Shiviti

A shiviti or shivisi (Hebrew: שויתי) is a meditative representation of a verse from Psalms. It is crowned at the top by the sacred name of God, followed by the rest of the passage set in the shape of the Temple lampstand. It is used in Kabbalah for contemplation of the Tetragrammaton. One type of shiviti is placed at the front of the synagogue, where it may also serve as a type of mizrah; another popular format, designed for personal use, fits inside a prayerbook.

Shivitis originated in the 17th-century Sabbatean movement and were condemned by the mainstream rabbinate, especially by prominent anti-Sabbateans like Jacob Joshua Falk. Even in the nineteenth century, when the Sabbatean movement had died out, most authorities banned the use of shivitis because they were seen as disrespectful to the name of God. Today, shivitis are mostly seen in Hasidic synagogues.