to a passage from Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar 91, a section that unpacks the different ways we encounter and understand the divine presence, represented here as a feminine force often referred to as "She" or "Her."
First, the text tells us that when the divine name, YQV”Q (a specific permutation of the ineffable name of God), resides in "Her" discussion, "She" is called hagadah – narrative. That's right, hagadah, the very word we use for the telling of the Passover story! The implication? When the Divine is engaged in conversation, when we're actively telling and retelling the story, that's when we can truly connect. And when we do? (Isaiah 58:9) "Then shall you call, and Y”Y will answer." It's a beautiful image of reciprocal connection.
But the Zohar doesn't stop there. It introduces another level of understanding: shitah, often translated as "perspective." This comes into play when there's no difficult question or dispute. Think of it as a smoothed-out path. As Isaiah 40:4 says, "Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked way shall be a straight plane." Shitah, this perspective, is about leveling the playing field, removing obstacles to understanding. It’s about clarity and directness, a perspective free from the noise of doubt and argument.
And then we get to the really juicy stuff: psaq, or "final decision." The Zohar gets quite metaphorical here. It describes people striving in the Oral Torah for its own sake. These people are considered "craftsmen" in relation to "Her." Imagine artisans, diligently working with the raw materials of Torah.
But there's another layer: "Those who hew – pasqinn – stones in Her, like mountains and mighty rocks." These are the deep thinkers, the ones wrestling with complex ideas, breaking them down (pheruqinn – breaks, answers) and then rebuilding them. It's like chiseling away at a massive block of stone until you reveal the sculpture hidden within.
And what do they build with these stones? (Deuteronomy 27:6) "With complete stones you shall build it." They create buildings, many buildings, "for the King and the Queen, that They may dwell among them." The King and Queen, of course, represent the divine couple, the ultimate union of masculine and feminine energies. These structures, built from carefully hewn and refined ideas, become dwelling places for the Divine.
So, what's the takeaway? The Zohar is showing us that engaging with divine wisdom isn't a passive process. It requires active storytelling (hagadah), clear perspective (shitah), and, perhaps most importantly, diligent intellectual and spiritual work (psaq). It's about wrestling with the text, questioning, refining, and ultimately building something beautiful and meaningful from the raw materials of Torah.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What kind of structures are we building with our own understanding of Torah? Are we content with simply accepting what we're told, or are we willing to pick up the chisel and hammer and start hewing our own stones, creating spaces for the Divine to dwell within us?