As you read, ask yourself "What is the Shekhinah?" There is no simple answer to this question. I tend to think of the Shekhinah as symbolizing, among other things, everything that really matters; all those things that are worthy of service and worship; ultimate value; what life is lived for; the thread of divinity woven through all things. What does it mean to you? From Biti Roi's commentary on our text: ![[Tiqqunim - The Shekhinah Comprises All - Biti's Commentary]] **Introduction of _Metok MiDevash_ to our text:** > It is explained in the _Zohar_, _Parashat Bo_, 42b, that **Keter** is the source of the waters of abundance, **Chokhmah** is the spring, **Binah** is the sea, and the seven lower sefirot are the seven streams. With God's help, through this, we will understand the following teaching. Another introduction from ***Metok MiDevash***: > Rabbi Moshe Cordovero wrote that the flow of water nourishing the tree descends in direct light from above to below, while the substance of the tree is a returning light that rises from below to above. This is the secret of the ascent of _mayim nukvin_—the feminine waters—which ascend through our mitzvot, our Torah, our unifications, and our souls each day from below to above. Through this, the Shekhinah ascends through the mystery of "the whole earth is filled with Hir glory" _melo kol ha'aretz kevodo_) from below to above, ultimately to unite with the Infinite (_Ein Sof_). All of this is the mystery of the tree that is planted upon earth, with its top reaching into infinity...