Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Ziv haShechinah
זיו השכינה
The radiance of the Shechinah (ziv haShechinah) · also: הארה
The radiance of G‑d’s Malchus (the Shechinah): the light that fills and enlivens the worlds, a mere ray compared with Him, like sunlight to the sun; the souls in Gan Eden delight in grasping it.
The word זיו alone means brightness or splendor, and in these maamarim any radiance as against its source (זיו השמש, the sun’s rays; זיו והארה). זיו השכינה is the phrase of the Sages, “the righteous sit and delight in the radiance of the Shechinah”; the Shechinah itself has its own entry.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Vaeira 2, ¶3G‑d’s greatness can be spoken of only as a radiance spreading from His Malchus (“Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds”). This spreading, which brings all worlds into being, is called Or Ein Sof and ziv haShechinah: like sunlight, it comes from the sun yet has no relation to the sun’s own being, and before Him it is as nothing.
והתפשטות והמשכה זו אינה אלא זיו והארה בעלמא ונק׳ אור א״ס ב״ה וזיו השכינה שהוא רק כמשל אור המאיר מהשמש
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1, ¶24Memalei kol almin is ziv haShechinah: a mere radiance, drawn down through an immense tzimtzum so that what is revealed is like a drop from the ocean. It is nullified before its source as a drop in a boundless ocean or the sun’s rays in the sun, while He in His essence remains utterly apart.
והרי נת׳ שבחינת ממכ״ע הוא ענין זיו השכינה שהוא זיו והארה בעלמא
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2, ¶8The Name Havayah, which brings the worlds into being, is only a radiance, like the sun’s rays. The righteous delight “from the radiance” specifically, because real enjoyment for an understanding soul comes only through grasp, and only the radiance can be grasped. “Then you will delight upon Havayah,” above the radiance, is nullification and inclusion in Or Ein Sof itself, reached through teshuvah in this world.
צדיקים יושבים ונהנים מזיו השכינה כו׳ מזיו דוקא והיינו מאחר שנהנין ממש
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶25One hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the World to Come, because the World to Come is only ziv haShechinah, whereas teshuvah draws Ein Sof itself, the source of the radiance. Through the mitzvos added light from that source is drawn into Gan Eden; this is “to work it.”
כי עוה״ב הוא רק בחי׳ זיו השכינה היינו זיו והארה בעלמא שמזה נהנין הנשמות ומתענגין
Stated differently
From which Sefirah the radiance enjoyed in Gan Eden comes, and whether Chochmah is above it
Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36, ¶2
והכל רק בחי׳ מל׳ בלבד צדיקים נהנין מזיו השכינה ושכינה היא מל׳ שהיא בחי׳ שם בלבדThe lower Gan Eden is Malchus of Yetzirah and the upper Gan Eden Malchus of Beriah; all is only Malchus. The Shechinah whose radiance the righteous enjoy is Malchus, the level of a name only.
Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 9, ¶1
וזהו מבחי׳ בינה דוקא אך לא מבחי׳ בינה כמו שהוא בבחי׳ האצילות אלא אחר שעוברת דרך המל׳The grasp of G‑dliness in Gan Eden, where souls enjoy the radiance of the Shechinah, is from Binah specifically, but only after it passes through Malchus; Gan Eden is in Malchus (Binah of Malchus, per the Arizal).
Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶5
משא״כ בחי׳ בינה הוא הבנה והשגה והוא רק בבחי׳ זיו השכינהBinah, understanding and grasp, is only ziv haShechinah, and Gan Eden is rooted in Binah; Chochmah is above grasp, Or Ein Sof is clothed in it, and Atzilus, Chochmah in general, is above Gan Eden.
Torah Ohr, Noach 3, ¶20
והוא ע״י בחי׳ איש מלחמה הוא רבוי הצמצומים עד שיוכל להיות בחינת חכמה זיו השכינהFor Chochmah to become something souls can enjoy as ziv haShechinah in the manner of grasp takes many contractions (“man of war”); the love that wants Him alone is above this, above the reward of the upper Gan Eden.
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Vaeira 2, ¶3Likkutei Torah, Emor 1, ¶24Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Balak 3, ¶25Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 9, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36, ¶2
Where it appears
In 334 paragraphs of 175 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 11 ¶4 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶8 ¶9 ¶30 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶12 ¶16 ¶27
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 10 ¶3 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 1 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11 ¶12 ¶14 ¶16 ¶17 ¶21 ¶24 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶4 ¶7 ¶8 ¶9 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 1 ¶6 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 2 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 4 ¶16 ¶22 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 6 ¶4 ¶9 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 1 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 2 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶9 ¶13 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 3 ¶2 ¶3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 6 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 8 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 12 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 7 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 9 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 11 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 15 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 1 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 33 ¶4 ¶5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶1 ¶5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 6 ¶4 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶3 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 10 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 4 ¶1 ¶4 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 6 ¶12 ¶27 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶1 ¶4 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 8 ¶1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 3 ¶7 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶5 ¶16 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 1 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 3 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶6 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Noach 3 ¶8 ¶20 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 1 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶11 ¶12 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 2 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 2 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 18 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Devarim 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 1 ¶4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 4 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 38 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 1 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶20 ¶36
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 2 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 3 ¶2 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 7 ¶5 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶3 ¶4 ¶5 ¶7 ¶48
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14 ¶3 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 15 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 21 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 26 ¶21 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 39 ¶1 ¶6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 42 ¶6 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 11 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 9 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 8 ¶35
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 4 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶2 ¶3 ¶6 ¶11 ¶15 ¶21 ¶22
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 12 ¶8 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶2 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Beshalach 1 ¶5 ¶10 ¶11 ¶19 ¶21 ¶34
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 8 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 3 ¶11 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 14 ¶3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶2 ¶3 ¶7 ¶9 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 18 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 36 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 3 ¶2 ¶3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 1 ¶5 ¶7 ¶8 ¶10 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶2 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 9 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 3 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 4 ¶4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶5 ¶8 ¶9 ¶12 ¶14 ¶22 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 3 ¶2 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 2 ¶3 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Toldos 2 ¶1 ¶4 ¶11 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 20 ¶9 ¶10 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 22 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 1 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶11 ¶13 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 10 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 2 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 4 ¶1 ¶5 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 30 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 1 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 3 ¶5 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 2 ¶2 ¶3 ¶5 ¶6 ¶8 ¶9 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 1 ¶21 ¶22 ¶26 ¶27
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 7 ¶2 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶14 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 5 ¶1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 3 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 6 ¶6 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 7 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 7 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Noach 1 ¶1 ¶3 ¶5 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Va’eira 2 ¶3 ¶8 ¶9 ¶18
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2 ¶3 ¶18 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 13 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 5 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 28 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 10 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 12 ¶7 ¶16
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶5 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Vayishlach 5 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 1 ¶4 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 2 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 8 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Noach 2 ¶3 ¶4 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Terumah 1 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 2 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Vayeira 1 ¶14 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 6 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 2 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 18 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 3 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 1 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 3 ¶1
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶18 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 2 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 4 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 7 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶2 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17 ¶26
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 8 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶46
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 4 ¶1 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 1 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 3 ¶6 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Ki Sisa 1 ¶15 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 32 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5 ¶3
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 4 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 1 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 9 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶20
Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.