Genesis 2:23

When Adam recognized the woman as his complement, he emphasized the unity and connection between them, allowing them to merge with that shared essence between what was created. Therefore, the expression וַיֹּּאמֶ ר הָּׁ אָּׁ דָּׁ ם (Va-yomer ha-adam) - "And Adam said", brings us back to the creative act of speaking, which declares this new reality by establishing an identity with the woman and the profound relationship that must be established between them and their future generations.

This is why the term זֹּאת הַ פַעַם (zot ha-pa'am) - "This is now", which contains the word פַעַם (pa'am) - "time" or "occasion", is significant in this recognition that Adam had been given someone who was truly a part of him, of his own essence, עֶצֶם מֵּ עֲצָּׁמַ י (etzem me'atzamai) - "bone of my bones". The expression עֶצֶם (etzem - bone) is vital to understanding that our essence is not dust, but something more fundamental, stronger, a structure that originates from the divine, the giver of life.

Then, when referring to "flesh of my flesh" וּבָּׁשָּׁ ר מִ בְ שָּׁ רִ י (u-basar mi-besari), Adam understands that she also represents the physical, the tangible, his new physical reality, and therefore he calls her woman: יִקָּׁ רֵּ א אִ שָּׁ ה (yikare ishah). אִ שָּׁ ה (ishah - woman) is a term directly related to אִ יש (ish - man), emphasizing both the connection and fundamental similarity between man and woman, but most importantly, their complementarity.

Concluding the reflection with the expression כִי מֵּ אִ יש לֻקֳ חָּׁ ה־זֹּאת (ki me'ish lukkachah zot) - "for she was taken out of Man", it highlights, more than the origin of the woman, that this extension occurs to achieve the complete unity generated by fragmentation. This is why the gematria of עֶצֶם (etzem - bone) is 200 (ע =70, צ=90, ם =40), to indicate that the work was completed and now had structure and foundation to fulfill the purposes for which we were created.

The woman אִ שָּׁ ה (ishah - woman), with a value of 306, is the reflection of the woman's capacity to be a channel of life, deeply connected with the spiritual and the physical, while the term man אִ יש (ish - man), with a value of 311 (א =1, י=10, ש=300), frames the intrinsic and complementary relationship between man and woman.

The woman (ishah - woman), with a value of 306, reflects a woman's capacity to be a channel of life, deeply connected to the spiritual and the physical, while the man (ish - man), with a value of 311 (א =1 ,י =10 ,ש

= 300), frames the intrinsic and complementary relationship between man and woman.

When man receives the woman (Ishá - woman), he gives her a name based on himself: Ish (man), remaining within the approach of naming as an act of spiritual perception, denoting that Adam recognizes her spiritual essence, her common root with him, but also her distinct quality.

He does not say, "This is like me," but rather expresses, "This is of me, but it is not me. It is my mirror, it is my other half." This act of naming is an act of heightened consciousness. God does not intervene because Adam has attained the capacity to spiritually see his counterpart.

ISH (איש ) has a value of 311: Aleph (1), Yod (10), Shin (300) and ISHAH (אשה) has a value of 306: Aleph (1), Shin (300), Hei (5) Both names share Aleph and Shin (א +ש =301). However: The man has a Yod (י) → representing the masculine principle, seed, concentrated spirituality. The woman has a Hei (ה) → representing the feminine principle, receptivity, revelation, Shekhinah. That is: Yod (י ) + Hei (ה) = the two sacred letters of the Divine Names (as in YHVH, the Tetragrammaton).

The union of man and woman reveals the Name of God. The Zohar says: “When the Ish and the Isha are united in harmony, Divinity (Shekhinah) is between them.” But if you remove the Yod and the Hei from their names, only אש (esh) remains—fire. This represents conflict, undirected passion, destruction.

So the Creator does not name her because her essence cannot be imposed from outside. Only the awakened human soul (Adam) can recognize its other half and name it with true meaning. The fact that the man names her reveals that he has reached a higher level of spiritual awareness, capable of perceiving the feminine as both divine and his own. Furthermore, the name Adam gives her is charged with respect and revelation: he does not call her by her biological function (mother, wife), but rather by their shared and distinct essence.

When Adam says, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” he is recognizing that the feminine is not an “other,” but a reflection of her, and by naming her, he activates the spiritual bridge between the two. In

Kabbalah, this parallels Zeir Anpin (masculine) uniting with Malchut (feminine)—which, upon being recognized, receives Light and rises. The name “Ishá” is the mystical moment where the Shekhinah is named and elevated by the recognition of the masculine soul.

The man calls the woman “Ishá” as an act of spiritual recognition, not domination. God does not intervene because He wants Adam to actively participate in the awareness of the union. Gematria shows that their names are united and contain the letters of the Divine Name. To name her correctly is to create a holy relationship where fire (esh) becomes divine presence (yod + hei). This scene is a model of how humans cooperate with God in creation, and how the masculine and feminine must recognize and elevate each other.