The Torah gives us a glimpse into such an experience with the story of the Ohel Mo'ed, the Tent of Meeting.
The Book of Exodus describes how Moses would set up this tent "outside the camp, far off from the camp." Anyone seeking God, the text tells us, would journey out to this solitary place. Think about that for a moment: deliberately separating yourself from the everyday, venturing into a space specifically dedicated to encountering the Divine.
What happened when Moses entered this sacred space? The people watched, standing at the entrances of their own tents, their gaze fixed on Moses until he disappeared inside. Then, something extraordinary occurred: "the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent; and the Lord spoke with Moses." (Exodus 33:9). And what's more, the people saw it. They witnessed this manifestation, this tangible sign of God's presence. And in response, "all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door." (Exodus 33:10).
It's a powerful image, isn't it? A community unified in awe and reverence. The Torah emphasizes the intimacy of Moses's relationship with God in this space, stating that God spoke to Moses "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11).
But the story doesn't end there. Later, we read that "the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud abode within it, and God's glory filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35).
Did you catch that? Moses, the very person who communed with God, was now unable to enter. God's presence was so intense, so all-encompassing, that it literally filled the space, leaving no room for anything else. This is a key point. As Lawrence Kushner notes in Tree of Souls, this passage "establishes that God's presence takes up space."
This idea, that God’s presence has a physical manifestation, is profoundly mythic. In fact, this concept became the basis for Isaac Luria's tzimtzum theory in the 16th century. Tzimtzum (צמצום) is a Kabbalistic concept that suggests before creation, God "contracted" God's self to create space for the universe. Before creation, the Kabbalists reasoned, God's presence filled everything!
Midrash Tanhuma, Shoftim 8, gives us another layer to this story. It tells us that when Moses entered the Tent, he would stand there, and the voice of God would descend from the heavens like a pillar of flame between the cherubim. And Moses, remarkably, heard this voice as if it were coming from within himself.
So what does this all mean? What can we take away from this image of the Tent of Meeting? Perhaps it's a reminder that encountering the Divine requires setting aside space, both physically and metaphorically. It demands a willingness to step outside the everyday and open ourselves to something greater than ourselves. And perhaps, sometimes, the Divine presence is so overwhelming that all we can do is stand in awe, recognizing the limits of our own understanding. We may not always be able to "enter" that space, but we can still witness its glory.