The Camp of God’s Presence View your meeting place as a sanctified space, the center of the world. It is a bath house where souls are washed and purified. You are entering the camp of God’s Presence, here in this space. On your way, imagine that you are leaving the realm of this world and going to a branch of the lower Garden of Eden, which God has brought down to your meeting place. Your heart should be glad and you should rejoice with a holy trembling in your great happiness that even in this world you can take refuge under the wings of God’s Presence.
When you arrive at your meeting place, you should certainly rejoice and bear in mind that God’s Holy Presence is in your midst. “My spirit is sick with love for You; please, God, heal it by showing it the delight of Your radiance” (Yedid Nefesh). Awaken a yearning that God reveal in your heart a spark of the delight of His radiance and the beauty of His might that is found here.
מְקוֹם וַעַד הַחַבְרַיָּא יִהְיֶה אֵצֶל כל אחד מֵהֶם מָקוֹם מְקֻדָּשׁ, מְקוֹמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בֵּית הָרַחֲצָה לִרְחֹץ בּוֹ וּלְטַהֵר אֶת הַנְּשָׁמוֹת, וּכְנִיסָתָן לְמַחֲנֶה שְׁכִינָה שֶׁנִּמְצְאָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה יִהְיֶה בְּעֵינָיו כְּאִלּוּ יֹצֵא עַתָּה מִן רְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁל עולם הזה לִסְנִיף גַּן עֵדֶן הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁהוֹרִיד ד' לְבֵית הַוַּעַד שֶׁלָּהֶם, יָגִיל וְיִשְׂמַח לִבּוֹ בְּחֶרְדַּת קֹדֶשׁ עַל גֹּדֶל אָשְׁרוֹ שֶׁזּוֹכֶה גַּם בעולם הזה לְהִסְתַּתֵּר תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה.
The Camp of God’s Presence
View your meeting place as a sanctified space, the center of the world. It is a bath house where souls are washed and purified. You are entering the camp of God’s Presence, here in this space. On your way, imagine that you are leaving the realm of this world and going to a branch of the lower Garden of Eden, which God has brought down to your meeting place. Your heart should be glad and you should rejoice with a holy trembling in your great happiness that even in this world you can take refuge under the wings of God’s Presence.
ומכל שכן בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְּבֵית הַוַּעַד שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח וִיכַוֵּן, שְׁכִינָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ, נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתְךָ, אֲנָא אֵ-ל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ בְּהַרְאוֹת לָהּ נֹעַם זִיוְךָ, וִיעוֹרֵר תְּשׁוּקָה בְּקִרְבּוֹ שֶׁיְּגַלֶּה ד' בְּלִבּוֹ נִיצוֹץ נֹעַם זִיווֹ וְתִפְאֶרֶת עֻזּוֹ שֶׁנִּמְצָא כָּאן.
When you arrive at your meeting place, you should certainly rejoice and bear in mind that God’s Holy Presence is in your midst. “My spirit is sick with love for You; please, God, heal it by showing it the delight of Your radiance” (Yedid Nefesh). Awaken a yearning that God reveal in your heart a spark of the delight of His radiance and the beauty of His might that is found here.