The Vow of the Woman in Labor and the Four Kinds of Listeners

Another interpretation: "And to your husband shall be your desire" (Genesis 3:16). At the hour a woman sits on the birthstool, she says: I will no longer be bound to my husband from now on. And the Holy One, blessed be He, says to her: you shall return to your desire for your husband. Because she wavered in her heart, therefore let her bring her offering wavering [a humble offering], "and she shall take two turtledoves" (Leviticus 12:8). "And he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16). One might think rule from every side; the verse teaches, "he shall not take the lower or upper millstone in pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:6). There was an incident with a certain woman of the house of Turyanus who was married to a bandit; when she came before the Sages, she brought out before them a lamp of gold with an earthenware lamp upon it, to fulfill what is said, "and to your husband shall be your desire." "And to Adam He said: because you listened to the voice of your wife" (Genesis 3:17). There are four who listen. There is one who listens and loses, one who listens and gains, one who does not listen and loses, and one who does not listen and gains. One who listens and loses, this is Adam the first man: "because you listened to the voice of your wife"; and what did he lose? "for dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). One who listens and gains, this is Abraham our father: "all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice" (Genesis 21:12), and he gained, "for in Isaac shall your seed be called" (Genesis 21:12). One who does not listen and gains, this is Joseph: "and he did not listen to her to lie beside her" (Genesis 39:10), and what did he gain? "and Joseph was the ruler over the land" (Genesis 42:6). One who does not listen and loses, this is Israel: "and they did not listen to Me and did not incline their ear" (Jeremiah 17:23), and what did they lose? "those for death, to death" (Jeremiah 15:2).