Sabbath Keepers Fellowship & Prison Ministry
Ovadyah Ben Yisrael
From this week's Torah portion:
“And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Yisra’el, that they take up a contribution (Terumah) for Me. From everyone whose heart moves him you shall take up My contribution. And this is the contribution which you take up from them: gold, and silver, and bronze, and blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and fine leather, and acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, shoham stones, and stones to be set in the shoulder garment and in the breastplate. And they shall make Me a Set-apart Place, and I shall dwell within them. According to all that I show you – the pattern of the Dwelling Place and the pattern of all its furnishings – make it exactly so.’”
The words Shakanti B’tokam (שָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם), from the beginning of this week's Torah portion, are usually translated “I shall dwell in their midst,” or “I shall dwell among them.” However, these are not the only translations possible.
The compound word Shakanti certainly means “I dwell,” and indicates a residing physical/spiritual presence. However, the word B’tokam can have somewhat different shades of meaning. Its root is the Hebrew word “tok” (תוך), which is sometimes translated “among,” but more often is translated as “in,” or “within.” It can even be translated as “inside.” Thus, the highlighted verse above can fairly be translated as, “And they shall make Me a Set-apart Place, and I shall dwell within them” - or “inside them.”
Consider that. It is a commandment of the Most-High that the people of Yisrael are to make for Him a set-apart Dwelling Place B’tokam - within them.