A Definition of the "Shekhina", Excerpted from Tel Shemesh
"Where can we find a powerful image of the Divine feminine within Jewish sources? One name for Her which has been with us for centuries is the Shekhinah, the “dweller within.” In ancient times, the Shekhinah was a Talmudic word for the glory of God that rested on the mishkan (the mishkan was the Tabernacle, God’s sacred dwelling space in the wilderness). (...)
According to the Talmud, the Shekhinah, the Indwelling, is the Divine that resides within the life of the world, dwelling on earth with the Jewish people and going into exile with them when they are exiled. While the traditional Jewish image of the transcendent God is male, in the kabbalah, that image has been accompanied by the feminine image of the Shekhinah—the inner glory of existence. (...)
The Shekhinah embodies joy, yet she is also a symbol of shared suffering and empathy, not only with a nation’s exile, but with all the hurts of the world. Mystics believe that in messianic times She will be reunited with her heavenly partner and that they will become one. Many Jewish poets of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries have reclaimed her as a powerful feminine image of God."
On shabbat, the idea behind the Sabbath 'bride' is often connected to the Shekhina. As the bride enters, there is no longer a separation between Adonai and Shekhina. Here is the notion that during the Sabbath, the masculine and feminine energies of God blur and become one, without distinction, without end (ein sof).
(צוואת הריב"ש ד"ח ע"ב, ובס' אור התורה).
"Make an opening [tzohar] for the ark [teivah], closing up to a cubit at the top." (Genesis 6:16) -- The Baal Shem Tov, peace be upon him, explained these words in the following way: let the word (teivah) said in Torah or in prayer radiate light (matzhir)! For in every letter there are worlds, souls and divinity, that rise up and interconnect and cleave to one another and to the divine. Afterwards, these letters connect and conjoin, finally becoming a word. After that, they connect and unify unifications of truth in the Divine - and one must unify one's soul with each of the aforementioned aspects. In this way, all the worlds rise and become as one, and then there is immense joy and immeasurable delight. This is the meaning of "...bottom, second, and third decks," (Genesis 6:16) - that is the worlds, souls and divinities, as it says (Zohar I:159a) "there are three worlds, etc." In each and every word one must listen to what is being spoken, since the Shechina is the world of speech, as it is says (Zohar III:230a) "She speaks and He is Her escort." "Tzohar" - this 'opening' for light - that everything should be illuminated with clarity, giving pleasure to the Creator. One needs great faith (Emunah) for this, since the Shechinah Herself is called Emunat Amen, faithful faith (Zohar II:16b). Without faith, Heaven forbid, She is called (Proverbs 16:28) "A querulous one who alienates their friend." As for the end of the verse, "closing up to a cubit (amah)" -- this is the Mother (Ima). It could be said that after the word leaves one's mouth, it does not need to be remembered again, one does not see that it rises to an elevated place, just as one can not look at the sun, as it says, "closing up at the top." How does one do all this? "Go into the ark [teivah], you and all your household." (Genesis 7:1) -- this means that with all your body and strengths, you shall enter the word [teivah]!
וַיֵּצֵא מִבַּת צִיּוֹן כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קד, א): הוֹד וְהָדָר לָבָשְׁתָּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, זוֹ סַנְהֶדְרִין, דִּכְתִיב (משלי לא, כה): עֹז וְהָדָר לְבוּשָׁה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא יט, לב): מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, אֵלּוּ הַמִּשְׁמָרוֹת, דִּכְתִיב (דברי הימים ב כ, כא): וּמְהַלְּלִים לְהַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, אֵלּוּ הַתִּינוֹקוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה חֲבִיבִין תִּינוֹקוֹת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, גָּלְתָה סַנְהֶדְרִין וְלֹא גָּלְתָה שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם, גָּלוּ מִשְׁמָרוֹת וְלֹא גָּלְתָה שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁגָּלוּ תִּינוֹקוֹת גָּלְתָה שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: עוֹלָלֶיהָ הָלְכוּ שְׁבִי לִפְנֵי צָר. מִיָּד וַיֵּצֵא מִבַּת צִיּוֹן כָּל הֲדָרָהּ.
"Gone from Fair Zion are all that were her glory":
This is the Holy Blessed One, as is written, "You are clothed in glory and majesty" (Psalms 104:1).
Alternatively, "all that were her glory":
This is the Sanhedrin [court], as is written, "She is clothed with strength and splendor" (Proverbs 31:25).
Alternatively, "all that were her glory":
These are the Torah scholars, as is written, "You shall rise before the aged and show glorify the presence of an elder (i.e., Torah scholar)" (Leviticus 19:32).
Alternatively, "all that were her glory":
These are the [priestly] watches, as is written, "glorifying the One majestic in holiness" (II Chronicles 20:21).
Alternatively, "all that were her glory":
These are the children. R' Yehuda said, Come and see how dear children are to the Holy Blessed One. The Sanhedrin was exiled and Shechina [Divine Presence] was not exiled with them. The [priestly] watches were exiled and Shechina was not exiled with them. When the children were exiled, Shechina was exiled with them, as is written [at the end of the immediately preceding verse] "Her infants have gone into captivity before the enemy." Immediately followed by "Gone from Fair Zion are all that were her glory".
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ (ג) וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ד) וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃ (ה) וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאָדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃ (ו) שֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים׃ (ז) אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֹֽשֶׁן׃ (ח) וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. (3) And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper; (4) blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair; (5) tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood; (6) oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; (7) lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. (8) And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
The Kotzker Rebbe was once asked: “Where does God dwell?” to which he replied, “Wherever you let Him in.”
