This blew me away

a rough translation. long but worth it. the fun allusions, though, are partially lost, alas...

"A woman of valor, who shall find, and far from pearls is her price." (proverbs 31:10)

"The promise that the KBH promised to women is greater than the men, as it is said, (Isaiah 32:9) "confident women" (nashim sha'ananot, per JPS translation). Rav said to Rabi Hiyya: these women, by what do they gain merit? By bringing their sons to the synagogue and by sending their men to the study hall (bei rabannan) and waiting for their men until they return from the study hall." (Berachot 17a)

"Tsadikim are great in their deaths, that it is called an altar of atonement (mizbeach kapparah). A man and a woman are equivalent in this regard. If you wish I will prove (this eqivalence) using a text, and if you wish I will prove it using logic. When the sages gave the reason for the juxtaposition of the death of Miriam to the laws of the red] heifer, (cf Bamidbar 20:1 and Rashi there, who says that the juxtaposition teaches that the death of righteous people atones just as sacrifics do), from there is a (textual) proof that in this atonement (via death) woman and man are alike. And also, go and learn from "and she went ut of the place"(Ruth 1:7) regarding Naomi and Ruth, from there explain it (not sure about this wording), that once they left the city its glow, its glory, its majesty, left (this is a citation from somewhere, ???). Also, in the merit of righteous women the hosts of HaShem (tsivos haShem ;) ) went out from darkness to light, and also a great man (Abraham) came to eulogize and to weep for Sarah (cf. Gen 23:1). All this comes to teach that a male and female righteous person in their lives and in their deaths are ???? (magen tsinah ve-socherah?). Therefore, it is obligatory on every Israelite to mourn for a kosher woman, and the one who does so extensively, behold this is praised (vekhol hamarbeh, harei zeh meshubach ;) ) and his reward is great before the Great and Awesome One. (Ayom ve-Nora)

First, we will bring what Shlomoh the King (obm) said, "a woman of valor, who sahll find..." For there is room to clarify precisely (ledakdek) why he called her by the name "a woman of valor" (eshet chayil) - he should have called her "a woman fering of God, who sahll find?" As he called her at the end (verse 30), "A woman fearing of God, she shall be praised," for she is the very "eshet chayil" who is refered to above, so why does he call her eshet chayil? And in order that this be understood, we will bring what is in the midrash (Yalkut Shim'oni Mishlei remez 950):
'They asked chochmah (wisdom): A sinner, what is his punishment?
She said to them: sinners will chase evil (source???)
They asked prophecy: A sinner, what is his punishment?
She said to them: 'the soul that sins shall die' (Ezek 18:20)
They asked the Torah: A sinner, what is his punishment?
She said to them: he should bring a sacrifice and it will be atoned for him.
They asked the KBH: A sinner, what is his punishment?
He said to them: He should do teshuvah and it will be atoned for him, as it is said, 'good and upright (tov veyashar) is God, therefore he will instruct sinners on the way (Psalms 25:8).'

And behold, this passage is astonishing for since the KBH, the ruler of all who decreed, says that teshuvah is enough, what do chochmah,, prophecy, and Torah have left? What should they say, for who can come after the King? And furthermore, this that it said that prophecy responded that "the sould that sins, it shall die," )is apparently) because this text is written in the books of the prophets, but behold,m in another prophet it is written (Hosea 14:2-3), "Return, O Israel...take with you words and return...and we will repay (in place of) cows, [with] our lips," and this is the response of the KBH Himself, and what did the author of the passage see that he took up the text that said "the sould that sins" and disregarded the text of "and we will replace cows ith our lips." And further, that which he wrote that the Torah responded 'let him bring a sacrifice,' behold in the Torah teshuvah is spelled out, as it is said, 'For it is close to you, the thing, very much, in your mouth and your heart to do it' (deut 30:14). and further, this verse that he brings for proof for the KBH is written in the Writings, which are called "chochmah."

-R. Yaakov Abuhatsira, as cited in this collection of perushim on eshet chayil I picked up

ad caan for now - i'll get to the answer some time later, beli neder.
What is interesting so far: the mirdash from yalkut shim'oni is amazing.
the main questions:
1- why use the term "eshet chayil?"
2- how can chochmah, nevuah, and Torah seemingly disagree with the KBH?
3- How does the author decide what response to attribute to whom?
a- why is atonement-by-death attributed to prophecy, when prophetic writings also refer to repentance.
b- why is repentance attributed to the KBH only, when (both the prophets and) the Torah contain references to teshuvah.
c- why is the prooftext for teshuvah attributed to the KBH if it is in teh writings, which would ordinarily be considered "chochmah."

also missing as of yet is a tie-in to the opening about women meriting via men (sons, husbands) but being equally (potentially) commendable, atonement-granting, etc...

Thoughts?