And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.Exodus 25:8 (The Israel Bible™)וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָםHear the verse in Hebrewv’-a-SU LEE mik-DASH v’-sha-khan-TEE b’-to-KHAM
God's Dwelling Place
In the above verse, Hashem (God) instructs the Children of Israel to build Him a dwelling place. This dwelling place in Hebrew called the mishkan is not intended to physically contain Hashem. Rather, the mishkan is a place which enables Hashem to dwell “among them,” meaning in the midst of the Children of Israel. Unlike pagan places of worship, the mishkan is not meant to provide a home on earth for a God. Rather, the mishkan, and ultimately the Beit Hamikdash (temple) in Yerushahlayim (Jerusalem), are designed to facilitate the relationship between Hashem and His children.
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