Specifically, Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar 121 calls out to the very foundations of our faith, the patriarchs themselves.
"Rise O Patriarchs, Masters of the Covenant!" the text implores. It's an invocation, a plea to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why? Because, the text says, “'this' – zot – the covenant of yours is still among us." Zot, meaning "this," becomes a key word, a link to the promise made long ago. As Jeremiah 31:32 reminds us, the covenant is eternal. Even now, as Leviticus 26:44 tells us, "when they are in the land of their enemies...etc." the covenant endures. And because of Her – and here, "Her" refers to the Shekhinah, the divine feminine presence – the blessed Holy One has said, "And I shall remember the covenant of Jacob..." (Leviticus 26:42).
It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, when we feel most distant from the divine, the promise remains. The covenant, forged with our ancestors, is a lifeline connecting us to hope.
Then, the Tikkunei Zohar shifts its focus: "Rise O King Solomon, you who are Her perfection – shlam." King Solomon, Shlomo in Hebrew, is called upon for his wisdom, his understanding, and his role in building the Holy Temple, a dwelling place for the Shekhinah. He represents the completion, the wholeness, the shlemut – the perfection – associated with the divine presence.
But the call doesn't stop there. “Young one! Young one! You who are the Master of the keys of the treasuries of the King, in which are all the weapons of battle of the King. Rise, open the chamber!” Who is this "young one," this na’ar? The text doesn’t say explicitly, leaving it open to interpretation. Perhaps it's a reference to a specific angel, or maybe it's an allegorical figure representing the power of prayer and intention. Whoever it is, this figure holds the keys to unlocking divine power, the "weapons of battle of the King."
The invocation culminates in a direct appeal to the divine: "ADNY! Open my lips, and my mouth shall declare – the praises of the Higher King." This line is taken from Psalm 51:17, a poignant cry for the ability to truly express devotion. "For it is His [higher] chamber, take permission and open the chamber, for the sake of the glory of the Shekhinah!" The image is powerful: a chamber, a sacred space, needing to be unlocked not for selfish gain, but for the sake of revealing the divine glory.
What does it all mean? This passage from Tikkunei Zohar 121 is a potent reminder of the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. It calls upon the patriarchs, King Solomon, and even a mysterious "young one" to help us access the divine presence, the Shekhinah, and to fulfill the covenant that binds us. It’s an appeal to unlock our own potential to praise and connect with the Higher King, not for ourselves, but for the sake of revealing divine glory in the world. It suggests that the power to unlock that potential lies within us, waiting to be awakened. Maybe we are that "young one," each holding a key to a treasure we haven't yet fully explored.