A word of Torah:
The last week of the Omer: Malkhut
The seventh sefirah is malkhut. Malkhut is often translated as “sovereignty,” as in melekh, “ruler.” I prefer to translate it as “presence” because this sefirah is associated with God’s immanent presence, known as Shekhinah. In Kabbalah, the Shekhinah is the feminine aspect of God. As the last sefirah, Malkhut, is considered the most accessible, the closest to our human world. If we live with a constant awareness of God’s presence, our beings are transformed. We can become a presence ourselves, being openhearted but not overwhelming; compassionate, able to hold both assurance and doubt simultaneously and yet comfortably and constructively building a future. Malkhut is the challenge to act in ways that imitate God. In that way, malkhut echoes its traditional aspect of sovereignty. Just as God is melekh, “ruler,” of the world, so too we have an aspect of power.
Paradoxically, another understanding of malkhut is a sovereignty that comes from the lack of being in control. When we give up the notion of control, we can stop striving to reach that mirage that is always out of reach. As mortals we can never control our fate, but we may achieve an aspect of malkhut by controlling our reactions to life’s unfolding. Though we cannot stop suffering or death, we can make choices about how we respond.
During the seven weeks of the Omer, we have focused on seven sefirot/aspects of God. In reality, each aspect was developed in terms of our human personalities. In contemporary practice, the focus is more on our inner qualities rather than God’s. This seventh sefirah makes clear that we are created in the image of God. Shekhinah is the Godliness within us. Walking in God’s ways means that we are to be compassionate and caring just as God is. We are not just powerful in our impact on the world—not just melekh/sovereign. We are to be full of mercy—rahum ve-hanun.
We approach Shavuot and revelation realizing that the real test of our receiving Torah again at Sinai is how well we live up to its values and practices. As we sing when returning the Torah to the ark: "all of Torah’s pathways are peace"/ve-khol netivoteha shalom.
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