Shekhinah, Malkhut

Translation

God's Presence, Kingdom

Description

The Shekhinah is a Talmudic concept representing God's dwelling and immanence in the created world. It was equated with the "Keneset Yisrael," the personified spirit of the People of Israel.

According to a Rabbinic tradition, the Shekhinah shares in the exiles of the Jewish people.

Therefore, the redemption of the people of Israel is inextricably linked to the remedying of an alienation within God him/herself, introducing a bold new element into traditional Jewish Messianic eschatology.

It is through the Shekhinah that humans can experience the Divine.

The passivity of the Shekhinah is often emphasized (equated with its femininity), as the recipient of forces from the higher Sefirot.

Human Imagery (Primordial Man)

  • Mouth

  • The Shekhinah is often portrayed as a bride or princess whose male lover is the composite of the nine upper sefirot, represented by the prince/bridegroom Tiferet.

Biblical Figures

  • King David
  • The Matriarch Rachel

Names of God

  • Adonai (Lord)

  • The last letter "he" in the four-letter name of God ("the Tetragrammaton").

  • Elohim (when it receives more influences from the Left side).

Colour

  • Blue
  • black

Other Symbols and Images

  • Pool, sea,, wellspring, gathering of the waters, Beersheba (literally: "The Well of the Seven")

  • Earth, dry land (when deprived of nourishment from Hesed).
  • Bedrock.

  • The Moon, which is the passive reflector of light from the sun. In a manner appropriate to the redemption of God and Israel, the moon renews itself each month.

  • Queen

  • Bride

  • Daughter / Princess

  • The Royal House of David

  • Matron

  • The erotic and romantic phrases of the Song of Songs and Prophetic imagery is evoked to represent the longing of the male and female elements of the Godhead.

  • Temple, Tent of Meeting, Mount Moriah.

  • The Land of Israel

  • "I"

  • "This" (fem.).

  • Mirror

  • Rose

  • Throne of Glory

  • Justice

  • Garden of Eden

  • The Tree of Knowledge

  • The poor one

  • Apple Orchard

  • The Oral Torah

  • Blessing

  • Freedom

  • Sabbath, Sabbatical year (in some systems), Jubilee

  • The End of Thought

  • All

  • Eagle

Source: Prof. Eliezer Segal