A Woman's Intuition

The women took no part in the sin of the golden calf, or the rebellion of Korach and paid no heed to the evil report of the spies. On the contrary, while the men complained about Eretz Yisroel and refused to enter, the women cherished the Land. The love of the women for Eretz Yisroel stems from their bitul. Even though "Eretz Yisroel is acquired with suffering", women are capable of enduring the type of suffering necessary in order to do what is right. We have seen this in the case of Rabbi Akiva, whose wife Rochel became the foundation of the entire Talmud, through the selfless way in which she supported her husband.

Another of Rochel's admirable traits was her profound insight into human nature. Women have an intuitive sense that enables them to perceive the true essence of people. For example, when Elisha the Prophet was a guest in the town of Shunam, his host was oblivious to his true stature. His hostess however, realised who he was and suggested to her husband that they build a guest room for him. The Gemara says that from this episode we can learn about the nature of female intuition. If a woman has such insight into a stranger, how much more is she able to realise the true nature of her own husband?

(Biala Rebbe)