Where Does God Dwell?
By Rabbi David Polsky

In Parashat Terumah, God commands the Israelites to build the tabernacle. Toward the beginning of the parasha, God decrees, “ve’asu li mikdash veshakhanti betokham” (you shall build be a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst you; Exodus 25:8). One would think that the purpose of building the sanctuary is for God to dwell within it. But if that assumption were correct, the verse should have said, “betokhah,” in it. Instead, God uses the word “betokham,” which literally means, “in them.” This subtle reading suggests that God’s intent is not to dwell in the tabernacle but amongst the Jewish people. Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the Hasidic master of Kotzk explains that through the Israelites’ dedication to God, their hearts convert to miniature sanctuaries. These numerous sanctuaries of the heart serve as God’s dwelling places. God resides “betokham,” amongst the hearts of the Jewish people.

In a similar vein, The Kotzker was once asked where God dwells. His responded that God dwells everywhere. We just have to open our hearts to notice and let Him in.