Jewish mysticism, especially the Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, grapples with this feeling. It explores the idea of completeness, and how we achieve it, not just as individuals but as a universe. And in Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar 57, we find a fascinating piece of this puzzle.
The text begins by referencing the completion of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary the Israelites carried through the desert. It says that when the Tabernacle is completed with its yerekh—that's its "thigh," or side—it recalls the verse "And Jacob arrived complete..." (Genesis 33:18). What does Jacob have to do with the Tabernacle?
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Jacob, specifically, is seen as the image of the Middle Pillar in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Now, the Tree of Life is a complex diagram representing the structure of the divine and the cosmos. It's made up of ten Sephirot, divine emanations, arranged in three pillars: the Pillar of Mercy, the Pillar of Severity, and the Middle Pillar, which balances the two.
But there's a twist! The text tells us that Jacob represents the Middle Pillar from the outside aspect. Moses, on the other hand, represents the Middle Pillar from the inside aspect. One is the body, the other the soul. It's a powerful metaphor for the different facets of ourselves, and of the divine. So, if Jacob is the Middle Pillar, he needs to be "built" to be complete.
And how does this completion happen? The text tells us that the two thighs of the Middle Pillar, the Sephirot of Netzach (Eternity) and Hod – Endurance and Splendor – need to be complete.
But here's the real kicker: when will the Middle Pillar be truly complete?
When it joins with the SAFE0 (the Divine Presence).
The Shekhinah is the Divine Presence, the feminine aspect of God, often seen as dwelling among us, in the world. It’s the immanent, accessible face of the Infinite.
The Tikkunei Zohar brings in the verse, "And Jacob travelled to Sukkot, and he built for himself a house..." (Genesis 33:17). This refers to the holiday of Sukkot, where we build temporary dwellings. But on a deeper level, it suggests that Jacob is building a dwelling place for the Shekhinah.
And finally, the text references the creation story: "...and Y”Y ELQYM built the rib..." (Genesis 2:22). This is a coded reference to God building Eve from Adam's rib. In Kabbalistic thought, this mirrors the joining of the masculine and feminine, a union that brings wholeness. Y”Y ELQYM is a specific spelling of God's name with connotations of Divine building and perfection.
So, what does it all mean?
It suggests that true completion, for ourselves and for the cosmos, comes from the union of seemingly separate parts. The Middle Pillar needs its "thighs," Netzach and Hod. Jacob, representing the outer aspect, needs the inner essence represented by Moses. And ultimately, everything needs the grounding, unifying presence of the Shekhinah.
It's a reminder that we are all part of a larger whole, and that our individual journeys are intertwined with the divine dance of creation. Maybe that feeling of something missing isn’t a flaw, but an invitation. An invitation to seek connection, to build bridges, and to find completeness in the embrace of the Shekhinah.