Tiferet sh’b’Malchut – Compassion of Majesty
“One Foot Planted.” That’s the name of a blog of a dear friend and teacher, whose body a few years back returned to the earth, whose soul is bound up in eternity and whose memory and teachings remain on the minds of many in my world. I think of this moniker often as I seek to balance those parts of myself that feel like they are ready to fly off to the ethereal realm: When I go too far into my head, or feel too much attention to the interconnectedness of the world around and the world beyond. Even when I feel an overwhelming surge of compassion, it can feel wobbly without grounding.
But with (at least) one foot planted, I can begin to connect with the grounding nature of Malchut, the divine leader within. To be sure, this is the same ShekhinahThe feminine name of God, expounded upon in the rabbinic era and then by the Kabbalists in extensive literature on the feminine attributes of the divine. energy that I seek to cultivate when I welcome in ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends.. Malchut is the quiet confidence that notices creation and can open to the world around magnanimously, with the expectation that all is solid, no matter how fractured it may appear.
Kindness and compassion are beautiful ideals, but they can tear you apart without grounding. When I can breathe deeply and feel the ground (or the floor) below, I can draw upon the regal energy of Malchut. Then the harmony and compassion of Tiferet energy have a solid place through which to flow.
With one foot planted, I can getA writ of divorce. Traditionally, only a man can grant his wife a get. Liberal Jews have amended this tradition, making divorce more egalitarian. quiet, feel the flow of compassion, knowing that the next step will start a journey in the right direction.
Image by D’vorah Horn from her set of Omer Practice Cards (2016).
