The Mekubalim explain the word שכינה commonly understood to refer to the Presence of Hashem in This World. One of the ideas brought in Kabbalah—all of which is rooted in the Torah of Rabbi Shimon—is that the שכינה refers to a “comfortable” Presence, where it doesn’t seem as if the Presence of Hashem will be chased away from this place from one moment to the next.
Imagine that a person comes into an unfamiliar shul and sits in the first seat he finds. A few minutes go by, and the person who usually sits there comes along and gently suggests that he should find another place. When this happens twice or three times, this person’s existence in the shul becomes very uncomfortable. This is called בגלותא שכינתא, when the Shechinah is in exile. It doesn’t find a comfortable resting place. שכינה itself refers to a restful, calm Presence.
Explain the mekubalim that when the Ribbono shel Olam rests someplace, that very place in transformed. It becomes a place of connection, and this results in great revelations for a person. When an ehlicher Yid goes from one mitzvah to the next and from one avodah to the next—for weeks, on a sustained level—he creates a resting place in which the Shechinah can feel comfortable. This builds upon itself, and new revelations are revealed to this person.
Refusing to Let Go
Thus, when a Yid insists on retaining a sustained connection—he refuses to let go after closing the Gemara, he creates a bridge between one avodah and the next, he allows the Shechinah to remain with him for just a bit longer each time—then his connection to the Ribbono shel Olam grows. Now he can speak to the Ribbono shel Olam about everything on his heart—now he has encountered the שכינה. Because the Shechinah is comfortable remaining with him.
The same applies when a Yid recites the entire Tehillim without interruption. By the time he comes to kappitel kuf yud tes and recites the words חנני ותורתך ממני הסר שקר דרך, he is already tethered...he is connected.
For this reason, the tzaddikim, the talmidei Ba’al Shem Tov, and Kabbalah are filled with this concept; they placed a great emphasis on preparation—preparing a place so that the Shechinah will be able to come and rest there. First, one must do teshuvah, create a place for the Shechinah, and then engage in one’s avodah. When a person does this, he will experience great revelations of פנימיות in the avodah that he is already doing.
