Shekhinah as Immanent Sabbath: Influx of the Extra Sabbath Soul

This Zohar passage considers the entrance of the Sabbath, the descent of the shekhinah as a crown of light upon the heads of persons—the metaphysical divine overflow of emanation and mystical energy onto the Jewish people below as they take in the Sabbath. It includes the famous Raza de-Shabbat (mystery/secret of the Sabbath) text that would be included in the liturgy for the Friday night service. The drama of this crossroads in time, this moment of sacred liminality, is depicted as a cosmic event, one in which the sefirah shekhinah is liberated from the demonic and harassing pursuit of the evil “other side,” and is thereby able to become the immanent channel of upper divine light and the bestower of the extra soul (neshamah yeteirah) that is infused into the individual Jew for the duration of the sacred time of the Sabbath.