The Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, gives us a glimpse into a beautiful, mystical explanation, connecting the holiness of Shabbat to something deeply intimate and divine.
The passage we're looking at speaks of ‘onah, a Hebrew term referring to the time of conjugality, the proper time for intimacy between husband and wife. Now, the text makes a bold claim: for scholars, this time is specifically on Shabbat. Why? Because on weekdays, the energy of the world is governed by Metatron.
Metatron, often described as an angel or divine being, presides over the six working days. During this time, the text states, quoting Ezekiel (46:1), "...it will be closed, for the six working days..." What's "closed?" A gate. A gate that, on Shabbat, swings wide open.
This imagery of a closed and opened gate is crucial. During the week, the gate remains closed. But on Shabbat, it opens, allowing the Shekhinah to emerge. The Shekhinah, in Kabbalistic thought, is the feminine aspect of God, the Divine Presence. With the gate open, the Shekhinah emerges to unite with Her Husband, the Holy Blessed One.
Think of it: a reunion of the divine masculine and feminine, happening every single Shabbat!
And when this union occurs, the Shekhinah is called kos, "the full cup." This is directly linked to the verse in Deuteronomy (33:23), "...and full of the blessing of Ha-Shem, possessing yarashah the sea and the south." Yarashah suggests inheritance, possession – an abundance of blessing flowing from this union.
But what about the rest of the week? The Tikkunei Zohar contrasts Shabbat with the weekdays, stating that during those times, the Shekhinah is called yabashah, "dry land." It then quotes Genesis (1:9): "And ELQYM said: ‘Let the waters be gathered, from beneath the heavens to one place, and let the dry land be visible...’"
What does this mean? According to this passage, during the week, the Divine Feminine is in a state of separation, a kind of spiritual dryness. The waters, representing divine abundance and connection, are gathered elsewhere. It’s only on Shabbat that the waters return, filling the cup, bringing forth blessing.
So, the next time you light Shabbat candles, or sit down to a Shabbat meal, remember this mystical imagery. Remember the gate opening, the Divine Presence emerging, the union of masculine and feminine energies. Remember that, in a very real way, we are participating in a cosmic event, a weekly re-creation of harmony and blessing in the universe. Is it any wonder we feel so nourished by this day? Maybe Shabbat is a taste of wholeness, of divine union, that we can carry with us into the week ahead.