INSIGHT & INSPIRATION
By Rabbi Moishe New
King Solomon, the wisest of all men, stood before the newly built Beis HaMikdash and marvelled: “Will G-d indeed dwell on this earth? The heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You—how much less this house?”
It is a question of profound wonderment.
If the heavens cannot contain G-d, if even the loftiest spiritual realms cannot grasp His essence, how can a physical structure of stone serve as His dwelling place? How can the Infinite be present within the finite? How can that which transcends all definition be revealed within the confines of time and space?
And yet, G-d commands: “Make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell amongst you.”
G-D IS EVERYWHERE — SO WHY A SANCTUARY?
On one level, we affirm that “the entire earth is filled with His glory.” G-d is present everywhere. Nothing exists outside of Him. Creation itself is sustained by divine energy at every moment.
So what is the significance of a particular place—the Mishkan, later the Beis HaMikdash—as the dwelling of G-d?
The answer is subtle but crucial.
Yes, G-d is present everywhere. But His presence is concealed. The world feels independent of Him. We can ignore Him. We can deny Him. The divine is hidden behind the veil of nature.
The Beis HaMikdash was different. There, G-d’s presence was tangibly manifest. It was a place of revelation.
But this only deepens the question: how can Divine revelation occur within a material world?
THE GREAT CONCEALMENT
Kabbalah teaches that for the world to exist as we know it, G-d had to conceal His infinite light. If divine revelation were fully expressed, creation would be nullified—like a flame’s light insignificance in the presence of daylight.
This process of concealment (tzimtzum) allowed a world to emerge that feels separate, autonomous, independent.
That sense of independence is what allows for free choice.
Our world represents the deepest concealment. G-d’s presence is not only hidden—it can be entirely ignored. We must search for Him. We must choose Him.
And now comes the astonishing command: build a Sanctuary, and I will dwell there.
It seems impossible. The Infinite cannot be contained by the finite. The beyond-infinite cannot be expressed in a physical structure.
Unless we are missing something.
BEYOND INFINITE
We often describe G-d as “infinite.” But even “infinite” is a description. It defines G-d in relation to finitude—He is not limited.
But what if G-d is beyond even that?
The holiest of G-d’s names, the four-letter Name, expresses eternity—“He was, He is, He will be.” It reflects transcendence of time. Infinity. Limitlessness.
But G-d’s essence is beyond all names. Beyond all description. Beyond infinite.
And because He is beyond infinite, He is not bound even by the “rules” of infinity.
The infinite cannot enter the finite without dissolving it. But the One who is beyond infinite can choose to reveal Himself in a finite space.
That is the secret of the Sanctuary.
THE HOLY OF HOLIES: A LIVING PARADOX
In the Holy of Holies, the Ark measured two and a half cubits wide. The chamber measured twenty cubits across. Logically, there should have been eight and three-quarters cubits from each side of the Ark to the wall.
But there were ten.
The Ark occupied space—and yet did not occupy space.
Finite and infinite fused.
This was not symbolic imagery. It was physical reality. The very measurements testified to a deeper truth: when G-d chooses to reveal Himself, opposites coexist.
Heaven and earth meet. Infinite and finite merge.
SPIRITUALITY VS. G-DLINESS
One might ask: why all the physical, performance oriented commandments? Can we not connect to G-d on a purely spiritual plane?
Spirituality is a human experience. It may be lofty, profound, even transformative—but it remains within the human framework. It is still finite. It is still “me.”
True connection requires meeting the other on their terms.
In human relationships, loving someone on your own terms is not love—it is self-expression. Real connection comes when we listen, respond, and give in the manner the other desires.
How much more so with G-d.
We cannot intuit what G-d wants. We cannot design our own bridge to Him. The bridge must come from Him.
That bridge is Torah and mitzvos.
When G-d says: Light Shabbos candles. Eat kosher. Observe family purity. Put on tefillin. He is saying: here is how you connect to My very essence.
A person can be deeply spiritual without mitzvos. But spirituality alone does not express the ultimate truth, it does not fuse finite and infinite. Only the divine command can do that.
Every commandment It is the meeting point between mortal man and the divine essence.
WHY MUST WE BUILD IT?
If G-d wants to reveal Himself, why not simply do so?
Because revelation imposed from above does not transform the world. At Sinai, when G-d revealed Himself, nature froze. Birds stopped chirping. The world could not function under such intensity.
But once the revelation withdrew, nature reverted to its ordinary self.
The Mishkan was different. There, the materials themselves—gold, silver, wood—were elevated through the fusion of G-d’s command and human effort. The world became a participant in the revelation.
G-d does not want to overwhelm creation. He wants creation to become an abode for His presence. That requires us.
When we perform a mitzvah, we do not nullify the world—we sanctify it. The physical object remains physical, but it becomes a vessel for the divine. That transformation is permanent.
EVERY MOMENT A HOLY OF HOLIES
The Beis HaMikdash was not meant to remain an isolated island of holiness. Its window apertures were uniquely designed—narrow on the inside and widening toward the outside—symbolizing that its light flowed outward.
The ultimate goal is not a single holy chamber in Jerusalem. The goal is that every Jewish home becomes a miniature Sanctuary. Every table a sacred altar. Every act of eating, speaking, working, loving—aligned with Torah—becomes a moment of Holy of Holies.
From conception to burial, Jewish life is guided by mitzvos. Every step is an invitation to reveal G-d’s essence within the ordinary.
TOWARD REDEMPTION
When enough homes become sanctuaries, when enough moments become mitzvah moments, the connection is complete. The prophet foretells a time when “from the mountain of G-d’s house will go forth instruction,” and the entire world will recognize His presence.
That future is not imposed from above. It is built from below—through our choices, our actions, our meticulous attention to divine detail.
Every Shabbos candle lit. Every kosher morsel eaten. Every act of integrity. Every moment lived according to Torah. Each one is a fusion of infinite and finite. Each one is wonderment realized.
May we merit to see the ultimate revelation speedily in our day, when the whole world becomes G-d’s home.
Amen.
