Shekhinah
The earth shone with His glory.
Although the word Divine presence in Judaism; the word used to refer to God’s presence in the world. does not appear in the Hebrew scriptures, the Law; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. includes many descriptions where humans experience a An action of God or supernatural power. presence:
- In The first book of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) describing the origins of humanity and humans’ relationship with God., the first book of the Torah, God is present in The garden of Eden, used by Jews to mean heaven or paradise. when Adam and Eve eat from the A tree in the garden of Eden that Adam and Eve ate from despite being forbidden by God..
- In The second book of the Old Testament in the Bible and the second book of the five books of the Torah. It literally means 'departure'. It describes Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, where they had to endure slavery., the second book of the Torah, God’s presence guides The man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. through the wilderness to the The land promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), Moses, and the Israelites. Also known as the Land of Israel..
- When the Jews arrive in the Promised Land, God instructs Moses to build a In Judaism, the portable shelter for the Ark of the Covenant, which held the laws given by God to Moses and was used by the Israelites during the Exodus. In Christianity, a cabinet on the altar in some churches that holds the sacrament (bread or host) for Holy Communion., a temple that can easily be moved from place to place, where God could
dwell among them (Exodus 25:8).
How Jews experience Shekhinah today
Some Jews believe there are three ways they can experience the presence of God in the world today:
| Study | Worship | Prayer |
| Jews believe they can connect with God by studying Jewish scripture. They may do this in a yeshiva or at home. | Connecting with God through worshipping together began with the creation of the tabernacle. Nowadays, Jewish people worship together in the synagogue. The ner tamid burns continuously to show that God is always present. | The Talmud states that when ten or more Jews are gathered in prayer, God is present. Jews refer to this group prayer as a minyan. |
| Study | Jews believe they can connect with God by studying Jewish scripture. They may do this in a yeshiva or at home. |
|---|---|
| Worship | Connecting with God through worshipping together began with the creation of the tabernacle. Nowadays, Jewish people worship together in the synagogue. The ner tamid burns continuously to show that God is always present. |
| Prayer | The Talmud states that when ten or more Jews are gathered in prayer, God is present. Jews refer to this group prayer as a minyan. |
Different Jewish views about Shekhinah
Some Jews who live by the Torah and rabbinic law (halakhah) and who only accept changes that can be supported by the Torah. refer to Shekhinah as a physical presence. They believe that God’s presence can be felt at the The only part of the ancient Temple of Herod left in Jerusalem - a place of pilgrimage., which is the remaining wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. For this reason, many Jews travel here on a A journey which has religious or spiritual significance, usually to an important religious place. to pray.
Because Shekhinah is a feminine word in Hebrew, some Jews who have adapted their laws and practices as modern life has changed. believe that the term refers to attributes of God that were traditionally thought of as feminine, such as being caring or loving.
Question
How can Jews experience the presence of God in the world today?
Some Jews believe they can experience the presence of God in three ways: study, worship and prayer. They study the Torah at home or in a yeshiva, they worship God at the synagogue and they often take part in group prayer.
