FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – MASEY:

The words, “in the midst of,” which are found in a verse of this week’s Torah portion, is actually a single Hebrew word in scripture – b’tok (בְּת֖וֹךְ). It can also accurately be translated “inside of” or “within.”

Another word, “dwell,” which directly adjoins it in the same verse, is the Hebrew word – Shekan (שֹׁכֵ֕ן). This word can also be accurately translated as “tabernacle.” In fact, it is a variant of the word Mishkan, which is the scriptural name for the Tabernacle of YHWH in the wilderness, the Dwelling-Place of the Most-High on earth. The same word is the root from which comes the term Shekanyah, which is the physical manifestation of the presence of YHWH, otherwise known as the “Shekaniah Glory.”

If these alternate translations were used, and they surely could be, then this verse from our Torah portion would say,

“And do not defile the land which you inhabit, within which I tabernacle, for I, YHWH, tabernacle within the children of Yisra’el.”

Think about it…