The heavenly holiness descendeth and, spreading her wings over Israel, covereth it as a mother covereth her children.

Excerpt

This is why, in order to consecrate the holiness of this day, we recite the blessing whose wording is as follows: “Blessed be the Lord, who spreadeth the tent of Peace over us, over all His people Israel, and over Jerusalem.” Why “over Jerusalem”? Because it is there that the place of this “tent” is found. We must therefore ask this “tent” to spread over us also, to protect us, like a mother who protects her children; in this way we shall fear nothing from any side. This is why we say: “... Who spreadeth the tent of Peace over us.” Mark that, at the hour when Israel, in pronouncing this blessing, invites the “tent of Peace” to come visit it as a holy hostess, the heavenly holiness descendeth and, spreading her wings over Israel, covereth it as a mother covereth her children. All evil spirits therefore vanish from the world, and Israel then remaineth beneath the holiness of its Master. Then the “tent of Peace” granteth each of her children a new soul.

Source Zohar I, Section Bereschith, fol. 48b · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to the Zohar, the great book of Jewish mysticism, on Friday evening, at the beginning of the Sabbath, the day of rest, God is blessed “who spreadeth the tent of Peace over us”: holiness then descends and covers each person with its wings as a mother covers her children, and each one receives as it were a new soul. Today, give yourself a true time of rest and peace, without screens or worries, and offer the same shelter to those close to you, through a shared meal or a calm moment together.

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