Where does God live? It’s a question I hear from time to time from our Foundation School students. We often talk about God being everywhere, which is an abstract concept to the very literal mind of a 3-year-old. If everything has a “home,” then God should too.

In Parshat Terumah, God instructs the Israelites, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8) This command begins the construction of the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary that traveled with the Israelites in the wilderness. More than just a physical structure, the Mishkan served as a sacred meeting place between God and the people. But what does it mean for God to “dwell” somewhere? Can we truly build a space for the divine?

Interestingly, the Mishkan shares a deep connection with another temporary sacred structure in Jewish tradition—the sukkah. Both the Mishkan and the sukkah are impermanent, yet they serve as places where holiness can be felt. In the blessing for dwelling in the sukkah, we say:

“Baruch atah . . . asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu leishev basukkah.”
(Blessed are you . . . who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah.)

The word leishev—”to dwell” or “to sit”—is key. It implies more than just entering a space; it suggests presence, intention, and a sense of belonging. When we dwell in a sukkah, we engage with the space in a meaningful way, just as the Israelites did with the Mishkan.

The parallel between the Mishkan and the sukkah teaches us something powerful: holiness is not about permanence; it’s about intention. The Mishkan was temporary, yet it brought the people closer to God. A sukkah is fragile, yet it’s a space of divine protection. Similarly, in our own lives, we don’t need grand, lasting structures to create sacred moments—we need mindfulness, openness, and a willingness to invite God in.

Here’s the question Parshat Terumah asks us: How do we create sacred space in our own lives? It might be through setting aside time for prayer, making our homes places of kindness and learning, or building relationships infused with holiness. Just as the Mishkan and the sukkah remind us that God’s presence is not confined to a building, so too can we bring holiness into every space we inhabit.

May we approach our own sacred spaces with the same kavanah—the same intentionality—as when we say leishev basukkah, recognizing that wherever we invite God in, holiness can dwell.

– Rabbi Eve Posen

Source: God’s Home