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divine immanence -- SHECHINAH -- the secret of the possible
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"The Hebrew word 'kabbalah' means 'receiving' or 'that which has been received.' On the one hand, Kabbalah refers to tradition, ancient wisdom received and treasured from the past. On the other hand, if one is truly receptive, wisdom appears spontaneously, unprecedented, taking you by surprise.
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"The Jewish mystical tradition combines both of these elements. Its vocabulary teems with what the Zohar -- the canonical text of the Kabbalah -- calls 'new-ancient words.' Many of its formulations derive from traditional sources -- the Bible and rabbinic literature -- but with a twist.
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"The rabbinic concept of Shechinah, divine immanence, blossoms into the feminine half of God, balancing the patriarchal conception that dominates the Bible and the Talmud.
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"In earlier Jewish literature, Shechinah appears frequently as the immanence of God but is not overtly feminine. In Kabbalah, Shechinah becomes a full-fledged She: daughter of Binah, bride of Tif'eret, the feminine half of God. Shechinah is 'the secret of the possible,' receiving the emanation from above and engendering the varieties of life below."
-- The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism
Daniel C. Matt
Copyright 1997 by Castle Books
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 evaway@shechina.net
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