Sanctuary Within Us

The Torah reading opens with the command: “Make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within,” directing the Jewish people to create a place where G-d’s presence can rest. First this was fulfilled through the Sanctuary in the desert, later through temporary sites in the Land of Israel, and ultimately through the Temple on Mount Moriah. From that point on, no other place could serve as G-d’s Temple, and even after its destruction, its holiness endures.

Our Sages teach that the Divine Presence followed the Jews into exile, resting in the synagogues of Babylon, which served as “miniature sanctuaries.” More broadly, every Jewish home is meant to be such a sanctuary—not only a private dwelling but a source of light that radiates G-dly awareness outward, as the Temple’s outward-facing windows once did.

On a deeper level, the true sanctuary is within the heart of every Jew. Indeed, that is intimated by the verse cited above: “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within.” For the term “within” is written in a plural form, indicating that G‑d’s presence did not dwell only within the Sanctuary, but within every individual person. Each one of us has a spark of G‑d, dwelling within our hearts. We are sanctuaries for G‑d’s holiness with a mission to shed G‑dly light in our surroundings.

Shabbat Shalom!

Candle lighting time in NYC: 5:19 PM