Rabbi Jonathan Kligler

At the end of the Book of Exodus, Moses assembles the Mishkan, the dwelling place for the Divine Presence, that the Children of Israel have created. The Torah choice of words brings us right back to the beginning, Genesis, chapter 1, when God creates our world. We are meant to understand that, just as God made us a "house" to dwell in, so we, as God's partners in creation, must create a house in which the Divine Presence is welcome, in our homes, in our communities, and in our hearts.