Jewish mysticism has a fascinating way of describing this very experience, using the tiniest of details: the vowel points and cantillation marks in the Torah itself.
We're diving into Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar 94 today, a passage that might seem obscure at first glance, but reveals profound truths about the relationship between the Divine, the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence), and us.
The passage speaks of "qubutz shureq" (קֻבּוּץ שׁוּרֵק) below the letter. Now, these are Hebrew vowel points. Shureq ( ֻ ) is a vowel sound, and here it's associated with descent. The text contrasts this with shalshelet (שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת), a cantillation mark—those little symbols above the letters that guide how the Torah is chanted. Shalshelet ( ֓ ) is associated with ascent.
Think of it like this: with shalshelet, we rise; with shureq, we descend. It's a constant interplay, a cosmic dance of moving closer to and further away from the Divine. The text even calls it a ladder! One version reads ḥolem ( ֹ ) which ascends upwards, another reads ḥireq ( ִ ) which descends downwards. Up and down, again and again. This back-and-forth, this tension, is reflected in the cantillation mark darga (דַּרְגָּא), which the text describes as two notes. A combination of ascent and descent.
But where does the Shekhinah fit into all this?
The Shekhinah, often seen as the feminine aspect of God, has a "responding" (‘inuya). The text tells us that even though the Shekhinah has three sides, Her response isn't like a wife's response to her husband. It involves the sounds of the teqi’ah, the she-varim, and the te-ru’ah. The teqi’ah is associated with "soft judgement" (rapheh), while the she-varim is associated with harsh judgement (dagesh) and Gevurah (Severity), a divine attribute. But the response to Her husband is the te-ru’ah, and the shalshelet.
What does this mean? Why this complex interplay of sounds and divine attributes?
Perhaps it's telling us that our relationship with the Divine is multifaceted. It's not just about gentle acceptance or harsh judgment. It's about a constant dialogue, a dynamic exchange that involves both ascent and descent, joy and sorrow, ease and struggle. The Shekhinah, in Her "responding," embodies this complexity.
This passage from Tikkunei Zohar, with its focus on seemingly small details, opens up a vast landscape of mystical understanding. It reminds us that even the way we read and chant sacred texts can be a pathway to deeper connection. The ladders are always there, inviting us to climb, even knowing we might, at times, slide back down. But it's in that very dance, that very striving, that we find meaning. So, what ladder are you climbing today?