In June 2004, Pope John Paul II told our bishops that not to promote the truth in marriage was a “grave omission”, not only to Catholics but also to non-Catholics as well. He further spoke that all Catholics had a responsibility "to proclaim firmly the truth about marriage and family, established by God, as an authentic service to society."
Yet how can Catholics accomplish this with non-Catholics if they do not accept the authoritative teachings of our Blessed Church? The answer, we believe, lies within the Scriptures, including understanding their content of the original language. Through this, we pray that we may glean enough to properly understand HaShem’s words so we might play some small role to assist our Church in the call our pope gave.
To begin with we find in Gen.1.26 that the L-rd teaches us He made man in His Image, which in Hebrew is represented by the first two letters of His Holy Name (YH or Yah). Further in the text of Gen.2.20-25 we are told the L-rd put Adam into a deep sleep and during this He removed a “Tzlah” from him and formed Eve (Chavah). Tzlah is often interpreted as “rib”, but another equally valid interpretation is the word “side”. To us this fits the description of the text better for it says “bone of my bones” and “flesh of my flesh”, whereas we ask where is the “flesh” in using rib?
Among the different lessons we have learned from Chassidic rabbis, they also teach there is a mystery of that unity hidden within the Hebrew words for man and woman. The Hebrew word for man is “iysh” (spelled Aleph Yood Sheen in the original Hebrew letters). The Hebrew word for woman is “ishshah” (spelled Aleph Sheen Hay). Please note that both words have two letters in common - Aleph and Sheen, and these letters together form another word in Hebrew “ish”, which means “fire”.
Other than “ish”, both man and woman have the two letters in them besides fire: man has the “Y” of HaShem’s Holy Name (see above) and woman has the “H”. Thus, the original half image of the heavenly couple exists within both man and woman, yet both are either surrounded by fire, or follows fire. So where did this fire come from? The sages teach that it came from the dividing of the original Image. Even from science we have come to learn that dividing an atom brings forth great energy (think of the atomic bomb), therefore it seems to follow that so would dividing the Image of Holy One of Israel. And just as dividing the atom’s energy can cause great harm (again, consider the atomic bomb), so can this internal fire within the heart of G-d’s creation, which we see as the Scriptural evidence of original sin. Yet this power can also be controlled, just as in the case of atomic energy. However, what controls the fire infused here? The sages believe it’s the discipline of the Torah, but we see another equally compelling source.
According to the sages, the Moshiach (the Messiah) is in the “pillar of Light” (drawn from Kaballah- Jewish mysticism) and it is represented by the Hebrew letter “Vav”. When Vav is added to that fire (“ish”) we now get “osh”, which forms the “Foundation” (Yesod) and the reason we must go through the Son to reach the Father. Even in the redeemed form made clean through faith in Yeshua, we are still only half the Image, which is why Scripture states:
“Therefore a man leaves His father and his mother and CLEAVES (d’bak- “stick to or unite) to his wife and they become ONE (echad) flesh.” Gen.2.24And Yeshua affirms this strongly as well:
“Have you not read that He made them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but ONE flesh. What therefore G-d has joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matt.19.4-6We believe Yeshua actually perfected marriage by raising this to the level of a Sacrament because “G-d has joined”, and not man. Our Church teaches that Yeshua initiated this at the Marriage of Cana, mystically turning the waters of Torah teachings outlined above into the joy of wine through the new Sacramental unity by placing Himself as the glue that unites or cleaves them together as One (Cat.1613). Hence, those who marry in His Name are joined by His Hand, and not by passions of the flesh. For marriage takes three and through this promise the united couple will, as the years go by, come to show through this Divine unity the very face of HaShem, YaH.
To elaborate a bit, the “Y” of His Holy Name was the “Emanation” of the Logos (or Word) out of the Infinite Ayn (or Father) from which all things were made. The “H” was the “Creation” that formed from that earlier configuration, together in unity they brought forth the “V” or formation that gave definition to those earlier creations. And this leads to the second “H” of “action”, the final creation of both heaven and earth. In the view of the family the “y” then would be the husband, the breadwinner, and provider of the family and society (discipline/judgment). The wife is the “h” creative force that nurtures and serves the needs of the house, home, and community (mercy/kindness). In the covenant of marriage, Yeshua (the “V”) enters in and gives directions to both the parents of how they can serve G-d through this union of love and to serve each other’s needs without conflict and stress (Balance/Knowledge). Only through His instruction would come the second “h” of children that echo their parents’ love through their actions, and thus carry this love and faith outward into the world (kingdom). If they do so perfectly (and this only can be done perfectly through full devotion to our L-rd), they with bring forth from this holy union saints (tzaddikim) who show the face of G-d through their parent’s emulation; and the cycle continues.
In this understanding it becomes clear that all other unions: man to man, woman to woman, or a single parent alone with children deviate from this perfect model designed by G-d. Therefore these deviated unions are abominations to HaShem because He knows uniting Discipline to Mercy is hard. Why else would Yeshua’s disciples say to Him when He spoke of marriage:
“If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry” Matt.19.10One would get from these words that the apostles didn’t really understand their Master, but we suspect they understood Him extremely well. Perhaps their thoughts veered towards “insanity” that He gave both fires equal value. Isn’t it common nowadays to think, “men are from Mars and women from Venus”? So how can these two come together as one (echad), as the Father and Yeshua are echad? From our experience, we know much work and effort has to be brought forth, no longer thinking as individuals but rather as a “unit”. There indeed will be struggles, for even Sacramental marriages blessed by the Foundation struggle between justice and kindness, and discipline and mercy. Quite reasonable to understand that no one can truly love G-d with all their heart, mind and soul all the time, particularly when the children require constant tending, bills escalate and stress mounts. We’re human and bound to make mistakes, so let humility abound for both husband and wives. And yet, before we give up hope we might wish to remember and reflect upon that those two halves in heaven are fully and perfectly united, therefore if He has called it, it can be done through Him; for “with G-d, all things are possible” (Mt.19.26b). To attempt this outside of our L-rd’s assistance will only assure failure, yet there is still one other solution:
“Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom.” Matt.19.12Eunuchs from birth we see as those who either cannot be married due to physical or spiritual reasons, which includes those having urges of homosexuality. Eunuchs made by our world could be by false teachings or because they were victimized by pedophiles; and equally, this would include single mothers and fathers who lost their marriage due to the sins of world. Yet in all three cases, these fall under the context of “not all men can receive this message”; whether it was false teachers, attackers or sinful spouses that their ends came to pass. In a sense, the source is immaterial because a victim cannot be fulfilled by seeking after sin, or in other words, “two wrongs do not make a right”. Nevertheless, they can be fulfilled through Yeshua Who was with the Father at the first and second parts of Creation as well as furnishing the Foundation of our faith through His cross. Therefore, these have no other choice being righteous but to make “themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” and allow Him to complete them as He completes priests and nuns who serve Him in love.
Sadly, in a sinful world, far too many such eunuchs are being “made”. But if they are victims, then we who are blessed must do what we are able to assist Christ in their completion, watching their children when we can, hiring them on flex time if we employ others, and/or helping them provide for the families. Just look into your heart and pray to see where the L-rd has blessed you and how He may be calling you to give service to His children. If more in the Church teach this, then we suspect there would be little or no crisis within the family.
We ourselves have created this crisis by not teaching and exemplifying the unity of marriage, thus allowing hasatan to influence and create these victims. We need to stop turning away these victims, and instead draw them under our wings of protection. We believe success can come in our L-rd through prayer and His Church (which includes us all believers). Are Yeshua’s words two thousand years ago still holding today, that the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few; who will come into the fields?
