Genesis 2:24

Understanding the true purposes of our coexistence makes it much clearer to grasp the true meaning of the marital relationship as an indissoluble unity, with the expression ע ל־כֵׁן (Al-ken) - "Therefore", serving as an expression that conveys the consequence or principle derived from what has been previously described.

The connection between the recognition of equality and interdependence between man and woman allows the act of leaving one's parents to unite with one's wife to be key in forming that new unity. The term י עֲזָב־אִּ יש (ya'azov ish) - "a man shall leave", י עֲזָב (ya'azov) "to leave" or "abandon", denotes the necessary transition to a new phase of life, where the man separates from his family of origin to form his own family, but more importantly, leaves his land and kin to seek with his human family their promised land.

The term וְדָ ב ק בְ אִּ שְ תוֹ (v'davak b'ishto) - "and be united to his wife", דָ ב ק (davak) "to unite" or "cling to", provides the framework to understand that this intense and permanent union is a spiritual connection that stems from the physical and, as a perfect bond, requires love—the kind that merges souls. Therefore, to become one flesh וְהָיו לְ בָשָ ר אֶחָד (v'hayu l'basar echad), this union, starting from intimate sexuality, must procreate children so that these new souls also gain that vision of inseparable unity.

The harmonization of the masculine and feminine, the physical and the spiritual, also relates to good and evil, so אִּ יש (ish - man) with its value of 311 (א=1, י=10, ש =300) reflects that identity and essence where the woman אִּ שָ ה (ishah - woman) with her value of 306 (א=1, ש=300, ה=5) frames our interdependence with all of creation. Our flesh, בָשָ ר (basar - flesh), represents that diversity of beings we must integrate into unity so that all distinct elements unite to form something new and complete.

The marital union is a reflection of divine unity, which is not just a matter of social convenience, but a spiritual act that reflects the harmonization of masculine and feminine forces in creation. Souls must integrate, transitioning from one stage to another that involves a new unity. Therefore, our most intimate relationships are an opportunity to experience and reflect divine unity, thanks to a commitment, mutual respect, and deep understanding that both individuals are essential parts of a greater whole.

The concept “they shall become one flesh” (וְהָּׁ יוּ לְ בָּׁשָּׁ ר אֶחָּׁ ד) has spiritual, emotional, and cosmic implications, describing not only human marriage, but also: the structure of the entire soul, that union of Heaven and Earth, and the reconnection between masculine and feminine as a universal principle.

Therefore, “He shall leave his father and his mother” speaks to us of the Separation of the higher worlds. According to the Zohar, “Father and mother” represent the spiritual worlds of Chochmah (Wisdom) and Bina (Understanding). The soul “descends” to this world, leaving its higher origin, to fulfill its tikkun (spiritual correction) through the human bond and embodied love. In other words, the carnal and emotional union between two human beings reflects a higher spiritual unity that has materialized.

The concept of “He will cleave to his wife” – The principle of Dvekut (adhesion). The Hebrew word for “cleave” is דָּׁ בַק (dabak), which also means: To cleave deeply, To stick with devotion, To merge in consciousness. In Jewish mysticism, dvekut is the highest level of spirituality: fusion with the divine. Thus, the union between man and woman—when it is pure, sacred, and conscious—is not merely physical: it is a form of dvekut between souls, mimicking the union between God and His creation.

“And they shall become one flesh” – בָּׁשָּׁ ר אֶחָּׁ ד (basar echad). בָּׁשָּׁ ר (basar, flesh) = ב )2 + (ש )300 + (ר (200) = 502 and אֶחָּׁ ד (echad, one) = א )1 + (ח (8) + ד (4) = 13. The sum of these two words gives us 515: 502 + 13, and this number is the number of prayers Moses made to enter the Promised Land, according to the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah). This reveals to us that uniting into “one flesh” is also a supreme spiritual act, a living prayer.

Other relevant gematria: אהבה (ahavah, love) = 1 )א + (5 )ה + (2 )ב + (5 (ה) = 13, speak to us of this number 13: אחד (echad, one), and also the word Love (אהבה) = One (אחד ) has to do with this number to indicate that true spiritual love is what makes two beings into one.

Furthermore, “One flesh” also implies offspring. On a literal and mystical level: The union between a man and a woman can give rise to a child—a new “flesh” that contains both. This is a symbol of the third sacred element that appears when there is true unity. The Zohar explains that: “The soul of a child descends from the upper world only when there is a sacred union between man and woman with pure intention.”

Uniting in flesh is not only physical—it is spiritual. Authentic union between two people is not limited to the body. Kabbalah teaches that: The body is the instrument of consciousness. The sexual act, if performed with love and consciousness, is a divine act that elevates souls.

Leaving the parental home = spiritual maturity. It involves freeing oneself from inherited patterns, psychological dependencies, and infantile egos, in order to be responsible and co-create a sacred relationship.

"One flesh" = mutual healing. Relationships are not only built to love, but to heal the fragmented parts of the soul. The other is the mirror that reflects, reveals, and repairs.

"So they shall become one flesh" certainly includes the sexual dimension, but in Kabbalah, this union goes much further. It is a symbol of the unification of the soul, of the return to the lost original unity, and of the manifestation of the divine through the human bond.

Kabbalah does not reject sex; on the contrary: it sees it as sacred when performed with intention (kavanah), love, and conscience. But by saying "one flesh," the Torah refers to an act that: Unites bodies, Unites souls, Unites spiritual purposes, and Reactivates the divine unity fractured in creation.

Therefore, in Kabbalah, sex is a bridge between worlds. The Zohar says: "When man and woman unite in holiness, the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) rests upon them." This implies: There are not just two people, but three forces: Man + Woman + God. The union becomes an act of cosmic creation, not just a biological one. Hence the importance of conscious sex as an expression of the soul, a Dvekut (spiritual adhesion), so that this fire reveals its light through the arrival of a new being so that this family unit repairs the soul by generating life.

In the spiritual worlds: Zeir Anpin represents the divine masculine aspect, and Malchut is the Shekhinah, receptive, feminine, which receives and manifests the light. Their union in the higher planes is what keeps the worlds in balance, and every act of conscious physical union reflects and activates this cosmic union.

This is symbolized in: “And the knowledge of his wife” – (Genesis 4:1). In Hebrew: "Vayeida Adam et Chavá." The verb used is "yada" (ידע) = to know, not simply "to have relations." Sexuality is then: A Deep knowledge, a fusion of being, a mirror of divine union.

Basar (flesh) can refer to the body, the child, the lineage, but also to the embodied manifestation of the union of the soul. Echad (one) is the same value as ahavah (love) = 13. This means that being “one flesh” is: Sharing the body, yes, but also sharing: The soul (neshama), The purpose (tikkun), The spiritual energy (Zivug, root couple), and the divine presence (Shekhinah in their midst).

The Zohar warns that: “Uniting without pure intention creates ‘shells’ (klipot) — empty shells that block the divine light.” That is: There is pleasure, but no transformation. Energy is activated, but it does not elevate. There can even be negative spiritual consequences: exhaustion, emptiness, confusion.

In Kabbalah, there is talk of zivug shelem, the “complete union” between soul mates (also called bashert in the Hasidic tradition). What this Zivug (union of souls) should have as its characteristic is an emotional affinity, a mission, and transcendent purposes, aligning body, heart, mind, soul, and all our beings.

So "One Flesh" is not just an expression of sexuality: it is a spiritual realization. Conscious sexuality unites not only bodies, but souls, purposes, and worlds. It is the physical reflection of divine love, when lived in dvekut. Without consciousness, it can become only fire, without light. The Kabbalistic ideal is to achieve a sacred union, where the other is not an object, but a mirror of the soul.