The Suffering of the Shechinah: How Jewish Thought Explains Divine Pain in Our Struggles

What do the words “suffering of the Shechinah (Divine Presence)” mean to you? Let’s explore the profound concept of the Shechinah’s sorrow — an idea that touches each and every one of us.

In his book Nafshi B'she'elati, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Lugasi outlines two core reasons why the Shechinah is in a state of suffering:

1. The Shechinah Suffers When God’s Honor Is Dishonored

The Shechinah experiences sorrow when the honor of Heaven is disgraced. This happens when there is a decline in people who revere God and heed His commandments, and when people live as if there is no Divine oversight. They deny and estrange themselves from God's existence and His rulership, Heaven forbid.

2. The Shechinah Suffers From the Pain of the Jewish People

Each of us, especially in our generation, endures suffering in one form or another, whether in shalom bayit (marital harmony), child-rearing, livelihood, health, and more. Every person carries their own portion of the pain of exile.

As the Talmud (Chagigah) teaches: “Anyone who does not experience Hester Panim (Divine concealment) is not from [the people of] Israel.” If someone is completely untouched by any suffering or concealment from God, they are not truly part of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Lugasi explains: “Clearly, every individual carries only their own share of pain. Imagine if someone were to say: ‘I’m willing to take on my suffering and the portion of my friend’s suffering.’ Could he endure it? Of course not. Even if he could, it would be unbearably difficult. If someone had to endure the portion of ten other Jews, could they survive it? Certainly not. They would collapse instantly. God assigns each person their own measure of suffering, precisely tailored to their capacity and role in this world.”

The Shechinah Feels Every Individual’s Pain

The Gemara says: “In all their suffering, He too is afflicted” (Isaiah 63:9). The Shechinah suffers completely, with every sorrow that each individual Jew experiences.

Rabbi Lugasi explains: "Now imagine this: All the suffering of the Jewish people combined — every heartbreak, illness, injustice, loneliness, anxiety, loss — all of it is concentrated into one. All of that pain rests on one ‘Mother’ figure — the Shechinah, the Divine Presence. Can you fathom such a burden? If a single person barely manages to endure their own suffering, and if taking on even one more person’s pain would crush them, what can we possibly say about the Shechinah, who bears the sorrow of multitudes of Jews?
All their pain is concentrated and carried by Her alone. Can we even begin to imagine such anguish?"

This teaching invites deep compassion — not only for the pain of others, but for the Divine sorrow that underlies it all. Every moment of personal pain is also felt by the Shechinah. And every act of kindness, every mitzvah, every effort to bring light into the world, lightens Her burden.