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AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN RACHEL HAD BORNE JOSEPH. ETC. R. Judah said: 'Jacob, as a straightforward man, did not wish to leave save by the permission of Laban. In the end, it is true, he did depart without asking Laban's permission, but this was because he feared that Laban would not let him go, and in consequence the last of the twelve tribes would be born in an alien land.
Hence, when he saw that the time had come for Benjamin to be born, he fled, as it is written: SO HE FLED WITH ALL THAT HE HAD. For as soon as Benjamin was born, the Shekinah attached herself to the company of the tribes and made her home with them. And Jacob, through his knowledge of the mystic symbolism, was aware that as soon as the twelve tribes should be complete the Shekinah would make them her adornment and attach herself to them, and that Rachel would die and the Shekinah would take possession of the House.
Our tradition tells us that the lower world was assigned to Jacob in the same way as it was later to Moses, but this could not he accomplished until there were the full twelve tribes in the House to whom the Shekinah could attach herself. It was then that Rachel was removed, and the Shekinah took up her abode in the House with all the tribes, and became the foundation of the House. Assuredly, "He sets in her place the foundation of the House" (Ps. CXIII, 9).
Jacob thus said: "The time has now arrived for the number of the twelve tribes to be completed, so that the upper world will be due to descend into the House to become attached to them, and this poor woman (Rachel) will be thrust out to make room for it. Should she die here, I shall never be able to get away. Moreover, this is not the land where it is fitting that the House should be made complete." Hence AND IT CAME TO PASS, ETC.
[Soncino Zohar, Vayeze, 158b, v2, pp. 108-109.]
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My comments...
This Zohar extract gives me the opportunity to explain the nature and role of the Shekinah principle (as I understand it). I will use my version of the Tree of Life diagram to illustrate the concepts involved.
The Shekinah represents the 'Great Mother' principle of the universe and has two basic expressions...
1) Binah (first Heh of YHVH) represents the 'invisible' cosmic ocean of undifferentiated substance that is the source of all matter and form in the universe. This ethereal substance is infused with (and controlled by) a divine Intelligence (called Elohim) which basically represents the 'mind of God'. In the Zohar it is sometimes called "The World to Come" because it represents the ultimate blueprint of the universe as the Creator has envisioned it. It is like an architects blueprints of a house, but the house is still in process of being built. It is slowly being constructed within the domain of the sefirah Malkut.
2) Malkut (second Heh of YHVH) represents the 'visible' manifestation of the 'Great Mother' principle. It is like the 'body' of the Mother principle whereas Binah is like the 'soul' that inhabits and permeates the body. Malkut represents all perceptible energy, matter, and form within the universe. Forms appear separated and disparate in Malkut, but they all are unified into a perfect synthesis at the level of Binah.
One of our major goals as human-beings is to raise our consciousness so that we become aware of the oneness of Creation (as represented by Binah) and to learn to see, and feel, and become consciously involved in the movement of the feminine Great Mother principle as She goes about Her 'household business'. It is the Mother's divine purpose to provide the creative Father principle with the material resources that He needs as He designs and builds His House in accordance with His Will. The Father principle is represented by the sefirah Hockmah on the Tree of Life diagram.
We, as human-beings, become consciously involved in the divine process of the Father's Creation as we learn to sense, while attached to Malkut, the presence ('shekinah') and movement of the Great Mother principle.
It is my understanding that the Shekinah principle is represented by the Twelve Tribes of Israel, or in other words, the twelve signs of the zodiac. The twelve-fold circle of the zodiac symbolises the embrace of the Mother as she encloses Herself around the creative impulse of the Father principle (as represented by the Sun at the centre of the zodiacal circle).
The 'Sun' is symbolised by Jacob/Israel, and he is enclosed on all sides by the Mother (as represented by the twelve Simple Hebrew letter pathways that surround Tifaret). These twelve pathways 'plug' Tifaret into Binah and Malkut. They represent the communication interface that connects Tifaret to Binah/Malkut. We can visualise the twelve pathways as constituting a twelve-pronged adapter plug on the end of a cable that extends from Tifaret and plugs into Binah, and a similar cable that extends from Tifaret to Malkut. Tifaret (and the other five sefirot around it) is like a processor unit that sits between these two 'separated' components--Binah and Malkut. Tifaret unites them through itself using the 'cable'. (I have put the word 'separated' in quotes because Binah and Malkut are only experienced as being separated in terms of the Consciousness principle--i.e. the Son principle.)
Our task as human-beings therefore (in relation to this), is to open the twelve connections between Tifaret and Malkut, and between Tifaret and Binah. As we do so, the Consciousness principle (i.e. the Son) becomes perfectly attuned to the feminine principle of the universe--i.e. the Shekinah. (Note that when I say 'Tifaret', I am also including in that designation the other five sefirot of the Son principle--i.e. Hesed, Geburah, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod.)
The attached diagram symbolically illustrates the opening of the Cancer conduit between Binah, Tifaret, and Malkut. All twelve of the Simple letter pathways however, need to become attuned or opened (within the Son) to Binah and Malkut.
As this process is achieved the Shekinah comes to "take possession of the House". (See Zohar extraxt above.)
Blessings,
Patrick.
Sagittarius-Uranus [2/4]
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