ותרא רחל כי לא ילדה ליעקב ותקנא רחל באחתה ותאמר אליעקב הבהלי בנים ואם אין מתה אנכי
And Rachel saw that she had not borne a child to Jacob, and Rachel envied her sister, and she said to Jacob: "Give me children - and if not, I am dead."
אֲנִי בְּבֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּעוֹד כִּבְרַת אֶרֶץ לָבֹא אֶפְרָתָה וָאֶקְבְּרֶהָ שָּׁם בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָת הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם.
Genesis 48:7
As for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died to my sorrow in the land of Canaan on the way, with still a stretch of land to reach Efrat, and I buried her there on the way to Efrat, which is Bethlehem.
Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yosi were walking on the road. As they were going along, Rabbi Yosi said to Rabbi Hiyya, “Let us engage in words of the Ancient of Days.” Rabbi Yosi opened, saying, “Thus says YHVH: A voice is heard ברמה (be-ramah), in Ramah [or: on a height]—wailing, bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. (Jeremiah 31:15)
A voice is heard on a height - We have learned as follows: On the night when the Temple was destroyed below and Israel was exiled, with millstones round their necks and their hands bound tightly behind them, and Assembly of Israel was banished from the house of the King to follow them—when She descended, She said, ‘I will first go and cry over My dwelling and over My children and over My Husband.’[1]
“When She descended and saw Her place destroyed—blood of the pious streaming in it and the house burning—She raised Her voice, and those above and those below trembled, and the voice reached up to the place where the King dwells, and the King wanted to turn the world back into chaos. Then numerous camps and legions descended towards Her, but She would not receive them, as is written: refusing to be comforted for her children (Jeremiah 31:15), for She would not receive them. Because איננו (einennu), He is no more (ibid.)—because the Holy King had ascended far above and was absent, as is written: because einennu, He is no more…distancing Himself from all. He is not united with Her; He is not—His Name no longer great.”[2]
Rabbi Hiyya said, “From what place did She begin to be exiled?” He replied, “She began from the Temple, and then went around the whole Land. Afterwards, when She left the Land, She rose above the desert and then sat there three days. She remembered Her legions and camps and those who sat with Her in the King’s house, and She exclaimed about Herself: How does she sit alone?... (Lamentations 1:1).”[3] Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yose wept. Rabbi Yose said, “Israel was not exiled from the Land, nor was the Temple destroyed, until all of Israel were found guilty before the blessed Holy One. And they were not all found guilty until the leaders of the world were found guilty first, as is written: O my people! Your guides lead astray… (Isaiah 3:12). For once the heads of the people fall into sin, all the people are drawn after them.”[4] Rabbi Hiyya said, “From here: If the whole community of Israel should err (Leviticus 4:13). How does this happen? Because the matter be hidden from the eyes of the community (ibid.), since the eyes of the people are their leaders, after whom all the people are drawn.”[5]
בכל מקום שגלו [ישראל] - שכינה עמהן. גלו למצרים - שכינה עמהן שנאמר:(שמואל א, ב כז) 'הנגלה נגליתי לבית אביך בהיותם במצרים' וגו'. גלו לבבל - שכינה עמהן שנאמר: (ישע' מגיד) 'למענכם שלחתי בבלה',
ואף כשהן עתידין ליגאל שכינה עמהן שנאמר: (דב' ל ג) 'ושב יי אלקיך את שבותך'.
Talmud Bavli, Tractate Megillah 29a
Every place to which they [Israel] were exiled the Shechinah went with them. They were exiled to Egypt and the Shechinah was with them, as it says, Did I reveal myself unto the house of your father when they were in Egypt. (I Sam. 2:27).They were exiled to Babylon, and the Shechinah was with them, as it says, For your sake I was sent to Babylon. (Isa.43:14) And when they will be redeemed in the future, the Shechinah will be with them, as it says, Then the Lord your God will return [with] your captivity. (Deut 30:3)
כי המלכות היא הנטרדת עמנו, עולה עמנו ויורדת עמנו, נגאלת עמנו וגולה עמנו.
והיא הדבקה תמיד עמנו, לא תפרד בשום אופן בעולם. והיא השוכנת אתנו. אנו גורמין במעשינו יחודה או פירודה או רחמיה.
Moshe Cordovero, 16th c. Tzfat Kabbalist, Ein Yaakov
For Malchut (Shechinah) is the one who is expelled with us, ascending with us and descending with us. She is redeemed with us and exiled with us. She is the one connected to us always, never separated from us under any circumstance. She dwells with us. Our deeds cause her union or separation or mercy.
כֹּה אָמַר יי - קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ:
כֹּה אָמַר יי - מִנְעִי קוֹלֵךְ מִבֶּכִי וְעֵינַיִךְ מִדִּמְעָה כִּי יֵשׁ שָׂכָר לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ נְאֻם יי וְשָׁבוּ מֵאֶרֶץ אוֹיֵב: וְיֵשׁ תִּקְוָה לְאַחֲרִיתֵךְ נְאֻם יי וְשָׁבוּ בָנִים לִגְבוּלָם:
Jeremiah 31:14-16
Thus says YHVH: A voice is heard in Ramah [or: on a height]—wailing, bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Thus says YHVH, "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded," declares YHVH, "And they will return from the land of the enemy. "There is hope for your future," declares YHVH, "And your children will return to their own territory.
ר' יוסי ורבי יהודה ורבי חייא היו הולכים בדרך. פגע בהם רבי אלעזר. משראו אותו ירדו כולם מן החמורים. אמר רבי אלעזר: ודאי פני שכינה רואים אנו! שהרי כאשר רואה אדם את הצדיקים או זכאים אשר בדור ופוגש בהם, ודאי הנם פני השכינה. ומדוע נקראים פני שכינה? מפני שהשכינה מסתתרת בתוכם. היא בסתימות והם בגילוי, מפני שהשכינה - אותם הקרובים לה נקראים פניה. ומי הם? אותם שהיא נתקנת עמהם להראות אל המלך העליון. והואיל ואתם כאן, ודאי שכינה נתקנת עליכם, ואתם הפנים שלה.
Zohar, Vol.II 163b 9 (Teruma)
Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Yehudah, and Rabbi Hiyya were traveling on the road, and Rabbi Elazar met them. As soon as they saw him, they all dismounted from their donkeys. Rabbi Elazar said, “Surely, I have seen the face of Shekhinah! For when one sees the righteous or virtuous of the generation and meets them, they are surely the face of Shekhinah. “Why are they called the face of Shekhinah? Because Shekhinah is hidden within them: She is in concealment and they are revealed, for those close to Shekhinah are called Her face. And who are they? Those with whom She adorns Herself to appear before the supernal King. Now, since you are here, surely Shekhinah is arrayed upon you, and you are Her face.”[1]
[1] I have seen the face of Shekhinah... According to rabbinic tradition, “whoever welcomes [literally, receives the face of] the wise is considered as if he welcomes Shekhinah.” See Mekhilta, Amalek (Yitro) 1. Cf. JT Eruvin 5:1, 22b: “Rabbi Shmu’el said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira, ‘...Whoever receives the face of his teacher is considered as if he receives the face of Shekhinah.’.... Rabbi Yishma’el taught...‘One who receives the face of his friend is considered as if he recieves the face of Shekhinah.’” The Zohar transforms the rabbinic simile into an actual description of the righteous, who are here called the face of Shekhinah. She dwells within them. From another perspective, they adorn Her in prepartion for Her union with the King.
The Shechina is the mother of all of creation, the mother of the lower world especially, the mother of all the children of Israel, the mother of every individual, a loving, compassionate, comforting mother, a savior-redeemer.
And in the language of the Kabbalists: Supernal Mother is Binah; Lower Mother is Malhchut/the kingdom, Knesset Yisrael/Assembly of Israel, Lady/Matron, beautiful maiden, the doe of the dawn, Rachel, daughter, higher earth, Wisdom of Solomon, speaking, speech, and more like these.
And we, the last of the last, orphans amongst orphans, children of unprecedented suffering, children of misfortunes of a magnitude that even a people all too familiar with pain has never previously known, firebrands salvaged from slaughters and pogroms, we who thirst and yearn for redemption and only for redemption – we let go of Binah and Wisdom of Solomon and speech and leadership and our eyes seek and search for the mother, for Rachel weeping for her children, for the doe of the dawn, the beautiful maiden who beseeches on our behalf and on behalf of the entire world, who brings redemption to us and to all those who are oppressed.
לְכָה דודִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שבָּת נְקַבְּלָה.
1) שָמור וְזָכור בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד. הִשמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְיֻחָד. יי אֶחָד וּשמו אֶחָד. לְשם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה.
2) מִקְדַּש מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוךְ הַהֲפֵכָה.
רַב לָךְ שבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמול עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה.
3) הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי.
עַל יַד בֶּן יִשי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשי גְאָלָהּ.
4) הִתְעורְרִי הִתְעורְרִי. כִּי בָא אורֵךְ קוּמִי אורִי.
עוּרִי עוּרִי שיר דַּבֵּרִי. כְּבוד יי עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה.
5) לא תֵבושי וְלא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשתּוחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי.
בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי. וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ.
6) וְהָיוּ לִמְשסָּה שאסָיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָיִךְ.
יָשיש עָלַיִךְ אֱלקָיִךְ. כִּמְשוש חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה.
7) יָמִין וּשמאל תִּפְרוצִי. וְאֶת יי תַּעֲרִיצִי.
עַל יַד אִיש בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשמְחָה וְנָגִילָה.
8) בּואִי בְשלום עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה.
תּוךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻלָּה. בּואִי כַלָּה. בּואִי כַלָּה.
Lecha Dodi: Shlomo Alkabetz, 16th c. Tzfat
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
"Observe" and "Remember" in a single word, He caused us to hear, the One and Only Lord. G‑d is One and His Name is One, For renown, for glory and in song.
To welcome the Shabbat, let us progress,
For that is the source, from which to bless.
From the beginning, chosen before time,
Last in deed, but in thought - prime.
Come out my Beloved, the Bride to meet;
The inner light of Shabbat, let us greet.
Sanctuary of the King, city royal,
Arise, go out from amidst the turmoil.
In the vale of tears too long you have dwelt, He will show you the compassion He has felt. Arise, now, shake off the dust,
Don your robes of glory - my people - you must. Through the son of Jesse, the Bethelemite, Draw near to my soul, set her free from her plight. Wake up, wake up, Your light has come, rise and shine. Awaken, awaken; sing a melody, The glory of God to be revealed upon thee.
Be not ashamed, nor confounded,
Why are you downcast, why astounded?
In you, refuge for My poor people will be found, The city will be rebuilt on its former mound.May your plunderers be treated the same way, And all who would devour you be kept at bay. Over you Your God will rejoice, As a groom exults in his bride of choice.
To right and left you'll spread abroad,
And the Eternal One you shall laud.
Through the man from the house of Peretz, We shall rejoice and sing happily.
Come in peace, her Husband's crown of pride, With song and good cheer.
Among the faithful of the people so dear
Enter O Bride, enter O Bride!