Jewish mysticism teaches that this feeling echoes a cosmic reality – a separation, an exile, that affects everything.
The Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, grapples with this very idea. It uses vivid imagery to describe the Shekhinah, the divine feminine presence, as being in exile. Imagine it: the very essence of God's presence, fragmented and yearning to be reunited.
One particularly evocative passage says, "For my head is full of tal…" Tal, in this context, means "dew." It's more than just moisture; it's a symbol of life, of nourishment, of divine influence. The passage connects this dew to the letters H-Ei (ה־א), which represent the Shekhinah in exile. Her very perfection, Her life force, is this tal. It's like she's sustained by this subtle, ethereal blessing while she awaits reunification.
Think of dew clinging to a spiderweb in the early morning light. Delicate, beautiful, but also fragile and impermanent.
The passage then introduces another layer of complexity. It mentions Y-O-D H-Ei V-A-V (י־ה־ו), which also adds up to 39, the numerical value of Ta-L, that dew. But then it contrasts that with simply H-Ei (ה־א), which it says is the Shekhinah, who “is not counted of ‘the 39’." What does this mean?
Well, the Tikkunei Zohar isn't always straightforward. It's often speaking in layers of symbolism. The text goes on to say that YOD H-Ei VAV is what fills the Shekhinah from "the fountain of all higher sources." So, in essence, while the Shekhinah is represented by H-Ei, she's also sustained and completed by a higher, more complete form, represented by the full name of God, Y-O-D H-Ei V-A-V. This filling is essential for Her, as She is not counted within the 39.
In other words, there's a dynamic relationship at play. The Shekhinah, in her exiled state, receives sustenance from a higher source. This divine flow, this tal, is crucial for her existence and eventual redemption.
According to Rabbi Michael Laitman, the numerical value of 39, associated with TaL (dew), symbolizes the 39 actions of labor that were forbidden on Shabbat. This connects the idea of divine influence (dew) with the limitations and boundaries that define sacred time. The Shekhinah, in this context, embodies the potential for spiritual growth and unification that is unlocked through observing these boundaries.
And then, something remarkable happens in the text. "Immediately, the Faithful Shepherd rose, and the holy Patriarchs with him." It's a sudden burst of activity, a response to the mysteries being unveiled. It suggests that understanding these concepts, even in a small way, can stir powerful forces in the spiritual realms.
The passage concludes by stating, "Until here is ‘the mystery of unity’. From here onwards is the first passage of ‘the secrets of the Torah’." It’s a clear marker, a boundary. We've reached a point where the veil is lifted, and we're invited to delve even deeper into the Torah's hidden dimensions.
What does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in our own fragmented states, we are connected to a higher source. That even when we feel exiled or incomplete, there is a divine flow, a tal, that sustains us and guides us towards wholeness. And maybe, just maybe, by contemplating these mysteries, we can play a part in the cosmic reunification that the Kabbalists so passionately describe.