Jewish Psychosomatics: Women's Breasts and Spiritual Problems

Jewish Psychosomatics: Women's Breasts and Spiritual Problems

The female breast as a source of nourishment for the Jewish soul. This post discusses the organ that nourishes the Jewish soul from the moment of its birth—the female breast. It is interesting that David HaMelech mentions this female organ three times in Tehillim. 1. Tehillim (22:10): — “Ki Atah Gozi Mibeten, Mavtichi Al-Shdei Immi” — (For You drew me from the womb and calmed me at my mother's breast.) 2. Tehillim (103:2): — “Barchi Nafshi et-Ad-nai, ve'al Tishkechi Kol-Gemulav” — (Bless the L-rd, O my soul, and do not forget all His kindnesses.) Here David HaMelech praises Ha-Shem for creating his mother's breasts at the front of the female body. What is His kindness? Rabbi Abbahu says: “It is that the L-rd placed a woman's breasts at the level of her heart—the source of wisdom (unlike in animals).” (Talmud, Berakhot 10a) The Midrash teaches that the word גמוליו “gemulav” derives from the root גמל—“to show kindness”, as well as “to wean.” 3. Tehillim (16:8): — “Shiviti Ad-nai Lenegdi Tamid” — (I place Ha-Shem before me constantly.) Why did the Psalmist attach such significance to this organ? It turns out, writes Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh (shlita), that if we take the central phrase of the declaration of Jewish faith: “Shema Yisrael”—and single out its first and last letters: “Shema Yisrael Ha-Shem Elokeinu, Ha-Shem Echad”—we obtain “shin-dalet”—שד. And if we take the pasuk from Tehillim (16:8), “Shiviti Ad-nai Lenegdi Tamid”—(I place Ha-Shem before me constantly)—we likewise obtain “shin-dalet” —שד. These two phrases express the essence of how a Jew perceives G-d. The difference is that the first is Moshe Rabbeinu's address to the generation that was destined to enter and conquer the Land of Israel, so that they would recognize that Ha-Shem is our G-d (of the collective soul of the Jewish people), and that He is absolutely One. In the second verse, David HaMelech conveys the experience of an individual Jewish soul and how it perceives G-d. שד in Hebrew is “shad”—(a woman's breast). The gematria of the word “shad” is 304. Since there are two breasts, we obtain the number 608, which can be represented as the product of 32 (the gematria of the word “lev” (heart)) and 19 (the gematria of the name of our foremother—“Chavah”). The result is “Chavah's heart,” she who was “the mother of all living.” These two verses are the two spiritual breasts that nurse the Jewish soul and nourish it until it reaches maturity, when it becomes capable of constantly sensing the One G-d of Israel before it. The verse from the Torah, “Shema Yisrael,” corresponds to the right spiritual breast, while the verse from Tehillim, “Shiviti Ad-nai Lenegdi Tamid,” corresponds to the left spiritual breast. It is known from Kabbalah that the relationship between Torah (teaching) and Tehillim (prayer) is analogous to the relationship between right and left. Teaching (Torah) is descending light, by nature resembling water, which always flows downward—and corresponds to the right side of the Tree of the Sefirot. Prayer (Tehillim), arising from the depths of the heart, expresses the Jewish soul's love for G-d and, like fire, strives upward toward Him. Prayers take the place of sacrifices and resemble burnt offerings. This light rising toward the Most High is situated on the left of the Tree of the Sefirot. In the time of Moshe Rabbeinu, there were two prophets—Eldad and Meidad—who prophesied in the camp of Israel. According to Kabbalah, these two prophets correspond to the two breasts of the collective soul of the Jewish people. Both names end with the word “dad,” which is also translated as “breast.” According to Kabbalah, Eldad corresponds to the right breast, while Meidad corresponds to the left. The gematria of the name Eldad is 39, as is the gematria of the words “Ha-Shem Echad” (G-d is One) and the word “tal” (dew). The gematria of the name Meidad is 58, equal to the gematria of the word “chen” (grace) and the phrase “Ha-Shem Yachid”—(G-d is singular). Segulot for healing the breasts: From the perspective of psychosomatics, which reveals the connection between the organs of the body and spiritual problems, the following should be noted: 1. Observance of tzniut—the laws of feminine modesty—a Jewish woman should cover the upper part of her body up to the collarbone. Interestingly, the gematria of the word “collarbone”—“Etzem haBeriyaḥ” = 425—is the same as that of the word “Yahadut”—“Judaism”; 2. Left breast—read the following chapter of Tehillim with kavanah: 16—“Shiviti Ad-nai Lenegdi Tamid”—(I place Ha-Shem before me constantly)—with kavanah focused on verse 8; 2. Right breast—pay closer attention to the meticulous observance of the mitzvah of “Keriat Shema”—reciting this passage from the Torah twice a day.   (Based on the book by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh (shlita), “Living in Divine Space”)