Jewish mysticism suggests that sometimes, that feeling isn't just yours alone.
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, offers a powerful interpretation of a seemingly simple verse from the Book of Exodus: "and she opened, and she saw the boy..." (Exodus 2:6). But who is seeing? According to the Tikkunei Zohar, this "she" isn't just Pharaoh's daughter discovering the infant Moses in the reeds. Instead, "she saw" represents the undefined, the Divine Presence, the feminine aspect of God manifest in the world. And why was Moses crying? Because of Her, because of the exile and suffering of the Shekhinah herself, as we also find in Shemot Rabbah 1:24.
Think about that for a moment. A baby's cry echoing the pain of the Divine. It’s a radical idea, isn't it?
And what happens next? "...and she took pity upon him..." Pharaoh's daughter is moved to compassion. This compassion mirrors God's own, a promise of redemption woven into the fabric of suffering. It echoes in the words of Jeremiah (31:8): "With crying they shall come, and with supplications I shall lead them..." leading, ultimately, to the fulfillment of Isaiah's promise (54:7): "...and with great mercies I shall gather you."
The Tikkunei Zohar paints a picture of a universe deeply interconnected, where human emotions resonate with the Divine, and Divine compassion answers human suffering.
But the Tikkunei Zohar doesn't stop there. It offers a vision of future joy, a cosmic celebration. When redemption finally arrives, when the Shekhinah is reunited, the text describes a chorus of celestial beings erupting in song. "At that time," it says, "all the ḥayot—angelic beasts—will be aroused in voice, and birds will chirp in song, to receive the daughter in joy and with music." It will be a wedding, a reunion, the receiving of the qidushin, the rites of sanctification, from the groom.
And what is the song they sing? It's the song of ultimate holiness: "Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh—Holy, holy, holy..." (Isaiah 6:3). The Tikkunei Zohar emphasizes that "there is no sanctity less than ten," alluding to the ten Sefirot, the ten emanations of Divine energy through which God manifests. This implies a complete and total holiness, a unified Divine presence.
So, what does it all mean?
Perhaps it's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we are connected to something larger than ourselves. That our suffering is not unseen, unheard. That compassion, both human and Divine, holds the power to transform sorrow into joy, exile into redemption. And that one day, the universe itself will celebrate that reunion with a song of unimaginable beauty.