{"id":44713,"date":"2018-11-27T17:15:03","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T15:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=44713"},"modified":"2022-06-21T11:42:25","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T08:42:25","slug":"fiery-glory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/fiery-glory\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiery Glory"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[702,745,384],"acf":{"old_id":"44713","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":36149,"related_cahpter":"99","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"God\u2019s Presence: from the tabernacle to the Zohar to today","content":"

Much to the chagrin of rationalists, the Torah often describes God in strikingly human terms: God saves the Israelites from slavery in Egypt with \u201ca mighty hand and an outstretched arm\u201d (Deuteronomy 5:15); He has a countenance which Moses gets to see \u201cface to face\u201d (Deuteronomy 34:10); and He even appears as \u201ca man of war\u201d at the Splitting of the Sea (Exodus 15:3).<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most striking terms the Torah uses to portray God is <\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em> \u2013 glory, or presence. This word describes God\u2019s in-dwelling once the Tabernacle is completed \u2013 \u201cthe Presence (<\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em>)<\/span> of the Lord filled the Tabernacle\u201d (Exodus 40:35) \u2013 and it is used concerning the Tabernacle\u2019s dedication: \u201cMoses said: \u2018This is what the LORD has commanded that you do, that the Presence (<\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em>)<\/span> of the LORD may appear to you\u2019\u2026and the Presence (<\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em>)<\/span> of the Lord appeared to all the people\u201d (Leviticus 9:6, 23).<\/span><\/p>\n

The term <\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em> apparently aspires to minimizing anthropomorphism: Instead of saying God Himself appeared, there is a distancing \u2013 it is not Him, but His Presence. At the same time, this substitute takes on a particular form \u2013 that of fire \u2013 which comes to be seen as itself Divine: At the Revelation at Sinai, the Israelites perceive of God\u2019s Presence as fire (Exodus 24:17). This lines up with the \u201cangel of the Lord\u201d in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). And it is confirmed by the sacrificial fire that suddenly appears at the Tabernacle\u2019s dedication: \u201cFire came forth from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar\u201d (Leviticus 9:24) <\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s Presence was a major preoccupation of mystical writing. The Hassidim of Ashkenaz composed Songs of Glory which praise God by using the sensual verses which describe the male lover in the Song of Songs. In Kabbalistic writing, the <\/span>kavod<\/span><\/em> of God generally refers to His <\/span>sefirot<\/span><\/em>, or divine<\/span> attributes. Yet here too, the image of fire is central. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most powerful passages in the Zohar tells of the death of its hero, R. Shimon Bar Yohai who \u201csaw what he saw\u201d \u2013 apparently a reference to the seeing of God which signals death \u2013 and was surrounded by fire (3:288a). To this day, the anniversary of this moment, known as the Wedding celebration (<\/span>hilula<\/span><\/em>) of R. Shimon, is celebrated by the mystical kindling of a fire by Hassidic masters. It is, for many, like the appearance of the Divine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo and video credit:\u00a0\u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05d7\u05b8\u05d0\u05d9: \u05d4\u05d4\u05d3\u05dc\u05e7\u05d4 \u05d4\u05de\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8\u05ea\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05d3\u05de\u05d5”\u05e8 \u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05dc\u05d3\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05d1\u05e8\u05d4\u05dd \u05d9\u05e6\u05d7\u05e7 \u05d1\u05de\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05df, \u05dc”\u05d2 \u05d1\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05e8 \u05ea\u05e9\u05e2”\u05d6 \/ Bahazit<\/em> News, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":44735,"id":44735,"title":"fire5-hilula","filename":"fire5-hilula.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/fire5-hilula.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/fiery-glory\/fire5-hilula\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"fire5-hilula","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":44713,"date":"2018-11-27 20:03:27","modified":"2022-06-21 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