These sources explore the spiritual significance of the Mishkan as a dwelling place for the Divine Presence on earth. They examine how the sanctuary serves as a connection between the heavenly and earthly realms, the role of human participation in establishing a sacred space, and the broader implications of the Divine Presence accompanying Israel.
שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם
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What the sources say
The foundational imperative is stated directly in Shemot 25:8, where God commands Israel to build a sanctuary so that He may dwell among them — a purpose elaborated in Shemot 29:42–46, which specifies that the Tent of Meeting is the place where God will meet, speak, and sanctify Israel through His presence, and that His abiding there constitutes the very covenant relationship: "I will be their God."
the Ramban (Shemot 25:1) explains that the command to build the Mishkan follows organically from Sinai: Israel has become a holy people fit to host the Divine Presence, and so God commands that a sanctified house be established in their midst where He will speak with Moshe and direct Bnei Yisrael — the Mishkan being the continuation of the covenantal bond forged at the giving of the Torah.
A striking tension runs through the later sources: Sefer HaChinukh (Mitzvah 95) insists that God has no need of a physical house — since the heavens cannot contain Him — and that the entire purpose of the Temple is to orient human hearts toward His service, while the Malbim (Shemot 25:8) counters that the Mishkan below corresponds to a celestial sanctuary above, and that from the day it was erected divine influence flows into the world in proportion to the worship performed within it.
The Gemara in Megillah 29a extends the theme beyond any fixed structure, teaching in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai that the Divine Presence accompanied Israel into every exile — to Egypt, to Babylonia — and will return with them at the final redemption, showing that the indwelling expressed in the Mishkan is not confined to a building but is an enduring feature of God's relationship with His people.
Psalms 132:13-14:1
David’s psalm links Zion with God's chosen dwelling place, where He will rest forever. It connects sanctity, election, and the enduring meaning of a divine abode among Israel.
כִּי־בָחַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃ זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־עַ֑ד פֹּה־אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב כִּ֣י אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃
For GOD has chosen Zion, desiring it for a seat. “This is my resting-place for all time; here I will dwell, for I desire it.
Exodus 25:8
God commands ישראל to make a sanctuary so that He will dwell 'among them.' This verse is the foundational Torah statement of the Mishkan as the מקום of Divine Presence rather than merely a cultic structure.
וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 29:42-46:1
The Torah describes the daily offerings at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and concludes that God will meet and speak there, dwelling among the Israelites and sanctifying the Mishkan through His presence.
עֹלַ֤ת תָּמִיד֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אִוָּעֵ֤ד לָכֶם֙ שָׁ֔מָּה לְדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁם׃ וְנֹעַדְתִּ֥י שָׁ֖מָּה לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִקְדַּ֖שׁ בִּכְבֹדִֽי׃ וְשָׁ֣כַנְתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
a regular burnt offering throughout the generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before GOD. For there I will meet with you, and there I will speak with you, and there I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sanctified by My Presence. I will abide among the Israelites, and I will be their God.
Leviticus 26:11-12:1
In the covenant blessings, God promises to place His sanctuary among Israel and to walk among them, making the Mishkan/Temple the sign of an intimate divine relationship.
וְנָתַתִּ֥י מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם׃ וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃
I will establish My abode in your midst, and I will not spurn you. I will be ever present in your midst: I will be your God, and you shall be My people.
Shemot Rabbah 33:4
Whatever the Holy One blessed be He created above, He also created below, and therefore Solomon declared that God said He would dwell in darkness, and Scripture states "I have surely built a house of habitation for You.
לְךָ ה' הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וגו' כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַעְלָן בָּרָא לְמַטָּן. אָז אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה ה' אָמַר לִשְׁכֹּן בָּעֲרָפֶל, וּכְתִיב (מלכים א ח, יג): בָּנֹה בָּנִיתִי בֵּית זְבֻל לָךְ.
Megillah 29a:4
Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai teaches that the Divine Presence accompanied the Jewish people throughout their exiles in Egypt and Babylonia and will return with them at the future redemption, demonstrating their belovedness before God; the verse "I have been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they have come" is interpreted by Rabbi Yitzchak as referring to synagogues and study halls in Babylonia, and by Rabbi Elazar as referring to the house of Rav in Babylonia from which Torah goes forth to the world.
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אוֹמֵר: בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁגָּלוּ — שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן. גָּלוּ לְמִצְרַיִם — שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַנִּגְלֹה נִגְלֵיתִי לְבֵית אָבִיךָ בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ׳״. גָּלוּ לְבָבֶל — שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לְמַעַנְכֶם שֻׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה״. וְאַף כְּשֶׁהֵן עֲתִידִין לִיגָּאֵל — שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְשָׁב ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ״. ״וְהֵשִׁיב״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״וְשָׁב״. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׁב עִמָּהֶן מִבֵּין הַגָּלִיּוֹת. ״וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמִקְדָּשׁ מְעַט״, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אֵלּוּ בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת שֶׁבְּבָבֶל. וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר: זֶה בֵּית רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁבְּבָבֶל.
§ It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Come and see how beloved the Jewish people are before the Holy One, Blessed be He. As every place they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt?” (I Samuel 2:27). They were exiled to Babylonia, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “For your sake I have sent to Babylonia” (Isaiah 43:14). So too, when, in the future, they will be redeemed, the Divine Presence will be with them, as it is stated: “Then the Lord your God will return with your captivity” (Deuteronomy 30:3). It does not state: He will bring back, i.e., He will cause the Jewish people to return, but rather it says: “He will return,” which teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return together with them from among the various exiles. The verse states: “Yet I have been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they have come” (Ezekiel 11:16). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is referring to the synagogues and study halls in Babylonia. And Rabbi Elazar said: This is referring to the house of our master, i.e., Rav, in Babylonia, from which Torah issues forth to the entire world.
Berakhot 6a:8
Rabbi Yitzḥak derives from Psalms 82:1 that the Holy One, Blessed be He, dwells in a synagogue where people gather to praise God, and that the Divine Presence accompanies a quorum of ten people in prayer, with the minimum congregation being defined as ten.
אָמַר רָבִין בַּר רַב אַדָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִנַּיִן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מָצוּי בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל״. וּמִנַּיִן לַעֲשָׂרָה שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין שֶׁשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל״.
In explaining Abba Binyamin’s statement, Ravin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is located in a synagogue? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalms 82:1). The congregation of God is the place where people congregate to sing God’s praises, and God is located among His congregation. And from where is it derived that ten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God,” and the minimum number of people that constitute a congregation is a quorum of ten.
Ramban on Exodus 25:1
Ramban’s famous comment explains that the Mishkan is the continuation of Sinai: after the revelation, the Shekhinah rests permanently among Israel through the sanctuary. This is a central classic source on the Mishkan’s significance.
מֵעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֵם לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְנָה עִמָּהֶם מִתְּחִלָּה "וְעַתָּה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה" (שמות י"ט:ה'), וְאָמַר "וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ" (שם יט ו), וְהִנֵּה הֵם קְדוֹשִׁים רְאוּיִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּהֶם מִקְדָּשׁ לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם. וְלָכֵן צִוָּה תְּחִלָּה עַל דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ בַּיִת בְּתוֹכָם מְקֻדָּשׁ לִשְׁמוֹ, וְשָׁם יְדַבֵּר עִם מֹשֶׁה וִיצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: וְסוֹד הַמִּשְׁכָּן הוּא, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר שָׁכַן עַל הַר סִינַי שׁוֹכֵן עָלָיו בְּנִסְתָּר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם (שמות כ"ד:ט"ז) "וַיִּשְׁכֹּן כְּבוֹד ה' עַל הַר סִינַי", וּכְתִיב (דברים ה כא) "הֵן הֶרְאָנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת כְּבֹדוֹ וְאֶת גָּדְלוֹ", כֵּן כָּתוּב בַּמִּשְׁכָּן "וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן" (שמות מ':ל"ד).
Sefer HaChinukh 95:6
The mitzvah of building the Sanctuary is presented as a command that enables Israel to fix a place for divine service and draw their hearts toward holiness. The Chinukh emphasizes the educational effect of a sacred center.
וּמֵעַתָּה בִּהְיוֹת הַנָּחַת דַּעְתֵּנוּ עַל זֶה בְּעִנְיַן מִצְוֹתָיו בָּרוּךְ הוּא, תְּחַיֵּב אוֹתָנוּ לֵאמֹר כִּי בִּנְיַן בַּיִת לַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתֵנוּ בָּהּ תְּפִלּוֹת וְקָרְבָּנוֹת אֵלָיו, הַכֹּל לְהָכִין הַלְּבָבוֹת לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה, לֹא מֵהֱיוֹתוֹ צָרִיךְ לָשֶׁבֶת בֵּית אֲנָשִׁים וְלָבוֹא בְּצֵל קוֹרָתָם, וְאִם אַרְזֵי לְבָנוֹן יִבְנוּהוּ אוֹ בְּרוֹתִים, כִּי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלֻהוּ וּבְרוּחוֹ יַעַמְדוּ, אַף כִּי הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לִכְבוֹדוֹ חָלִילָה, הֲלֹא יְדוּעִים הַדְּבָרִים וּבְרוּרִים שֶׁהַכֹּל לְהֶכְשֵׁר גּוּפוֹתֵינוּ, כִּי הַגּוּפוֹת יֻכְשְׁרוּ עַל יְדֵי הַפְּעֻלּוֹת וּבִרְבוֹת הַפְּעֻלּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת וְרֹב הַתְמָדָתָן מַחֲשָׁבוֹת הַלֵּב מִטַּהֲרוֹת מִתְלַבְּנוֹת מִזְדַּקְּקוֹת, וְהַשֵּׁם חָפֵץ בְּטוֹבָתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וְעַל כֵּן צִוָּנוּ לִקְבֹּעַ מָקוֹם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה טָהוֹר וְנָקִי בְּתַכְלִית הַנְּקִיּוּת לְטַהֵר שָׁם מַחְשְׁבוֹת בְּנֵי אִישׁ וּלְתַקֵּן לְבָבָם אֵלָיו בּוֹ, וְהוּא בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּחַר אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם וֶהֱכִינוֹ אֶל הַטּוֹבָה לִבְנֵי אָדָם אוּלַי מֵהֱיוֹתוֹ אֶמְצָעוּת הָעוֹלָם בְּכִוּוּן, וְהָאֶמְצָעוּת נִבְחַר מִן הַקְּצָווֹת, אוֹ מִן הַטַּעַם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַיּוֹדֵעַ. וּמִתּוֹךְ הֶכְשֵׁר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וְטַהֲרַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָנוּ שָׁם יַעֲלֶה שִׂכְלֵנוּ אֶל הַדְּבֵקוּת עִם הַשֵּׂכֶל הָעֶלְיוֹנִי. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט עַל הַצַּד הַזֶּה נְפָרֵשׁ שְׁרִיַּת הַשְּׁכִינָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָאֱמֶת כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה כח א) קְדֻשָּׁתָן עֲלֵיהֶם אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁהֵן שׁוֹמֵמִין, שֶׁמַּשְׁמַע בְּזֶה שֶׁאֵין כָּל סִבַּת שְׁרִיַּת הַשְּׁכִינָה שָׁם מִצַּד הָעוֹבְדִים, אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כִּי אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם בְּחָרוֹ הָאֵל לְבָרֵךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא מִמֶּנּוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה חֶפְצוֹ לִשְׁלֹחַ לִבְנֵי אָדָם נָבִיא לְהוֹרוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָּהּ וְיִזְכּוּ לְקַיֵּם נַפְשׁוֹתָם, כְּמוֹ כֵן חָפַץ בַּחֲסָדָיו הַגְּדוֹלִים לִקְבֹּעַ לָהֶם מָקוֹם בָּאָרֶץ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נָכוֹן אֶל טוֹבַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּזְכוּתָם, וְכָל זֶה מֵחֲסָדָיו עַל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, לְעוֹלָם תִּתְרַבֶּה שָׁם הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּדֻשָּׁה לְפִי הַפְּעֻלּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ שָׁם בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְאָז עִם הַפְּעֻלּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת יִפָּתְחוּ מַעְיְנֹת הַטּוֹב כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת אֵינָהּ דּוֹמָה קְדֻשַּׁת הַמָּקוֹם בְּחֻרְבָּנוֹ לִקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ בְּיִשּׁוּבוֹ.
And from here, in that this is the grounding of our opinion about the matter of His commandments, blessed be He, we are obligated to say that the building of the House for God, may He be blessed, for us to do our prayers and sacrifices to Him in it — it is all to prepare our hearts to His service, may He be elevated. [It is] not from His need to sit in the house of people and to come under the shade of their beams — whether they build it from cedars of Lebanon or from cypresses, “as the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain Him,” and they [only] stand by His spirit; “surely the house that people built” would [not] be needed for His glory, God forbid. Are the things not known and clear that it is all for the refinement of our bodies? As bodies are refined by actions; and by the multiplication of good actions and their great constancy, the thoughts of the heart become purified, cleansed [and] sanitized — and God desires the good of the creatures, as we have said. And therefore, He commanded us to fix a place that would be pure and completely clean to purify the thoughts of people there and to refine their [our] hearts towards Him in it. And maybe He, blessed be He, chose that place and prepared it for the good of people from its being exactly at the center of the world, and the center is choicer than the ends; or for [another] reason that He, blessed be He, would be [its] Knower. And through the refinement of action and the purification of thought that we will have there, our minds will rise to clinging with the Highest mind. And we will explain the dwelling of the Divine Presence in this place in this way according to the simple understanding: Even though, in truth, our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 28a) [that] their sanctity is upon them, even when they are desolate — which implies that there is no reason at all for the dwelling of the Divine Presence from the side of the worshipers — [still,] it is possible to say that God chose this place to bless from it people that He crated, as we have said. And [just] like it was His desire to send a prophet to people to teach them the path in which they should walk and [so] merit to preserve their souls, so too did He desire, in His great kindnesses, to fix a place on earth for them that would be prepared for the good of people and their merit — and all of this is from His kindnesses to His creatures. And regardless, blessing and holiness will increase there according to the good actions that people do there. And then with the good actions, the channels of good will open up corresponding to it; since in truth the holiness of a place in its destruction is not similar to its holiness in its inhabitation (use).
Alshekh on Torah, Exodus 25:8
The passage states that the divine presence dwells on earth through the sanctuary that humans established, describing this place as the gate of heaven where the supernal abundance descends to illuminate the earth and its inhabitants, and that the divine presence has rested in this location since the world was created.
כי איזה הדרך ישכון אור שכינתו ית' בארץ הלזו במקדש כוננו בני האדם. הנה תשובתו בצדו הלא היא כי שם השער השמים. מקום אל הורדת השפע העליון להעיר על הארץ ולדרים עליה. ומאז נברא העולם שרתה שכינה במקום ההוא.
Malbim on Exodus 25:8
The mishkan represents a unified gathering of all Israelite souls corresponding to the divine presence in the upper world, which is the supernal sanctuary; when the earthly sanctuary was established, the heavenly sanctuary was simultaneously established with it, and from then on God's influence in the upper world flowed according to the service and sanctity performed in the earthly sanctuary, with each individual commanded to build a sanctuary in the chambers of their heart to serve as a dwelling for God's presence.
ועשו לי מקדש. כבר בארתי ברמזי המשכן שענין המשכן היה קבוצת כל נפשות ישראל לקומה שלמה מתיחסת עם האלהות שבעולם הגדול, שעולם הגדול הוא המקדש של מעלה, והראה ה' למשה את המקדש הגדול וכל צפונותיו וגנזיו ומשכיותיו שעז"א בכל ביתי נאמן הוא. כי הראה לו ביתו הגדול וסודותיו שהוא המקדש הכולל שעז"א ככל אשר אני מראה אותך, ועז"א שביום הוקם מקדש של מטה הוקם מקדש של מעלה עמו. שמאז נמשך השפעת ה' בעולם הגדול לפי העבודה והקדושה במקדש של מטה, וצוה וכן תעשו שכל אחד יבנה לו מקדש בחדרי לבבו, כי יכין א"ע להיות מקדש לה' ומעון לשכינת עוזו.
Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim 36:1
The Alter Rebbe explains that the ultimate purpose of creation is for God to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds. This chassidic framework powerfully reinterprets the Mishkan as the template for making the physical world a home for the Divine.
וְהִנֵּה, מוּדַעַת זֹאת מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁתַּכְלִית בְּרִיאַת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא – שֶׁנִּתְאַוָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לִהְיוֹת לוֹ דִּירָה בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים. וְהִנֵּה, תַּכְלִית הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וִירִידָתָם מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה – אֵינוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל עוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, הוֹאִיל וְלָהֶם יְרִידָה מֵאוֹר פָּנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֶלָּא הַתַּכְלִית הוּא עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַתַּחְתּוֹן, שֶׁכָּךְ עָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, לִהְיוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כַּד אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא וְאִתְהַפֵּךְ חֲשׁוֹכָא לִנְהוֹרָא – שֶׁיָּאִיר אוֹר ה׳ אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בִּמְקוֹם הַחֹשֶׁךְ וְהַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא שֶׁל כָּל עוֹלָם הַזֶּה כּוּלּוֹ, בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עֹז וְיִתְרוֹן אוֹר מִן הַחֹשֶׁךְ, מֵהֶאָרָתוֹ בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, שֶׁמֵּאִיר שָׁם עַל יְדֵי לְבוּשִׁים וְהֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים, הַמַּסְתִּירִים וּמַעֲלִימִים אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִבָּטְלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת.
It is a well-known Rabbinic statement that the purpose of the creation of this world is that the Holy One, blessed is He, desired to have an abode in the lower worlds. Clearly, the purpose of the hishtalshelut of the worlds and their descent, degree by degree, is not for the sake of the higher worlds, because for them this is a descent from the light of His Countenance, blessed be He. But the ultimate purpose [of creation] is this lowest world, for such was His will, blessed be He, that He shall have satisfaction when the sitra achara is subdued and the darkness is turned to light, so that the Divine light of the En Sof, blessed is He, shall shine forth in the place of the darkness and sitra achara throughout this world, all the more strongly and intensely, with the excellence of light emerging from darkness, than its effulgence in the higher worlds, where it shines through “garments” and in concealment of the Countenance, which screen and conceal the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, in order that they should not dissolve out of existence.