Jerusalem in Exile and the Shekhinah's Grief

Maybe that feeling isn't just in your head.

The Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah that expands on the Zohar, gives us a glimpse into a cosmic perspective on suffering and redemption. It asks a powerful question: if even the smallest creatures get a champion, what about Israel and the SAFE2 (the Divine Presence)?

What exactly is the Shekhinah? It's the divine presence, the feminine aspect of God, often seen as dwelling among us, especially in times of trouble. Think of it as God's immanent presence in the world.

The passage we're looking at from Tikkunei Zohar (45) paints a picture of God surveying the cosmos. He gathers all His forces and essentially says, "Hold on a minute! Every appointed one over birds – every angel in charge of even the smallest aspect of creation – instructs merit upon its charges. They advocate for them! So why is no one advocating for My son, My firstborn Israel, and for the Shekhinah in exile, whose nest – Jerusalem – is destroyed?"

It's a heart-wrenching image. God is essentially lamenting the lack of compassion and advocacy for His people and His own divine presence amidst their suffering.

The text continues: "And His children in exile, are under the hand of harsh masters – the nations of the world, and there is no-one who requests mercy for them, and instructs merit upon them." God's children, scattered and oppressed, and no one is standing up for them. No one is pleading their case. No one is "instructing merit" – that is, arguing for their worthiness of divine favor.

It's a powerful reminder of the importance of intercession, of standing up for the vulnerable, of advocating for justice. It also highlights the intimate connection between God's presence in the world and the fate of the Jewish people. The destruction of Jerusalem, the exile, the suffering – all impact the Shekhinah, the divine presence that dwells within us.

So, what does this mean for us today? Perhaps it’s a call to action. A call to be those advocates, those who "instruct merit" for those who are suffering. A call to remember the Shekhinah, the divine presence, in the midst of a broken world, and to work towards its, and our, ultimate redemption. To repair the world, to perform tikkun olam. Because if God is asking the question, maybe it’s because He's waiting for us to answer.

And what does the blessed Holy One do? He gathers all His forces, and says: ‘And is it [Var. thus] that every appointed-one over birds below, instructs merit upon its birds that it is appointed over? And yet no-one amongst you instructs merit upon My son who is Israel: (Ex. 4:22) My son, My firstborn Israel, and upon the Shekhinah who is in exile, Whose nest – which is Jerusalem – is destroyed.’

And His children in exile, are under the hand of harsh masters – the nations of the world, and there is no-one who requests mercy for them, and instructs merit upon them.