The Tikkunei Zohar, a central work of Kabbalah, delves into this very idea, painting a beautiful and complex picture of the divine feminine, the Shekhinah, and Her relationship with both us and the divine masculine.
The passage we're looking at today in Tikkunei Zohar 39 speaks of encountering Her, the Shekhinah. It draws a parallel to Jacob, our patriarch. Remember the story? Genesis 28:11 tells us, "And he encountered the place, and he sojourned there because the sun had set..." What did Jacob encounter? The Tikkunei Zohar suggests he encountered the Shekhinah!
It goes on to say that Her Master – that is, the Holy One, blessed be He – watched over Her. And because Jacob was there with Her, the tradition says, they established night-prayer, Ma'ariv, as an obligation. Think about that for a moment. The very act of praying at night, we're told, is linked to this encounter, to this divine presence that becomes more accessible, perhaps even more vulnerable, when the sun dips below the horizon.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting. The text contrasts the night with the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, Shabbat, the Shekhinah is described as being in "a private domain." What does that mean? Well, the Tikkunei Zohar explains it beautifully: She is in the domain of Her Husband. On Shabbat, the divine union, the sacred marriage between the Holy One and the Shekhinah, is at its peak. She is not alone then.
This is different from the night, when "She is alone, in Her own domain." It's a powerful image, isn't it? This sense of the Shekhinah having Her own space, Her own time, when She is more accessible to us. It’s in this context that the Tikkunei Zohar quotes Lamentations 1:1: "How alone She sits..."
The verse from Lamentations, traditionally recited on Tisha B'Av, the day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple, takes on a whole new layer of meaning here. It’s not just about the destruction of a physical place; it's about the separation, the exile of the Shekhinah.
So, what does this all mean for us? What can we take away from this intricate Kabbalistic understanding? Perhaps it's an invitation to be more mindful of the different energies of the day and night, of the week and the Sabbath.
Maybe it’s a reminder that even in moments of apparent loneliness, of feeling separated from the divine, there is still a presence, a divine feminine energy, that we can connect with. That’s there watching over us. And it is always longing for reunion, for connection, for the wholeness that comes from being in relationship – both with the divine and with each other.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s an encouragement to find our own way to "encounter the place," to connect with the Shekhinah in our own lives, and to help bring about the ultimate tikkun olam, the repair of the world, by fostering greater unity and love.