The Bird of Heaven
The Zohar calls the soul “Tzipora d’Shmaya” – the Bird of Heaven.
The bird soars above all limitations, free from the bonds of the earth—like the soul that rises above judgment (din) and is written and sealed for good.
A good sealing (chatima tova) means that the soul is inscribed in true life—in a life of connection to the light.
“Sealing” is a completion, a closing.
A bird, when it takes flight, symbolizes a transition and the completion of a stage—an ascent to another level.
There is a concept in the Zohar of the “announcing bird” on Rosh Hashanah, which is the voice of the soul asking for mercy. Its voice is like a chirp that awakens the sealing for good.
The Bird and Mashiach
Mashiach is described as one who “takes flight” and “soars high,” meaning he does not remain within the limitations of the world but flies above them.
The bird here is a metaphor for the revelation of the level of Mashiach—a consciousness that brings liberation, freedom, and boundless movement.
As is written in the Zohar: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
The turtledove is a type of bird, symbolizing the coming of the redemption.
A good sealing is the positive closing of one year and the opening of a new page.
The bird is the symbol of the soul rising to the next stage.
Mashiach is that level in which the soul not only rises,
but brings all of reality with it in its ascent.
No longer a single bird,
but a flock flying together.
When we connect the bird, a good sealing, and Mashiach,
the meaning is this:
Your soul is the bird.
Your inner voice is the song that determines a good sealing.
And Mashiach is the level in which not only you,
but the entire world,
takes flight and rises to the light of divine freedom.
Reflect:
In what area of your life does your soul long to “take flight” above limitations and judgments?
What is the “song” of your soul’s inner voice asking for right now?
Can you imagine what it would feel like for not just you, but everyone around you, to rise up together into a consciousness of freedom and light?
I’d love to hear what this stirs in you.