Where G-d Dwells Among Us

Posted on February 19, 2026

By Hazzan Jacob Sandler.

This week’s parasha, Terumah, is the beginning of a very special building project – the construction of the Mishkan – the Tabernacle.

The Torah states:

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃

“God spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved.’”

What is the significance of these gifts being from every person whose heart is so moved? It’s quite simple. People are more invested in a project when they are involved personally. When we contribute our resources, our time, and/or our ideas, we not only feel good about making an impact, but can feel a sense of ownership in the outcomes. We know this very well, as we’ve been involved in our own major building project here at Beth El.

But the building of the mishkan teaches us something deeper than just the importance of collecting contributions for building physical structures. The mishkan was built with a purpose, as it is written:וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃

And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.

The Mishkan literally means a ‘dwelling place.’ And the hope is that God will dwell not in the physical space but “among them” – AKA the Israelites themselves. When we create spaces for communal ritual and gathering, we invite God’s presence to dwell within each of us.

I had the privilege of attending Song Leader Boot Camp (SLBC) International Conference in St. Louis, MO earlier this week alongside about 20 Beth El members. Among them were middle schoolers, Teens (public school and day school), adults, staff, teachers and laypeople. We learned about the techniques, tools and best practices we can use to build sacred spaces — not just with brick and mortar, but with song, prayer, text, and, most importantly, people. We got a chance to be deeply inspired and connect with Jewish leaders of all ages from across the country and beyond. What we built there was beautiful in and of itself. But what we hope to bring back is a renewed sense of purpose and intention as we continue to contribute to Beth El’s musical, educational and ritual programming.

Finally, just as an aside, I know that building instructions aren’t as spectacular for narrative as the plagues, or Mt. Sinai. However, I’m excited to dive deeper into this parasha in a tactile way using the lego-style Bible Bricks Tabernacle set that arrived just in time for this week!