Editing Shekhinah (section)

==In Judaism==
In classic Jewish thought, the shekhinah refers to a dwelling or settling in a special sense, a dwelling or settling of [[divine presence]], to the effect that, while in proximity to the shekhinah, the connection to God is more readily perceivable.<ref name=ej>{{cite EJ|last=Unterman|first=Alan|display-authors=etal|title=Shekhinah|volume=18|pages=440–444|quote=Shekhinah ... or Divine Presence, refers most often in rabbinic literature to the numinous immanence of God in the world. The Shekhinah is God viewed in spatio-temporal terms as a presence, particularly in a this-worldly context: when He sanctifies a place, an object, an individual, or a whole people – a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane. ... In origin Shekhinah was used to refer to a divine manifestation, particularly to indicate God’s presence at a given place. ... The Shekhinah, however, although grammatically feminine, remains male or at the very least androgynous in early rabbinic literature.}}</ref> While ''shekhinah'' is a feminine word in Hebrew, it primarily seemed to be featured in masculine or androgynous contexts referring to a divine manifestation of the presence of God, based especially on readings of the [[Talmud]].<ref name="ej" /><ref name="Mom">{{cite book |last=Ginsburgh |first=Yitzchak |title=The Mystery of Marriage |date=1999 |publisher=Gal Einai |isbn=965-7146-00-3 |author-link=Yitzchak Ginsburgh}}</ref><ref>Eisenberg, Ronald L. ''The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions''. The Jewish Publication Society, 2004. {{ISBN |0-8276-0760-1}}</ref> Contemporary interpretations of the term ''shekhinah'' commonly see it as the divine feminine principle in Judaism.<ref>{{cite book |last=Novick |first=Rabbi Leah |title=On the Wings of Shekhinah: Rediscovering Judaism's Divine Feminine |date=2008 |publisher=Quest Books |isbn=9780835608619 |url=https://www.penguinbookshop.com/book/9780835608619 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Shekhinah: The Divine Feminine |work=My Jewish Learning |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-divine-feminine-in-kabbalah-an-example-of-jewish-renewal/ |quote=In contemporary Jewish discourse, the term ''shekhinah'' most commonly refers to the divine feminine, or to the feminine aspect of God. }}</ref>

===Manifestation===
The prophets made numerous references to visions of the presence of God, particularly in the context of the Tabernacle or Temple, with figures such as thrones or robes filling the Sanctuary.<ref>For example: {{Bibleref|Isaiah|6:1|HE}}; {{bibleref2 |Jeremiah|14:21}}; {{bibleref2 |Jeremiah|17:12}}; {{Bibleref|Ezekiel|8:4|HE}}</ref>

The shekhinah is referred to as manifest in the Tabernacle and the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] throughout rabbinic literature.

It is also reported as being present in other contexts:
* While a person (or people) study [[Torah]], the Shekhinah is among them.<ref>[https://www.sefaria.org.il/Pirkei_Avot.3.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Pirkei Avot 3:6], [https://www.sefaria.org.il/Pirkei_Avot.3.2?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en 3:3]</ref>
* "Whenever ten are gathered for prayer, there the Shekhinah rests."<ref>[[Talmud Sanhedrin]] 39a</ref>
* "When three sit as judges, the Shekhinah is with them."<ref>Talmud Berachot 6a</ref>
* Cases of personal need: "The Shekhinah dwells over the headside of the sick man's bed",<ref>Talmud Shabbat 12b</ref> "Wheresoever they were exiled, the Shekhinah went with them."<ref>Talmud Megillah 29a</ref>
* "A man and woman - if they merit, the Shekhinah is between them. If not, fire consumes them."<ref>Talmud Sotah 17a</ref> According to one interpretation of this source, the Shekhinah is the highest of six types of holy fire. When a married couple is worthy of this manifestation, all other types of fire are consumed by it.<ref name= "Mom" />{{rp|111, n. 4}}

The Talmud states that "the Shekhinah rests on man neither through gloom, nor through sloth, nor through frivolity, nor through levity, nor through talk, nor through idle chatter, but only through a matter of joy in connection with a [[mitzvah]]."<ref>[[Shabbat (Talmud)|Tractate Shabbat]] 30b</ref>

There is no occurrence of the word "shekhinah" in pre-rabbinic literature such as the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]].  It is only afterwards in the targums and rabbinic literature that the Hebrew term ''shekhinah'', or Aramaic equivalent ''shekinta'', is found, and then becomes extremely common.<ref> Targum Yonatan b. Uzziel on Ezek 3:12: {{quote|Yonatan b. Uzziel said, “blessed is the Glory of the Lord from the place of the House of His Shekhinah.” If the Glory intended by the verse is the true essence of the Creator, as in “please show me Your Glory” (Exod 33:18), which the Master [Maimonides] interprets this way, notice that it mentions “place,” “house,” and “Shekhinah,” and if you say it is a Created Glory, which is [[Maimonides]]’ opinion concerning “the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle” (Exod 40:35) and other verses, how could they proclaim it “blessed”—one who blesses and prays to a Created Glory is like engaging in [[idolatry]]!? In the words of our Rabbis, there are many indications that the noun Shekhinah refers to God|[[Nachmanides]]}} So the sages teach that Shekhinah is God</ref> Martin McNamara (see notes) considers that the absence might lead to the conclusion that the term only originated after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, but notes [[2 Maccabees]] 14:35 "a temple for your habitation", where the Greek text ({{langx|grc-x-koine|ναὸν τῆς σῆς σκηνώσεως}}) suggests a possible parallel understanding, and where σκήνωσις ''skēnōsis'' "a tent-building", a variation on an early [[loanword]] from [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] ({{langx|grc|ἡ σκηνή}} ''skēnē'' "tent"), is deliberately used to represent the original Hebrew or Aramaic term.<ref name= "McNamara" />{{rp |148}}

===Targum===
In the [[Targum]] the addition of the noun term shekhinah paraphrases Hebrew verb phrases such as Exodus 34:9 "let the Lord go among us" (a verbal expression of presence) which Targum paraphrases with God's "shekhinah" (a noun form).<ref>Paul V.M. Flesher, Bruce D. Chilton ''The Targums: A Critical Introduction'' 900421769X 2011 - Page 45 "The first comprises the use of the term "Shekhinah" (.....) which is usually used to speak of God's presence in Israel's worship. The Hebrew text of Exodus 34:9, for instance, has Moses pray, "let the Lord go among us" which Targum ..."</ref> In the post-temple era usage of the term shekhinah may provide a solution to the problem of God being omnipresent and thus not dwelling in any one place.<ref>Carol A. Dray ''Studies on Translation and Interpretation in the Targum to ...'' 9004146989 2006 - Page 153 "The use of the term Shekhinah, as has been noted previously,61 appears to provide a solution to the problem of God being omnipresent and thus unable to dwell in any one place. This is not the only occasion in TJ Kings when the Targumist ..."</ref>  In the Hebrew text of Exodus 33:20, as another example, Moses is told "You will not be able to see my face, for no human can see Me and live."  Once again, using of the term shekhinah provides a solution to the corporeal idiom, so [[Targum Onkelos]] reads:  "You will not be able to see the face of my shekhinah...."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-07 |title=Pentateuchal Targumim |url=http://targum.info/targumic-texts/pentateuchal-targumim/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=NTCS - IOTS |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Jewish prayers===
The 17th blessing of the daily ''[[Amidah]]'' prayer concludes with the line "[Blessed are You, God,] who returns His Presence (''shekhinato'') to Zion" ({{Script/Hebrew|הַמַּחֲזִיר שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְצִיּוֹן}}).

The [[Liberal Judaism (United Kingdom)|Liberal Jewish]] prayer-book for [[Rosh Hashanah]] and Yom Kippur (''Machzor Ruach Chadashah'') contains a creative prayer based on [[Avinu Malkeinu]], in which the feminine noun ''shekhinah'' is used in the interests of gender neutrality.<ref>{{cite book|title=Machzor Ruach Chadashah|editor=Rabbis Drs. Andrew Goldstein & Charles H Middleburgh|publisher=[[Liberal Judaism (United Kingdom)|Liberal Judaism]]|year=2003|pages=137|language=en, he}}</ref>

===Relationship to the Holy Spirit===
The concept of shekhinah is also associated with the concept of the [[Holy Spirit in Judaism]] (''ruach ha-kodesh'').<ref>Ruth Rubin ''Voices of a People: The Story of Yiddish Folksong'' p234</ref>