Jewish mystical tradition is full of these whispers, encoded in stories and symbols. Let's try to tune in to one.
Today, we're diving into a passage from the Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar, a profound commentary on the Zohar itself. Specifically, we're looking at Tikkun (section) 45. It's a dense text, but within it are some beautiful ideas about the divine feminine and the nature of creation.
The passage starts with a quote from (Jeremiah 31:22): "…a woman shall encompass a man." The Tikkunei Zohar sees in this verse a profound mystery. It links it to another verse from (Isaiah 4:1): "And seven women shall take hold of one man…" According to this mystical interpretation, these verses allude to the relationship between the Holy One, Blessed be He – often understood as the masculine principle in divinity – and the SAFE1 , the divine feminine presence.
Think of the Shekhinah as God's immanent presence in the world, the aspect of the divine that is closest to us, that dwells within us. The verse about the woman encompassing the man, and the seven women holding onto one man, hints at the Shekhinah embracing and surrounding the divine masculine.
But what does it mean?
The Tikkunei Zohar goes on to explore this concept further, referencing the festival of Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles) and the four species (arba'at minim) taken on that holiday. It focuses on the etrog (citron) and the lulav (palm frond). The verse "Fruit of a stately tree…" (Leviticus 23:40) is interpreted as referring to the “Lower Mother,” another term for the Shekhinah.
The lulav, we are told, is the "tree." Now, this is where it gets really interesting. The text uses gematria, a method of interpreting words based on the numerical values of their Hebrew letters. The word lulav is broken down into its components. Lu (ל) has a numerical value of 36, and lev (לב), meaning "heart," has a value of 32. These are seen as "pathways."
What are these pathways? The text continues, "And one needs to shake the lulav towards six sides: in four directions, and up and down, to arouse over it Vav." Vav (ו) is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has the numerical value of 6. We are instructed to shake the lulav three times in each direction, which equals 18 – the numerical value of the word chaiy (חי), meaning "life."
So, what’s the big picture here?
This passage is about more than just shaking a lulav on Sukkot. It’s about the flow of divine energy, the union of the masculine and feminine aspects of God. By performing this ritual act, we are, according to the Tikkunei Zohar, actively participating in the cosmic dance of creation, drawing down divine blessings and sustaining life itself.
The shaking of the lulav in all directions symbolizes the all-encompassing nature of God and the way divine energy permeates all of creation. It's a physical act that connects us to the spiritual realm, reminding us that we are all part of something much larger than ourselves. It reminds us that the divine isn't just "out there" but is present in every direction, within every heart, and in the very act of living. What if we started to see our everyday actions as opportunities to connect with the divine, to participate in this cosmic dance? What if the seemingly simple rituals we perform could unlock deeper meanings and connect us to the very source of life? Maybe the universe isn't just whispering secrets; maybe it's inviting us to join the conversation.