Prepare to have your mind delightfully bent.
Let's plunge into a mystical idea from the Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, specifically Tikkun 120. This section, steeped in Kabbalistic thought, dances around the coming of the messiah and uses some truly poetic imagery to make its point. It quotes the Book of Esther (1:19), stating "...and her kingdom the king will give, to her companion who is better than her..." Now, who is this "her," this kingdom?
According to the Tikkunei Zohar, "She is His Kingdom, She is the Throne, She is His Crown." We're talking about the Shekhinah, the divine feminine presence, the immanent aspect of God that dwells within creation. She's not just a passive observer; she is the very fabric of the kingdom, the seat of power, and the crowning glory.
Think of it this way. The text uses the analogy of a king and a very special vessel. This isn't just any old vase. This vessel is deeply beloved by the king, so much so that he uses it in different ways to express its importance.
Sometimes, he places it upon his head as a crown. What does this represent? Tefillin! Specifically, the tefillin shel rosh, the head tefillin. These are the black leather boxes containing scriptural passages that Jewish men (and some women) bind to their head during morning prayers. They are a physical reminder of the divine presence and our commitment to serving God with our minds.
Then, the king binds the vessel upon his finger. That's like the tefillin shel yad, the hand tefillin, reminding us to dedicate our actions to the divine.
Sometimes, the king places the vessel beneath him, and it becomes his throne. The very foundation of his rule, the source of his authority, is this precious object. And sometimes, he even fashions it into a garment, something that surrounds him, protects him, and is intimately connected to him.
What does all this mean? The Tikkunei Zohar is telling us that the divine presence, the Shekhinah, is not some distant, abstract concept. It's intimately involved in our lives. It's the crown upon our heads, guiding our thoughts. It's the power in our hands, directing our actions. It's the very foundation upon which we build our lives. It is our protection, our very garment, as well.
And when the messiah comes, it will be a time when this relationship between the divine and the human is fully realized, when the kingdom is restored to its rightful place. It's a beautiful, powerful, and deeply mystical idea, isn't it? So, the next time you see someone wearing tefillin, or even just think about the concept of a throne, remember this story. Remember the beloved vessel of the king, and the many ways it reflects the divine presence in our world.