Where God Dwells

Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

February 16-17, 2018 / 2 Adar 5778

Shabbat Terumah

Torah: Exodus 25:1 - 27:19     Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 - 6:13

“Where God Dwells”

Dear Friends,

Where does God dwell?  In this week’s Torah portion, the Children of Israel have build the Mishkan (or Tabernacle), the portable tent shrine in the center of their camp.  In the Mishkan the priests offered sacrifice and Moses encountered God’s presence. The sages asked if the Mishkan was really where God lived.  After all, God’s presence can be found everywhere, in everything, and at all times.  According to the modern Torah commentator Pinchas Peli, “The Mikdash was not a dwelling place for God but a place set aside for people to come and experience more intensely the in-dwelling presence of God in the world at large.”

The philosopher Martin Buber told this tale: “Where is the dwelling place of God?” This was the question with which Rabbi Mendel of Kotsk surprised a number of learned people who happened to be visiting him.  They laughed at him: “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole world full of God’s glory!”  Then he answered his own question: “God dwells wherever we let God in.” (Tales of the Hasidim)

What is your Mishkan?  Where do experience the in-dwelling presence of God in the world?  Where do you let God in?

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow