶחְדֵּי לָהּ. נָקִי מִכֺּלָּא. נָקִי לְמַסִּין וּלְאַרְנוּנִין וְגוּלְגַלְתִּין. נָקִי דְּלָא יִפּוּק לְחֵילָא לְאַגָחָא קְרָבָא. לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא חֶדְוָה עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וּלְאַתְעֲרָא חֶדְוָה לְעֵילָּא. זַכָּאִין עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּמָארֵיהוֹן חַדֵּי בְּהוֹן, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזַכָּאִין אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.