The Secret of Abundance and Wealth: The Spiritual Power of a Wife

Lesson No. 52 | * Night of the 10th of Teves, Parshas Vayechi, 5756 - Yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) Seudah (festive meal) of Moharnat zy"a in the Yeshiva - Part 3

According to the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and the holy Zohar, all of a person's abundance and wealth come into the world exclusively through his wife. This article explains why a wife's joy is the key to parnassah (livelihood), why shidduchim (marriage matches) never change, and how a husband's spiritual greatness depends entirely on his wife.

Rebbe Nachman says in Torah 69: "Know that one who robs his friend of money is robbing him of children." A person must guard his money so that it is not stolen, because the essence of a person's wealth comes to him through his wife. The moment someone's money is stolen or he is swindled, it is a real danger—it can harm his wife, lead to divorce, or, Heaven forbid, harm the children.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that money is closely connected to the soul of the wife. All abundance arrives through the "light of her soul." Every spiritual light ultimately materializes in this world, becoming a table, a chair, furniture, an apartment, and money. Everything comes from her. Therefore, the more a husband brings joy to his wife, the more she radiates and overflows with abundance. A husband must constantly look only for ways to bring her satisfaction and joy, and never say an insulting word to her.

The Wife as the "Feet" That Bring Parnassah

The wife is referred to as the aspect of "Nefesh" (the lower soul), which is the lowest level in the order of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. Therefore, she represents the feminine aspect that receives, and she is the conduit for all abundance. The wife is the aspect of "feet," as our Sages expound on the verse:

"He will guard the feet of His pious ones" (I Samuel 2:9) — this refers to the wife.

She is the one who brings him all the wealth in the world, in the aspect of "She is like the merchant ships; she brings her bread from afar" (Proverbs 31:14). If a man would honor his wife and bring her joy, he would not need to take a single step for parnassah (livelihood). He could sit and learn in the yeshiva, and she would bring him all the abundance, because the essence of wealth depends on her. But if he hurts her, it is as if he "cuts off her feet," and then he is forced to run all over the world himself to search for a livelihood.

The Exact Shidduch from the Root of Creation

Our Sages say: "He who dwells without a wife dwells without a wall, without wealth." When a person comes into the world, it is immediately determined for him at the root of creation which woman he will marry and how much money he will have. Shidduchim (marriage matches) do not change. The holy Arizal explains this based on the verse in Daniel, which describes a statue whose feet are made of iron and clay that do not mix: "Just as iron does not mix with clay" (Daniel 2:43). So too are shidduchim—iron goes with iron, and clay with clay.

A person must believe with complete emunah (faith) that this is his exact, destined shidduch. Sometimes a person experiences slight disappointments after the wedding; he thought he was getting Sarah Imeinu (our Matriarch), and in the end, he sees he got Queen Esther. He must know that everything is calculated from Above, and if he is bound to true tzaddikim, they protect him and ensure that he receives his true shidduch.

The moment the groom places the ring on the bride's finger, endless abundance is supposed to flow to him. However, sometimes, before the abundance arrives, he manages to insult his wife a little, dismiss her, and humiliate her. Then the money cannot arrive—because the money only comes when she is radiant and joyful.

A King Without a Queen Is Not a King

The holy Zohar explains regarding the verse, "Great is Hashem and exceedingly praised in the city of our God" (Psalms 48:2), that the essence of praise and exaltation is only when there is a union of male and female. The second day of the week is the aspect of a "bride" to the first day, and therefore, in the Song of the Day for Monday, it says, "A song, a psalm" (Psalms 48:1)—a double praise, because now they are two.

Hashem, as it were, is praised and called "Great" only when He has Knesses Yisrael (the Congregation of Israel), which is the aspect of His bride. The Zohar states: "A king without a queen is neither a king nor is he great." A king without a queen is not a king. The same applies to a person: If a man does not have a wife whom he brings joy to and who brings joy to him, he is not called a 'husband,' he is not 'great,' and he is not 'praised.' All of a man's praise depends on his wife. Whoever has not merited to be in the aspect of male and female, all praises are removed from him, and he is not considered a complete person at all.

The Greatness of Job – In the Merit of His Wife

Before a person marries, he is not yet considered a complete person. When he gets married, all his sins are forgiven, and he becomes like a newborn child. The Chasam Sofer explains that a person is considered a "baby" and only begins his true building after the wedding. Suddenly he is placed in an apartment, he has to deal with a new job, and it takes him years until he stabilizes and finds himself.

A person's perfection depends entirely on his wife. Thus it is brought in the Zohar (Sifra d'Rav Hamnuna Saba) regarding Job, about whom it is said:

"And that man was greater than all the people of the East" (Job 1:3).

In what merit did Job achieve such greatness, becoming wholehearted, upright, and God-fearing? Everything was in the merit of his wife! Because he had a wife who was entirely filled with the fear of Heaven ("with the fear of the Holy One, Blessed be He"), he drew strength from her and merited to reach his tremendous spiritual level.

Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 52

Next Part ←

All Parts: Part 1 (Current) | Part 2