The passage we're looking at comes from Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar 111. It paints a poetic picture, associating the Shekhinah – the Divine Presence – with different holidays and concepts. And it does so in a way that might surprise you.
It starts by saying "And She is Passover from the right-hand side. And She is the New Year from the left-hand side." Intriguing, right? What does it mean that Passover and Rosh Hashanah are linked to the Shekhinah, and that they're associated with different "sides"?
The text continues, "And She is the ‘broken unleavened bread’ from the left-hand side, and She is the ‘complete unleavened bread’ from the right-hand side, because the side of the north is not complete…" Here, we're diving into deeper symbolism. The "broken unleavened bread," or matzah, refers to the matzah broken during the Passover Seder. Why is it associated with the "left-hand side" and the "north," which is described as "not complete?" Well, the north is often associated with judgment and severity in Kabbalistic thought. Think of the verse from Jeremiah (1:14) that's quoted: "...evil shall begin from the north..."
So, the broken matzah, connected to the more severe aspects of the Divine, contrasts with the "complete unleavened bread" on the right, representing wholeness and mercy. It's a beautiful image of balance and the interplay of different forces within the Divine.
But the connections don't stop there! The Tikkunei Zohar goes on: "And She is [‘unleavened bread’ – matzah] ‘precept’ – mitzvah, through the letter Vav, from the aspect of the Middle Pillar." Ah, the Middle Pillar. In Kabbalistic diagrams of the Sefirot (the emanations of the Divine), the Middle Pillar represents balance and harmony between opposing forces. So, matzah, as a mitzvah (commandment or good deed), is linked to this central, unifying principle. The letter Vav, a Hebrew letter that often serves as a connector, reinforces this idea of linkage and harmony.
And then, the text brings in another holiday: "And She is the Festival of Weeks – Shavu’ot, from the aspect of the Middle Pillar – seven weeks specifically, in which there are seven Sabbaths, and in which there are 49 days, as the number of 49 letters of the recitation of the Shm’a…" Shavu'ot, the holiday when we celebrate receiving the Torah, is also connected to the Middle Pillar. Why? Because it comes after a period of intense spiritual preparation – the counting of the Omer, the 49 days between Passover and Shavu'ot.
These 49 days, with their seven weeks and seven Sabbaths, mirror the 49 letters found in the first verse of the Shm’a (Deut. 6:4) – "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" – and the phrase "Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever," which is recited silently during prayer. According to Ginzberg in Legends of the Jews, this practice has ancient roots, linked to the idea of unifying God's name. This connection emphasizes the importance of these weeks as a time of intense focus on unity and Divine connection, all leading up to the giving of the Torah.
So, what does all this mean? It suggests that the Jewish holidays aren't isolated events. They're interconnected threads in a larger tapestry of spiritual meaning. They reflect different aspects of the Divine Presence, and they offer us opportunities to connect with God in different ways. By understanding these connections, perhaps we can deepen our appreciation for the richness and complexity of Jewish tradition. Perhaps, as we move through the year, we can carry the lessons of each holiday with us, weaving them into the fabric of our lives.