Tag Archives: Shechinah

Shabbat, Ours and Yours

(In memory of Chaim Barukh Yehudah ben Dovid Tzvi zl) 

Ours and Yours 

[Summary: The holy Zohar teaches that as a people, the Jews are protected on Shabbat by the holy Shekhinah aka “Sukkat Shalom.” This is in addition to the personal protection a Jew has via the neshamah yeteirah, additional Shabbat soul.]

When the Shabbat spirit settles in the world, all the negative energy and evil blamers leave. There’s no need to pray for protection; Shabbat spirit and the outspread wings of Sukkat Shalom shield Yisrael.

“Wait!” you say. “The Talmud says that one shouldn’t not travel solo on Tuesday or Friday nights! He must be on the alert for evil forces. So how can you tell me there is no need to pray for protection?”

On Tuesday nights it’s true, that danger lurks because the moon was cursed and wounded. {The moon was created on the fourth day of the week, which begins Tuesday night and ends Wednesday night.–OB} Its dimmed light give license and power to the dangerous and spiteful.

But Friday night, they retreat to the Sinkhole. When they get there, they won’t have any control. But, they aren’t beamed up—or down—to the Sinkhole. They walk, slowly. So if a Jew runs into them, he could get hurt. And some of them {apparently with excess arrogance-OB}, like to leave the Sinkhole and scare a lone Jew, even though they can’t hurt him. So if you’re alone on a Friday night—watch out! Pray to God to protect you!

Now, it looks as if the Sukkat Shalom protection is not foolproof. After all, those bad guys can frighten or damage someone. But there is a difference. Yisrael, the Jews, as a people are protected. Nothing to worry on that score. But as private individuals, we are protected not by the Sukkat Shalom, but by our personal neshamah yeteirah. Your neshamah yeteirah is strong enough to protect you, but it is fragile. You have to make sure to give the full respect it deserves. If not, God forbid, those evil thugs might chisel themselves underneath the neshamah yeteirah and cause a great deal of grief, you shouldn’t know from it—or them.

And no matter what, even if you don’t fully honor your private guard (neshamah yeteirah), Sukkat Shalom does offer a fair amount of protection.

Zohar 2:205a

 

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Sukkat Shalom

(In memory of Chaim Barukh Yehudah ben Dovid Tzvi zl)

Extra Protection

[Summary: The holy Zohar tells us that as Shabbat begins the sacred Shekhinah spreads her wings over the world and settles herself in the world. As a result, the “outside,” i.e., negative, forces are forced into hiding and can exercise no authority on the world. The world has an extra measure of protection on Shabbat; even the denizens of Hell get the day off. This is why the closing of the final Maariv blessing differs from its weekday version.]

The holy Zohar says:

 

Come! Expand your vision!

As the sun sets Friday afternoon, the Sukkat Shalom (canopy of peace) settles and expands into the world. Who is Sukkat Shalom? Shabbat, the Shekhinah. All the evil demons—subtle and fierce and in-between—and every carrier of impure energy, goes into hiding. The simple presence of Shabbat sanctity weakens them; they cannot stir themselves. The impure spirit flees from the sacred.

The world has then an extra measure of protection. There is no need to pray for it as we do on weekday: “Who protects His People, Yisrael, forever.” It’s a blessing made for the weekday because on weekdays the world needs protecting!

But not Shabbat! With the Sukkat Shalom spread over the world, guarding the world from all sides—even the Hell dwellers are safe and resting—all the worlds, upper and lower, are peaceful and tranquil.

So on Shabbat the blessing closes, “Who extends the Sukkat Shalom over us, over all His people Yisrael and over Jerusalem.” Why “Jerusalem”? Because Jerusalem is where the Shekhinah resides.

And we need to invite the Sukkat-Shekhinah who has spread her wings over us, to be with us and watch over us, as a mother does for her children. Then we will have no need to fear the Sitra Achra.

Zohar 1:48a

 

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Shabbos Night (2 of 10)

 (In memory of Chaim Barukh Yehudah ben Dovid Tzvi zl)

K’gavna 

(In chassidic shuls, this piece of Zohar is said right before the start of Maariv, the nighttime prayer.)

Just as the six points of the sefirot unite Above to become one, the Shekhinah, too, unites her six points, Below. The two are aligned perfectly, in harmony, face to face (as it were). The Blessed Holy One is One. Above no one sits on His Throne of Glory until she—the Shekhinah—is as One in her realm as He is in His. This needs to happen in order for them to “unite” utterly. (We have been taught elsewhere {Zohar 2:134b] that Hashem is One and that His Name, aka the Shekhinah, is One.)

The secret of Shabbos? The Shekhinah’s name is Shabbos. This name has become unified in the One so that union with the One can take place.

The secret of the Shabbos (Friday) night prayer is linked one of the Shekhinah’s secrets. She is the secret of the Throne of Glory. She becomes fully integrated so that His August Royal Majesty will sit on His Throne.

When does the Shekhinah prepare herself? As Shabbos begins she becomes one within herself, totally detaching from the Sitra Achra (the Other Side, i.e., the evil side). All judgments leave and she remains, alone in union with the Holy Light. She crowns herself with many crowns, for the Holy King Who awaits her in the higher world, Atzilut.

All the demons created by anger, by haters and complainers flee—they can’t get out of her sight fast enough—to hide in the Sinkhole of the Great Deep. With their departure, no other force holds sway in the lower worlds, Beriyah, Yeztirah and Asiyah. All people, all beings, call out, loud and clear, in Hashem’s Name.

The Shekhinah’s face radiates the Holy Light. She is crowned by the prayers of the Jews; {Rebbe Nachman teaches* to say this next phrase with extra enthusiasm and joy} they, each and everyone, is crowned with a brand new soul, special for Shabbos. Now we can begin Maariv, to bless it joyfully, with shining faces. We can say, “Barkhu es Hashem hamevorakh”—”Hashem” means Hashem; “es” means the Shekhinah. We honor her by beginning Maariv with a blessing for her.

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* Sichot HaRan/Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #270

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