Tikunim Chadashim - Tikun 3

"And for all the mighty hand and for all the great awe..." [Devarim 34:12]

Theme: The Shechina in exile; her protection of Israel; the power of prayer and the observance of the commandments

I. The Shechina among the Lions

"The mighty hand" in this Tikun — this is the Shechina in exile. "The great awe" — this is in the time of the Redemption. For all the rectifications that the Shechina needs in every generation — all of them were prepared by Moshe the Faithful Shepherd. As it is written: "My soul is among lions; I lie among those who breathe fire" [Tehillim 57:5]. "Among lions" — these are the chieftains of the nations, each sitting upon his people to guard it like a powerful lion. The Shechina clothed Herself within them literally, to guard the children of Israel — therefore "among lions." "I lie among those who breathe fire" — these are Samael and Lilith who stand constantly within each [angelic] prince, burning like a dark, powerful fire.

"I lie" — in exile; as it is written: "Upon my bed at night" [Shir HaShirim 3:1] — these are the two nights of wicked Rome, great Rome and lesser Rome, encompassing all the impure nations. "I sought the one my soul loves — I sought Him but did not find Him" — because He is hidden above, and the Sitra Achra [Other Side] is a partition that separates — therefore "I sought Him but did not find Him."

II. Prayer and the Nearness of G-d

If there are those among Israel who go to pray in a synagogue, they cause the Holy One to draw near to the Shechina. At that time it is written: "Seek Hashem while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" [Yeshayahu 55:6]. When is He near? — At the time when they call upon Him in the synagogue — as it is written: "Hashem is near to all who call upon Him" [Tehillim 145:18] [cf. Yerushalmi Brachos 5:1]. But if prayer is not said with sincere desire of the heart, it is said of it: "Near are You in their mouth but far from their innermost heart" [Yirmiyahu 12:2]. Therefore: "to all who call upon Him in truth" — in truth and not in falsehood.

One who juxtaposes Geulah [redemption] to Tefillah [prayer] — it is said of him: "Hashem is near to all who call upon Him." If not — "I sought Him but did not find Him." Therefore "I lie among those who breathe fire" — truly lying, as it is written: "for now I shall lie in the dust" [Iyov 7:21].

III. The Sword of the Shechina — Protection through Gevurah

The children of men are as a sword and arrows [Tehillim 57:5] — this below, among those nations. To save Herself from them, the Shechina was strengthened in the left arm of Gevurah — to save Herself and Israel with Her. Therefore: "the mighty hand." As it is then written: "G-d will break their teeth in their mouths" [Tehillim 58:7]. What does "in their mouths" mean? — The Israelites stand within those bears and all the beasts of the field, and they take them in their mouths between their teeth, wanting to crush them. Then the Shechina is strengthened there in the aspect of Gevurah — this is Elohim — and breaks those teeth. Therefore: "He broke their teeth in their mouths."

Through what power does She do this? — "The young lions' teeth He shattered, Hashem" — this is the Holy Name Havayah, the Holy One Who guards the Shechina, and the Shechina guards Israel. Therefore: "For high above the high One watches, and higher ones are over them" [Koheles 5:7]. And Israel who guard the Torah — positive commandments and negative — it is said of them: "You shall be very careful of your souls" [Devarim 4:15] — for this causes the Shechina to guard them. But if not: "my own vineyard I did not guard" [Shir HaShirim 1:6].

IV. Moshe's Prayer — "May the Power of Hashem be Magnified"

All protection is through the power of Gevurah — truly the Mighty Hand. And Moshe the Faithful Shepherd prepared this from the beginning for the time when it would be needed. When did he prepare it? — At the time it is written: "And now may the power of my Lord be magnified" [Bamidbar 14:17]. For at that time the Sitra Achra arose to accuse the Shechina — until, as it were, the supernal forces were weakened — and Moshe stood in his strength to strengthen Her. Therefore: "may the power of Hashem be magnified."

Through what? — By surrendering his soul to death for Her sake, to go into those hard shells to uproot them from their places. As it is written: "Because he poured out his soul to death and was counted among transgressors...and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors" [Yeshayahu 53:12].

"The great awe" — in the time of Redemption. What is "great awe"? — As it is written: "The nations shall fear the Name of Hashem" [Tehillim 102:16]. The secret of this is that great awe is the revelation of the Shechina. When the Shechina becomes known in Her supernal strength, all fear Her — and Moshe prepared all the supernal rectifications for all Israel.

V. Metatron Speaks — Hashem's Distance and Nearness

Then the great Prince Metatron descended and opened, saying: R' R' — Surely the Holy One, in exile, is distant from the Shechina, as it is written: "From afar Hashem appeared to me" [Yirmiyahu 31:3]. Why is He distant from the Shechina? — Because until the Sanctuary is purified [He is, as it were, distanced]. But inwardly all stands in supreme purity. Therefore: "He appeared to me." And if you say that because He is far He abandons the Shechina — that is not so; the Holy One never abandons Her. As it is written: "Am I a G-d only from nearby — says Hashem" [Yirmiyahu 23:23].

And it is written: "Behold I will save you from afar" [ibid. 30:10]. What is "from afar"? — You might say the Holy One would not come to meet the Queen [Matrona]. Not so — but "I will save you from afar", because all that time that He was distant, He illuminated Her — and through this She strengthened Herself so as not to be abandoned.

VI. The Four Signs — Tefillin, Shabbos, Bris, Tzitzis

Israel brings the King close to the Shechina through many means of closeness: through the sign of Tefillin, the sign of Shabbos, the sign of Bris [Covenant], and Tzitzis.

Through Tefillin: the Tefillin of the hand corresponds to the Shechina. The Tefillin of the head corresponds to the Holy One. And the Name שד"י (Shaddai) is the Holy Name that binds them together. The Shin — the three Patriarchs in the secret of the masculine. In the Tefillin of the head there — the Dalet from the side of the Shechina, to be united as one. The Tefillin of the hand — from the side of the Shechina; there the Yud — secret of the masculine — for them to be united, one with the other, to draw close one to the other.

Through Tzitzis: the four Tzitzis — the four letters of Havayah [יהוה] — unite against the heart at the time of Krias Shema to join one with the other — as it is written: "Place me as a seal upon your heart" [Shir HaShirim 8:6].

Through the sign of Shabbos: as it is written: "Let no man go out from his place on the seventh day" [Shemos 16:29]. On other days: "So does a man wander from his place" [Mishlei 27:8]. But on the day of Shabbos: "Let no man go out from his place" — and then closeness is truly found. (And Tefillin are not [worn] on Shabbos, for Shabbos unites them and the blemish of this sign would not be visible. And Tzitzis — come and see: Tefillin are to unite them. But Tzitzis — the illumination that emerges from their union.)

Through the sign of Bris [Covenant-circumcision]: one who maintains the Covenant, not entering it into a foreign place, causes the closeness of the Holy One to the Shechina. But one who blemishes it — G-d forbid — it is as if he separates them. Of him it is written: "Yehudah has acted treacherously" [Malachi 2:11] — like one who took counsel to rebel against the King. Therefore: "May Hashem cut off the man who does this — one who arouses and answers in the tents of Yaakov" [ibid. 2:12] — two tents, as it is written: "How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov" [Bamidbar 24:5]. But one who guards it — it is said of him: "Israel — a people close to Him" [Tehillim 148:14]. What is "a people close to Him"? — A people who make closeness [korban — offering] for Him with the Shechina.

Through the power of the covenant they possess, they can establish this Tikun. But other nations — "He has not done so for any other nation" [Tehillim 147:20]. And Israel — through the Bris they possess — the Holy One rests upon them and is found close to the Shechina. And Bris is truly the secret of a Korban [sacrifice/offering] — it brings close all the letters as one. Therefore joy is before the King and joy for all. At that time it is written: "May the glory of Hashem endure forever; may Hashem rejoice in His works" [Tehillim 104:31].