Kabbalah

» Markos Zografos - Shechina

To explain Shechina somewhat, I'm copying/pasting a section from Baal HaSulam's 2nd "Shamati" article "Shechinta be Galuta" ("Divinity in Exile"), followed by commentary by Rav Michael Laitman, in a lesson given on June 21, 2006.

Baal HaSulam - Divinity in Exile:

The Holy Zohar says: "He is Shochen (lit. Dweller), and She is Shechina (lit. Divinity)." We should interpret its words: It is known with regard to the Upper Light, that they say that there is no change, as it is written, "I the Lord change not." All the names and appellations are only with respect to the Kelim, which is the will to receive contained in Malchut, being the root of creation, and from there it hangs down to this world, to the creatures.

All these discernments, beginning with Malchut, being the root of the creation of the worlds through the creatures, is called Shechina. The general correction is that the Upper Light will shine in them in utter perfection, and the Light that shines in the Kelim (lit. Vessels) is called Shochen, as it dwells inside the Kelim. In other words, the entirety of the Kelim is called Shechina.

Commentary by Rav Michael Laitman:

The wisdom of Kabbalah explains to us the whole of reality including that one force which controls, begets and arranges everything. What does it mean that it begets and arranges everything? That this one force created the will to receive, existence from absence, and develops it up to a state where this will to receive is called "creature."

This creature goes through all kinds of states until it becomes sensitive, understanding, responding. This means that it acquires some attributes from the Creator, from that one governing force, and begins to know It through its evolution in acquiring the attributes of the Creator within itself.

By acquiring the attributes of the Creator, the creature can feel Him, understand Him and react to Him. The creature can also determine its attitude toward the Creator by comparing the two forms of nature, that of the creature and that of the Creator.

The desire of the Upper Force, of the Creator, is for the creature to develop itself through the discernment between these two forms of nature in such a way that it won't belong to the Creator's force as some inseparable part of It that's completely controlled by the Creator, and also that it won't be detached from the Creator's force and not feel and understand Him. But from these two forms of nature that the creature will have within, it will develop its 'self,' something by which it will be called an independent creature. That within the creature a third attribute will be built, what we call a third line, a soul.

On the one hand, it's the part of God Above; it comes out of it being basically the attribute of the Creator. However, the creature builds and increases this point (which is a part of God, an Upper point) through everything else that's outside of it. The creature builds and increases it out of its own nature.

This point of Bina that the Creator implants in the creature is just a point. With respect to the creature this point of bestowal is existence from absence, the spark of the Creator. To this spark of the Creator, the creature adds all of its big will to receive which is inside of the creature as a system of Klipa. In this way it develops itself as an independent being who's standing in front of the Creator and gives the Kelim (vessels, tools) to bestow. By that, the creature expresses its own bestowal.

According to the Kelim which it prepares for the Creator and presents to Him, when it gives its own vessels of reception so that the Creator will bestow in them and because it wants the Creator to enjoy its work, the creature is called "Shechina" (Divinity) and the Creator, according to His act, is called "Shochen" (Dweller).

Sources:
1. Baal HaSulam, "Divinity in Exile" article #2 from "Shamati": http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/shamati_...

2. Rav Michael Laitman, PhD, "Divinity in Exile," lesson given at the Bnei Baruch Education Center, Israel, on June 21, 2006.

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