In the month of Tammuz and Av, we remember the destruction of the Temple and the Shekhinah's exile along with the Israelites. Through Kabbalistic lore, Midrash, and sacred poetry (Lamentations), we see the Shekhinah as the feminine divine presence that shares our joys and sorrows, dwelling within us. The months of Tammuz and Av, known as the “two weeping eyes”, is a time to rebuild and strengthen our inner temples.
The root of the word Shekhinah means “to dwell,” indicating the divine presence within our bodies and throughout creation. The Shekhinah dwells with us in all our experiences, sharing in our pain and joy.
The first allusion in the Torah that we have to the Shekhina is in the story of the Exodus. The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah, recounting the story of the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt and their journey towards receiving the divine revelation at Mount Sinai. We witness the stories of the 10 plagues, the miraculous splitting of the Sea, building the Mishkan (tabernacle) , and receiving the 10 commandments on Mt. Sinai.
"Build for Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them." (Exod. 25:8) It says "them," meaning God may dwell among them–the people, rather than it–the Sanctuary. This is the idea that God isn't contained within any particular physical space, but rather exists in the spaces between people and in the relationships we have with each other."Cantor Julia Cadrain, of Central Synagogue
Reflection Questions:
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How does the concept of the Shekhinah dwelling within us, and between us, change your understanding of divine presence?
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When or how do you feel the presence of the Shekhinah in your body or in your daily life?
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What are ways we can build our inner Sanctuary?
In Kabbalistic lore, when the Temple was destroyed the Shechinah (divine presence) was exiled alongside with us, weeping. The imagery of the divine feminine, in pain and in exile with us,crying when we cry, laughing when we laugh, brings us comfort amidst the destruction and grief that we experience.
“When the Shekhinah went forth from the Temple, she hugged and kissed its walls and pillars and wept, and said: “Shalom, goodbye, my Temple, goodbye, my royal dwelling, goodbye, my beloved house!…
—Lamentations Rabbah
Reflection Questions:
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What emotions arise when you imagine the Shekhinah weeping and mourning?
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Can you recall a time when you felt the Shekhinah dwelling within you during a moment of pain or joy?
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How does this imagery of the Shekhinah provide comfort in times of personal or communal loss?
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How does our wider culture embrace grief and grief rituals (for better or for worse)? How do you see collective grief being expressed and processed?
Moshe Cordovero was a prominent 16th-century Kabbalist from Tzfat (Safed), known for his influential works on Jewish mysticism, including "Pardes Rimonim" and contributions to "Ein Yaakov," a compilation of Talmudic aggadot. He played a key role in the development of Kabbalistic thought:
כי המלכות היא הנטרדת עמנו, עולה עמנו ויורדת עמנו, נגאלת עמנו וגולה עמנו.
והיא הדבקה תמיד עמנו, לא תפרד בשום אופן בעולם. והיא השוכנת אתנו. אנו גורמין במעשינו יחודה או פירודה או רחמיה.
Moshe Cordovero, 16th c. Tzfat Kabbalist, Ein Yaakov
For Malchut (Shechinah) is the one who is expelled with us, ascending with us and descending with us. She is redeemed with us and exiled with us. She is the one connected to us always, never separated from us under any circumstance. She dwells with us. Our deeds cause her union or separation or mercy.
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Reflection Questions:
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Exercise for the week:
Reflect on a moment of joy or sorrow this week and try to sense the presence of the Shekhinah with you. Write down your reflections
Listen: Shechina Blessing by Laura Wetzler
Additional Sources on the Shekhina:
Here we learn that if two people sit together and learn Torah, the Shekhina dwells between them:
(ב) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן תְּרַדְיוֹן אוֹמֵר, שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְאֵין בֵּינֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים א) וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב. אֲבָל שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְיֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג) אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי יְיָ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב יְיָ וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי יְיָ וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹבֵעַ לוֹ שָׂכָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה ג) יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָיו:
(2) Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. R. Hananiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said: “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward? As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28).
In the following Talmud passage from Berakhot 6a, we learn that the shekhinah is present when ten people pray, when three people come together to constitute a religious court, and when two people study Torah together.
This passage teaches us that whoever is diligent in the mitzvah of tzitzit merits the שכינה, the divine presence:
This text reveals that wherever the Jewish People went in exile, the שכינה (divine presence) was with them:
The prayer El Maleh Rakhamim asks the Divine to provide the dearly departed true rest in the wings of the shekhinah:
שֶׁהָלַךְ לְעוֹלָמוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן תְּהֵא מְנוּחָתוֹ. אָנָּא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים יַסְתִּירֵהוּ בְּסֵתֶר כְּנָפָיו לְעוֹלָמִים, וְיִצְרוֹר בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֶת נִשְׁמָתוֹ. יְיָ הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ, וְיָנוּחַ עַל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן
El Maleh Rakhamim, shokhein bamoromim, hamtzei menukhah al kanfei hashekhinah b’ma’alot kedoshim u’tehorim k’zohar harakiyah mazhirim et nishmat (name of the deceased) shehalakh l’olamo b’gan eden t’hei menuchato. Ana ba’al harakhamim yastireihu b’seiter k’nafav l’olamim vitzror b’tzror hayim et nishmato. Adonai hu nakhalato, v’yanukhu al mishkavo b’shalom. V’nomar amen.
God who is full of mercy and dwells on high, provide a true rest on the wings of the Divine Presence amongst the holy and pure ones who shine as brightly as the brilliance of the sky to the soul of (name of deceased) who has gone on to their eternity, the Garden of Eden will be their resting place. We beseech the Merciful One to shade them forever with divine wings, and to bind their soul up in the bonds of life. The Lord is their heritage, and they shall rest peacefully on her bed. And let us say, Amen.
ר' יוסי ורבי יהודה ורבי חייא היו הולכים בדרך. פגע בהם רבי אלעזר. משראו אותו ירדו כולם מן החמורים. אמר רבי אלעזר: ודאי פני שכינה רואים אנו! שהרי כאשר רואה אדם את הצדיקים או זכאים אשר בדור ופוגש בהם, ודאי הנם פני השכינה. ומדוע נקראים פני שכינה? מפני שהשכינה מסתתרת בתוכם. היא בסתימות והם בגילוי, מפני שהשכינה - אותם הקרובים לה נקראים פניה. ומי הם? אותם שהיא נתקנת עמהם להראות אל המלך העליון. והואיל ואתם כאן, ודאי שכינה נתקנת עליכם, ואתם הפנים שלה.
Zohar, Vol.II 163b 9 (Teruma)
Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Yehudah, and Rabbi Hiyya were traveling on the road, and Rabbi Elazar met them. As soon as they saw him, they all dismounted from their donkeys. Rabbi Elazar said, “Surely, I have seen the face of Shekhinah! For when one sees the righteous or virtuous of the generation and meets them, they are surely the face of Shekhinah. “Why are they called the face of Shekhinah? Because Shekhinah is hidden within them: She is in concealment and they are revealed, for those close to Shekhinah are called Her face. And who are they? Those with whom She adorns Herself to appear before the supernal King. Now, since you are here, surely Shekhinah is arrayed upon you, and you are Her face.”[1]
[1] I have seen the face of Shekhinah... According to rabbinic tradition, “whoever welcomes [literally, receives the face of] the wise is considered as if he welcomes Shekhinah.” See Mekhilta, Amalek (Yitro) 1. Cf. JT Eruvin 5:1, 22b: “Rabbi Shmu’el said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira, ‘...Whoever receives the face of his teacher is considered as if he receives the face of Shekhinah.’.... Rabbi Yishma’el taught...‘One who receives the face of his friend is considered as if he recieves the face of Shekhinah.’” The Zohar transforms the rabbinic simile into an actual description of the righteous, who are here called the face of Shekhinah. She dwells within them. From another perspective, they adorn Her in prepartion for Her union with the King.
“When the Tabernacle was completed and the Shekhinah came down to earth, a celestial satan (accuser) stood at Her side and covered her face with a veil of thick darkness to prevent her from finding Her way down to earth. And a thousand five hundred myriads of accusing angels were around her. A multitude of exalted angels flew up before the throne of the Holy One, and said: Lord of the world! Our splendor and radiance comes from the Shekhinah of your Glory, and should she now descend to those below? But in that hour, the Shekhinah gathered up all her strength and, breaking through that darkness, like one breaking through strong barriers, came down to earth. As soon as they saw this the celestial beings cried mightily together: O God, how powerful is your name in all the earth!”
—Zohar II, 140b
According to the Zohar, the Shekhinah’s descent into the universe is not easy. Many angels and demons stand in Her way, wanting to keep her from Her creation. So too, many forces keep us from claiming our own place, our own truth. The spring season is a time to gather up our own strength and fully enter into the world, using our gifts for good, knowing that we can embody the Shekhinah through our love and our righteous actions. It is a time when we nourish the buds that will blossom into our best selves. -Rabbi Jill Hammer
Hillel Zeitlin (1908) translated from Hebrew by Avraham Leader
The Shechina is the mother of all of creation, the mother of the lower world especially, the mother of all the children of Israel, the mother of every individual, a loving, compassionate, comforting mother, a savior-redeemer.
And in the language of the Kabbalists: Supernal Mother is Binah; Lower Mother is Malhchut/the kingdom, Knesset Yisrael/Assembly of Israel, Lady/Matron, beautiful maiden, the doe of the dawn, Rachel, daughter, higher earth, Wisdom of Solomon, speaking, speech, and more like these.
And we, the last of the last, orphans amongst orphans, children of unprecedented suffering, children of misfortunes of a magnitude that even a people all too familiar with pain has never previously known, firebrands salvaged from slaughters and pogroms, we who thirst and yearn for redemption and only for redemption – we let go of Binah and Wisdom of Solomon and speech and leadership and our eyes seek and search for the mother, for Rachel weeping for her children, for the doe of the dawn, the beautiful maiden who beseeches on our behalf and on behalf of the entire world, who brings redemption to us and to all those who are oppressed.
לְכָה דודִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שבָּת נְקַבְּלָה.
1) שָמור וְזָכור בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד. הִשמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְיֻחָד. יי אֶחָד וּשמו אֶחָד. לְשם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה.
2) מִקְדַּש מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוךְ הַהֲפֵכָה.
רַב לָךְ שבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמול עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה.
3) הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי.
עַל יַד בֶּן יִשי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשי גְאָלָהּ.
4) הִתְעורְרִי הִתְעורְרִי. כִּי בָא אורֵךְ קוּמִי אורִי.
עוּרִי עוּרִי שיר דַּבֵּרִי. כְּבוד יי עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה.
5) לא תֵבושי וְלא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשתּוחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי.
בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי. וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ.
6) וְהָיוּ לִמְשסָּה שאסָיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָיִךְ.
יָשיש עָלַיִךְ אֱלקָיִךְ. כִּמְשוש חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה.
7) יָמִין וּשמאל תִּפְרוצִי. וְאֶת יי תַּעֲרִיצִי.
עַל יַד אִיש בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשמְחָה וְנָגִילָה.
8) בּואִי בְשלום עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה.
תּוךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻלָּה. בּואִי כַלָּה. בּואִי כַלָּה.
Lecha Dodi: Shlomo Alkabetz, 16th c. Tzfat
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
"Observe" and "Remember" in a single word, He caused us to hear, the One and Only Lord. G‑d is One and His Name is One, For renown, for glory and in song.
To welcome the Shabbat, let us progress,
For that is the source, from which to bless.
From the beginning, chosen before time,
Last in deed, but in thought - prime.
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
Sanctuary of the King, city royal,
Arise, go out from amidst the turmoil.
In the vale of tears too long you have dwelt, He will show you the compassion He has felt. Arise, now, shake off the dust,
Don your robes of glory - my people - you must. Through the son of Jesse, the Bethelemite, Draw near to my soul, set her free from her plight. Wake up, wake up, Your light has come, rise and shine. Awaken, awaken; sing a melody, The glory of God to be revealed upon thee.
Be not ashamed, nor confounded,
Why are you downcast, why astounded?
In you, refuge for My poor people will be found, The city will be rebuilt on its former mound.May your plunderers be treated the same way, And all who would devour you be kept at bay. Over you Your God will rejoice, As a groom exults in his bride of choice.
To right and left you'll spread abroad,
And the Eternal One you shall laud.
Through the man from the house of Peretz, We shall rejoice and sing happily.
Come in peace, her Husband's crown of pride, With song and good cheer.
Among the faithful of the people so dear
Enter O Bride, enter O Bride!
(צוואת הריב"ש ד"ח ע"ב, ובס' אור התורה).
"Make an opening [tzohar] for the ark [teivah], closing up to a cubit at the top." (Genesis 6:16) -- The Baal Shem Tov, peace be upon him, explained these words in the following way: let the word (teivah) said in Torah or in prayer radiate light (matzhir)! For in every letter there are worlds, souls and divinity, that rise up and interconnect and cleave to one another and to the divine. Afterwards, these letters connect and conjoin, finally becoming a word. After that, they connect and unify unifications of truth in the Divine - and one must unify one's soul with each of the aforementioned aspects. In this way, all the worlds rise and become as one, and then there is immense joy and immeasurable delight. This is the meaning of "...bottom, second, and third decks," (Genesis 6:16) - that is the worlds, souls and divinities, as it says (Zohar I:159a) "there are three worlds, etc." In each and every word one must listen to what is being spoken, since the Shechina is the world of speech, as it is says (Zohar III:230a) "She speaks and He is Her escort." "Tzohar" - this 'opening' for light - that everything should be illuminated with clarity, giving pleasure to the Creator. One needs great faith (Emunah) for this, since the Shechinah Herself is called Emunat Amen, faithful faith (Zohar II:16b). Without faith, Heaven forbid, She is called (Proverbs 16:28) "A querulous one who alienates their friend." As for the end of the verse, "closing up to a cubit (amah)" -- this is the Mother (Ima). It could be said that after the word leaves one's mouth, it does not need to be remembered again, one does not see that it rises to an elevated place, just as one can not look at the sun, as it says, "closing up at the top." How does one do all this? "Go into the ark [teivah], you and all your household." (Genesis 7:1) -- this means that with all your body and strengths, you shall enter the word [teivah]!