 Nouns derived from the root included "shachen" ("neighbor") and "mishkan" (a dwelling-place, whether a secular home or a holy site such as the Tabernacle).In classic Jewish thought, the shekhinah refers to a dwelling or settling in a special sense, a dwelling or settling of divine presence, to the effect that, while in proximity to the shekhinah, the connection to God is more readily perceivable.The shekhinah represents the feminine attributes of the presence of God, "shekhinah" being a feminine word in Hebrew, based especially on readings of the Talmud.