The Shechinah: YHWH’S Divine Mate

In Jewish mysticism, the Shechinah (“Presence”) is believed to be the feminine counterpart to YHWH. Since the term is a feminine noun in Hebrew, the rabbis came to depict the presence as a female, going so far as describing it as YHWH’s consort or mate. This is all spelled out in the in the texts of the Zohar, where the Shechinah is further said to be the sacrifice which is offered to YHWH himself.

I quote some of these references so the readers can see just how far these rabbis deviated from the actual teachings of the Hebrew Bible. All emphasis is mine.

Yahel Ohr on Zohar 3:230 

ריח ניחוח שכינתא לה’. ר”ל מ”ש ריח ניחוח לה’ ה”פ ריח ניחוח שהוא שכינה, לקרב לה’ עמודא דאמצעיתא. וזהו קרבן כמש”ו:

A pleasing aroma is the Shechinah to the Lord. That is to say, what is meant by “a pleasing aroma to the Lord” is this: a pleasing aroma, which is the Shechinah, to bring near to the Lord, the middle pillar. And this is the sacrifice, as explained above:

Behar: Verse 31

מָארֵי מְתִיבְתָּאן, בְּאוֹמָאָה עָלַיְיכוּ, לָא תַּעְדוּ מִנִּי, עַד דְּאַתְקִין קָרְבְּנִין לקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי קָרְבָּן לַיְיָ,’ בְּכָל אֵבֶר וְאֵבֶר דְּמַלְכָּא, בְּחִבּוּרָא שְׁלִים, בִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. בְּכָל אֵבָרִים, דְּאִינּוּן: מִנְּהוֹן בְּרֵישָׁא, עַיְינִין בְּעַיְינִין. אוּדְנִין לְגַבֵּי אוּדְנִין. חוֹטָמָא בְּחוֹטָמָא. אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין. פּוּמָא בְּפוּמָא. כְּגוֹן וַיָּשֶׂם פִּיו עַל פִּיו וְעֵינָיו עַל עֵינָיו. וּבְדָא הֲוָה מְחַיֶּה הַיֶּלֶד. וְהָכִי יְדִין דְּמַלְכָּא, עִם יְדִין דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, גּוּפָא בְּגוּפָא, בְּכָל אֵבָרִים דִּילֵיהּ. קָרְבְּנָא שְׁלִים.

The deans of the Yeshiva, under oath you must not go away from me until I prepare a sacrifice to the Holy One, blessed be He. The Shechinah is the sacrifice (derived from ‘bringing near’) for the Holy One, blessed be He, since She comes near to Him with each limb of the King, MEANING WITH EACH OF HIS SFIROT, with the total connection of male and female, with all the limbs which there are. Some are from the head: MEANING eyes to eyes, DENOTING CHOCHMAH; ears to ears, DENOTING BINAH; nose to nose, BEING TIFERET; face to face, BEING CHESED AND GVURAH; mouth to mouth, BEING MALCHUT. This is like, “and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes” (II Melachim 4:34); with this he resurrected the child. And so the hands of the King with the hands of the Queen, BEING CHESED AND GVURAH OF THE SIX ENDS, body to body, MEANING TIFERET OF THE SIX ENDS. And with all His limbs, the sacrifice is complete.

Behar: Verse 46 

לְמַלְכָּא דַּהֲווֹ עַבְדוֹי וַאֲפַרְכְּסוֹי וְשׁוּלְטָנֵי מַלְכוּתָא שַׁלְחֵי לֵיהּ כַּמָה דּוֹרוֹנֵי, אָמַר, מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמִשְׁלַח לִי דּוֹרוֹנָא, לָא יִשְׁלַּח אֶלָּא בִּידָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לְקַיֵּים בָּהּ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה. ובג”ד אִתְקְרִיאַת שְׁכִינְתָּא קָרְבָּן לַה,’ עוֹלָה לַה,’ אָשָׁם לַה,’ וַאֲפִילּוּ קָרְבָּן נִדּוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת וּמְצוֹרָעִים וְזָבִים וְזָבוֹת, כֹּלָּא צָרִיךְ לְקָרְבָא לַיְיָ,’ וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אִיהִי פְלִיגַת לְכֹלָּא הה”ד וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ, וַאֲפִילּוּ מְזוֹנָא דְּחֵיוָון, כְּגוֹן קָרְבָּן שְׂעוֹרִים מַאֲכָל בְּעִירָן, וּמַאֲכַל עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת דְּבֵי מַלְכָּא, וַאֲפִילּוּ דְּכַלְבֵי וּדְחֲמָרֵי וּגְמַלֵּי, לְקַיֵּים בָּהּ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּכֹל מָשָׁלָה. וּמְנָלָן דְּעַל יְדָהָא פָּלִיג כֹּלָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ.

THIS IS LIKE a king whose servants, ministers, and governors sent him gifts. He said, ‘He who wishes to send me a gift shall do so solely through the queen, so that the verse shall be fulfilled by her, “and His kingdom rules over all” (Tehilim 103:19). The Shechinah is therefore called ‘an offering to Hashem,’ ‘a burnt offering to Hashem,’ ‘a guilt offering to Hashem,’ and even ‘offerings for an unclean thing.’ For mothers, lepers, and men and women who have an issue, everything should be sacrificed to Hashem and His Shechinah. THE SHECHINAH then distributes to everybody, as it is written: “and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens” (Mishlei 31:15). She even gives the food for the animals, such as an offering of barley, which is food for animals, and the food of slaves and maids of the King’s house, and even of dogs, mules, and camels, WHICH ARE KLIPOT. SHE GIVES EVERYTHING, so that it shall be fulfilled by Her, “and His kingdom rules over all.” Whence do we know that through Her everything is distributed? As it is written: “and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.” (7. The joining of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Shechinah Verses: 31 to 51)

Pinchas: Verse 323

וּבִרְאִיָּיה וּשְׁמִיעָה וְרֵיחָא וְדִבּוּר, שַׁרְיָא יְדֹוָ”ד. בַּעֲשִׂיָּיה, בְּמִשׁוּשׁ, שִׁמּוּשׁ, הִלוּךְ, שַׁרְיָא אֲדֹנָי. וְדָא רְאִיָּה, דְּאוֹר וְנֵר, דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וְתוֹרָה אוֹר. רֵיחָא דְּקָרְבְּנִין, דְּאִינּוּן צְלוֹתִין, דִּבּוּר בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דִּבּוּר בִּצְלוֹתָא. וַעֲשִׂיָּיה דְּמִצְוָה, וְשִׁמוּשׁ דִּילָהּ, וּמִשׁוּשׁ דִּילָהּ, וְהִלוּךְ דִּילָהּ. וּרְאִיָיה וּשְׁמִיעָה, דְּלֵית תַּמָּן אוֹרַיְיתָא וּמִצְוָה, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ לָא שַׁרְיָא תַּמָּן. דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁרְיָא בִּרְאִיָיה, וְכֵן שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְתוֹרָה אוֹר, שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ רְאִיָה דִּילֵיהּ יְדֹוָד בְּמַרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע, שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ.

The Yud Hei Vav Hei rests on sight, hearing, smell and speech, FOR SIGHT AND HEARING ARE YUD HEI, AND SMELL AND SPEECH ARE VAV HEI. Adonai rests on doing, touching, mating using, and walking. This sight is THAT MODE OF VISION by light and by candle flame, about which it is said: .”..and Torah is light” (Mishlei 6:23). Smell is THE SMELL of the sacrifices, which are prayers. Speech is about Torah; speech is in prayer, and doing is for precepts. Mating using also is for performing a precept, as does touching and walking. Where there is sight and hearing but no Torah and no precepts, neither do the Holy One, blessed be He, nor His Shechinah, rest there. For the Holy One, blessed be He, rests on sight, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and so does His Shechinah, for the Torah is, “and Torah is light,” and His sight is the Shechinah. FOR Yud Hei Vav Hei, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, SAID: “make Myself known to him in a vision” (Bemidbar 12:6), WHICH IS the Shechinah, WHICH IS HIS VISION.

Pinchas: Verse 325

וְכֵן אוֹרַיְיתָא ס”ת. מִצְוָה לִשְׁמוֹעַ. וְכֵן בְּחוֹטָמָא, רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיְהֹוָ”ה. שְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי קָרְבָּן דִּילֵיהּ, עוֹלָה דִּילֵיהּ, וּצְלוֹתָא אִיהִי כְּקָרְבָּן, וּכְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ סְלִיקַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִתְקְרִיבַת לְגַבֵּיהּ בִּצְלוֹתָא, וְהָכִי בְּדִבּוּר, הֲלֹא כֹה דְּבָרִי כָּאֵשׁ נְאֻם יְדֹוָ”ד. ה’ שְׁכִינְתָּא, דִּבּוּר דִּילֵיהּ.

Likewise, THERE IS hearing in the Torah, for it is a precept that one should hear THE READING OF the scroll of the Torah. And likewise, in the nose there is a sweet savor to Hashem. The Shechinah is a sacrifice TO YUD HEI VAV HEI, His burnt offering, and prayer is like a sacrifice, FOR BY MEANS OF THE SACRIFICE OR THE PRAYER THE SHECHINAH ascends to YUD HEI VAV HEI as a sweet savor unto Him, and is offered to Him in prayer. And, likewise, about speech IS WRITTEN: “Is not my word like a fire? says Hashem” (Yirmeyah 23:29). The FINAL Hei OF THE YUD HEI VAV HEI, which is the Shechinah, is His speech. 

Pinchas: Verse 326

כְּגַוְונָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, אִיהִי מַרְאָה דִּילֵיהּ, שְׁמִיעָה דִּילֵיהּ, רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ דִּילֵיהּ, דִּבּוּר דִּילֵיהּ, בְּרֵישָׁא. הָכִי אִיהוּ בְּיָדִין, עֲשִׂיַּית מִצְוָה דִּילֵיהּ, בְּגוּפָא כְּרִיעָא דִּילֵיהּ. בִּצְלוֹתָא זְקִיפָא דִּילֵיהּ, בִּצְלוֹתָא עֲמִידָה דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ דְּקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ בְּכָל אֲתָר, וּכְרָעַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִתְנַפְּלַת לְרַגְלוֹי בִּנְפִילַת אַפַּיִם, לְמִשְׁאַל מִנֵּיהּ רַחֲמִים עַל בְּנָהָא, אִיהִי עֲנָוָה לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִית לָהּ בֹּשֶׁת פָּנִים מִינֵּיהּ.

Just as the Shechinah is His sight, His hearing, His sweet savor, His speech, in the head, so, in the hands, She is His performance of precepts, in the body His bowing, in prayer His straightening upright; AND ALSO in the prayer, it is His standing. FOR RECEPTION OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT IS CALLED BOTH ‘STANDING UP’ AND ‘STANDING,’ AS ABOVE, for She stands before Him always, and bows before Him and falls on Her face at His feet to asks mercy from Him for Her children. She is humble before Him and she is modest in His presence. 

Pinchas: Verse 328 

וְכֵן שְׁכִינָה אִיהִי שִׁמּוּשׁ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִחוּד דִּילֵיהּ בְּצַדִּיק חַי עָלְמִין. וְאִיהִי הֲלִיכָה דִּילֵיהּ, צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ, לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ. וַיְהִי הוּא טֶרֶם כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יוֹצֵאת, רְהִיטַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ. בִּרְאִיָּה, בִּשְׁמִיעָה, בְּרֵיחָא, בְּדִבּוּר, בַּעֲשִׂיָּה, בְּגוּפָא, בְּשִׁמוּשׁ, בְּהִלוּךְ, בְּכָל אֵבֶר, אִיהִי מְצֻוָּה לְשַׁמְּשָׁא לֵיהּ, וּלְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ.

And likewise, the Shechinah is the mating of the Holy One, blessed be He, His union with the Righteous, who lives forever, WHICH IS YESOD. AND THE SHECHINAH is His walk. “Righteousness shall go before Him” (Tehilim 85:14) to act on His desire. AND THE SHECHINAH IS CALLED ‘RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ ALSO, “And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rivkah came out” (Beresheet 24:15) THAT IS THE SHECHINAH THAT IS CALLED ‘RIVKAH’ came out to Him, to do His will. AND SO in sight, hearing, smell, speech, doing, body, mating, walking and, indeed, in every part, She is commanded to serve Him and to do His will.

Pinchas: Verse 331

יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאִינּוּן מִדּוֹת אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן, דְּאִינּוּן בְּנוֹי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ. לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּהוֹן אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל, כְּגוֹן אֵשֶׁת חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ, מָארֵי דְּחֶסֶד. יִרְאֵי אֱלֹֹהִים. אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת, וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי שֶׁקֶר, דִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יַעֲשׂוּ עַוְלָה וְלֹא יְדַבְּרוּ כָזָב וְלֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּפִיהֶם לְשׁוֹן תַּרְמִית. וְשׂוֹנְאֵי בָצַע, כב”נ שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. וְלָא כְּעֵרֶב רַב בְּנוֹי דְּשִׁפְחָה בִּישָׁא, דְּאִינּוּן כְּחִוְיָא דְּכָל אַרְעָא קֳדָמֵיהּ. הה”ד וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ, וְדָחִיל לְמִשְׂבַּע מֵעַפְרָא, דְּדָחִיל דְּתֶחְסַר לֵיהּ. וְהָכִי מָארֵי בָּצַע. דְּלָא שְׂבֵעִין מִכָּל מָמוֹן דְּעָלְמָא.

Yisrael are recognized by these qualities to be the children of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah; that is, that there should be among them able (Heb. chayil) men, as in the verse: “A virtuous (Heb. chayil) woman is a crown to her husband” (Mishlei 12:4), for they are people of Chesed, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. “Such as fear Elohim” CORRESPONDS TO GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN. “Men of truth” CORRESPONDS TO TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, and not men of falsehood, for the Children of “Yisrael shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth” (Tzfanyah 3:13). “Hating unjust gain” CORRESPONDS TO MALCHUT, as a man who rejoices in his portion. And they are not as a mixed multitude, the children of the wicked bondwoman, LILIT, who are as a serpent before whom is the whole land, as it is written: “and dust shall be the serpent’s food” (Yeshayah 65:25). WITH ALL THIS, he fears eating the dust until he is full, for he is afraid that there will not be enough for him. This is how it is with men of unjust gain, for even if they had all the money in the world, it would never be enough for them.

Pinchas: Verse 332

ובג”ד אוֹקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, לֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִיקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בְּגִין דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִיהוּ סָתִים בְּסִתְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה, בְּמַאי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע. בַּמִּצְוֹת, דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהִי דִּיּוּקְנֵיהּ. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ עָנָו, שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ עֲנָוָה. אִיהוּ חָסִיד, וְאִיהוּ חֲסִידָה. אִיהוּ גִּבּוֹר, וְאִיהִי גְּבֶרֶת עַל כָּל אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא. אִיהוּ אֱמֶת, וְאִיהִי אֱמוּנָה. אִיהוּ נָבִיא, וְאִיהִי נְבִיאָה. אִיהוּ צַדִּיק וְאִיהִי צַדֶקֶת. אִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ, וְאִיהִי מַלְכוּת. אִיהוּ חָכָם, וְאִיהִי חָכְמֵתָא. אִיהוּ מֵבִין, וְאִיהִי תְּבוּנָה דִּילֵיהּ. אִיהוּ כֶּתֶר, וְאִיהִי עֲטָרָה דִּילֵיהּ, עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת. ובג”ד אוּקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵין תּוֹכוֹ כְּבָרוֹ אַל יִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. כְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ תּוֹכוֹ וּשְׁכִינְתָּא בָּרוֹ, אִיהוּ תּוֹכוֹ מִלְּגוֹ, וְאִיהִי בָּרוֹ מִלְּבַר. וְלָא אִשְׁתְּנִיאַת אִיהִי דִּלְבַר, מֵהַהוּא דִּלְגוֹ, לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא דְּהִיא אֲצִילוּתֵיהּ, וְלֵית אַפְרָשׁוּתָא תַּמָּן כְּלָל, דְּמִבַּיִת וּמִבַחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ. 

And this is why the sages of the Mishnah taught: ‘Not the expounding of the Law is the chief thing, but the doing of it.’ For the Holy One, blessed be He, is concealed by the secrets of the Torah. In what, then, can He be known? In the precepts, for they are the Shechinah, which is His form. Just as THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is humble, so is His Shechinah humble. He is pious and She is pious. He is valiant, and She is valiant over all the nations of the world. He is truth and She is faith. He is a prophet and She is a prophetess. He is righteous and She is righteous. He is King and She is kingdom. He is wise and She is wisdom. He understands and She is His understanding. He is a crown, and She is His diadem, “a crown of glory” (Yeshayah 62:3). This is why the sages taught: ‘No disciple whose inside does not correspond to his exterior may enter the house of study.’ That is, the disciple will be as the form of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is his inside and the Shechinah is his outside. He is the inside within and THE SHECHINAH is his exterior on the outside. And She that is on the outside has not changed from Him who is on the inside, that it should be known that She is His Atzilut, and there is no separation there whatsoever, THIS BEING THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: .”..within and without shall you overlay it” (Shemot 25:11).

Pinchas: Verse 333

וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ יְדֹוָד, סָתִים מִלְּגָיו, לָא אִתְקְרֵי אֶלָּא בִּשְׁכִינְתֵּיה, אֲדֹנָי. וּבְגִין דָּא אָמְרוּ רַבָּנָן, לֹא כְּשֶׁאֲנִי נִכְתָּב אֲנִי נִקְרָא, בעוה”ז, נִכְתָּב אֲנִי בַּיְדֹוָ”ד, וְנִקְרָא אֲנִי בַּאֲדֹנָ”י. אֲבָל בעוה”ב, נִכְתָּב בַּיְדֹוָ”ד, וְנִקְרָא בַּיְדֹוָ”ד. לְמֶהֱוֵי רַחֲמֵי מִכָּל סִטְרָא וּבְגִין דָּא מָנֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, מַאן דְּלָא יְהֵא תּוֹכוֹ כְּבָרוֹ, בְּכָל אֵבָרִין פְּנִימָאִין וְחִצוֹנִין, לָא יֵיעוּל בְּהֵיכָלָא דָּא. וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר קְרָא, הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ. תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם יְיָ’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 

And since He, Yud Hei Vav Hei, is concealed from within, He is called only by the name of His Shechinah, Adonai. And this is why the sages taught: ‘I am not spelled as I am pronounced. In this world I am spelled with Yud Hei Vav Hei but pronounced as Adonai. In the World to Come I am spelled with Yud Hei Vav Hei and pronounced as Yud Hei Vav Hei.” And this is so that there will be mercy from all sides. And this is why the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded the ministering angels: ‘Whosoever’s inside does not correspond to his exterior, in all his parts, both internal and external, that person may not enter this temple.’ This is why the verse says: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect” (Devarim 32:4) and “You shall be perfect with Hashem your Elohim” (Devarim 18:13), NAMELY HIS INSIDE EXACTLY CORRESPONDS WITH HIS EXTERIOR. (52. Sight, hearing, smell and speech Verses: 322 to 333)