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In many Kabbalistic and Chassidic teachings, we are taught that the woman must first entice and arouse the man, after which there can be copulation. However, then the teachings go on to teach that the man has to first empower the woman to arouse and entice, meaning that it is the man who must first entice and arouse the woman.
When Kabbalah and Chassidus speak about men and women, especially in intimacy, it is metaphoric. What the metaphor is, will depend upon the topic its dealing with. It may be our soul’s masculine faculties and its feminine faculties, which are the reflection of the Holy Masculine Emanations and the Holy Feminine Emanations. Lower than this, it may be speaking of the Soul (masculine) and its Body (feminine). Highest of all, the source of all male and female intimacy, it speaks of G-d (male; husband) and the Jewish people (female; wife).
And thus, we are being taught, that when we are engaging with our relationship with G-d, our first job is always to receive from G-d, and only after this, can we give G-d. Yes, our relationship with G-d begins with the simple humility of being on the receiving end, and knowing that it is only through humbly receiving from G-d, that we can ever give back to G-d.
This lecture is based primarily on a maamor the Rebbe delivered on this Shabbat in 1965, exploring the donations that were given in order to build the Tabernacle -the mobile Holy Temple in the dessert.
