The Shekhinah and the People of Israel

The Shekhinah and the People of Israel

The fact is that when Israel possesses its land, this [in itself] becomes a protection for every Jew. For the essence of the holiness of the Shekhinah is to be with the Jewish people, as it is written (Devarim 23:15): “For the L-rd, your G-d, walks in the midst of your camp, to save you and deliver your enemies before you.” The reason for this is that the air of the Land of Israel is a sacred domain of the Shekhinah. The borders of Israel surround the kelipot (the impure husks). They (the kelipot) surround the Holy Land and, in fact, protect it, so that external forces of evil cannot enter. They surround the land like a taut tent, so that no outsiders can breach its borders. The walls and boundaries of this spiritual tent extend throughout the entire airspace of the Land of Israel, reaching the open spiritual Palace of “Livnat Sapir” (that is, the passage between the physical and spiritual dimensions), which is always open. Thus, we find that in the atmosphere of the Land of Israel there is a gateway to Heaven through which the angels of G-d ascend and descend—from the spiritual palaces to the atmosphere, and from the atmosphere to the Land of Israel. The Shekhinah is also below (that is, She descends from Heaven) to watch over Her children (the people of Israel). She descends and hovers over them all day, separated from them by a spiritual divider—a screen (masach). This spiritual divider (masach) is the secret of [the kelipot mentioned in Yechezkel’s vision of] the storm wind, the thick cloud, and the flashing fire. This is the secret of the atmosphere beyond the Land of Israel. But there is one kelipah that is not impure, because it prevents the impure forces from benefiting from the holy light, and concerning it is written: “and a radiance (Nogah) around it”. (Yechezkel 1:4) As explained, [Nogah] protected (the children of Israel) from all sides. Everything beyond the borders of the [holy] land [is under the dominion of] the storm wind, the thick cloud, and the flashing fire. These are the “external” (dark) forces—the atmosphere of the lands of the nations. This is the secret of [why] the Shekhinah protects Israel independently and only in the Land of Israel. When the kelipot seek to rule over the Land of Israel in order to destroy it, the Shekhinah then departs from the Land of Israel and ascends to the [spiritual] palaces; afterward, the entrance to the palace is sealed and closed. Then it is permitted to breach the walls of Jerusalem (G-d forbid), which are the “kelipat Nogah” and separate [good from evil]. Then the nations enter, defiling [everything], stretching out their hands against the children of Israel, destroying all the physical chariots, and driving them out. The Shekhinah runs after Her children to see what will happen to them beyond their land. For when Her children are rejected, She cannot abandon them. Therefore, [the Shekhinah] dwells in the lowest of the chariots. [And now] Her spark (of holiness, which gives life to the souls) and Her Divine governance of the people are concealed within the ruling angel responsible for the land to which Israel has been sent. For the ten holy letters of G-d’s Name are embedded in the ten impure kelipot in order to nullify them, so that they will not become complete evil for Israel or defile Her children. This may be compared to [the radiance of] the sun. Only small portions of its light reach the earth. This (symbolically) also occurs with the Shekhinah. Her essence is in Heaven, and only a small portion of Her light extends beyond Israel together with [the children of Israel], as written by Yechezkel (1:1): “I was among the exiles by the river Chebar”. This is not Her essence, G-d forbid, but only sparks of Her light, as follows: “the heavens opened, and I saw visions of G-d”. (Yechezkel 1:1) (SilaTehilim, based on the sefer “Chesed Le-Avraham” by Rabbi Avraham Azulai—Maayan 3, Nahar 9)