That image, that feeling, is right at the heart of Psalm 91, and it takes center stage in a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 12.

The verse "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High" (Psalms 91:1) might sound like it's talking about King Solomon, but according to Rav Huna, citing Rav Idi, it's actually about Moses. Think about it. Moses literally entered a cloud, a "shelter of the Most High," as it says in Job 22:14, "Clouds are shelter for Him." Exodus 34:18 tells us, "Moses entered into the midst of the cloud." He stayed there for forty days and forty nights! That's some serious sheltering. And that's why he could say, "I will say of the Lord: He is my shelter…" (Psalms 91:2).

But the story doesn't stop there. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, shares a powerful idea: There were three times Moses recoiled in doubt when God asked something of the Israelites.

First, when God commanded, "Each man shall give a ransom for himself" (Exodus 30:12), Moses wondered, how could anyone afford such a thing? As Job 2:4 says, "Skin for skin, everything that a man has he will give for his life," and even that wouldn't be enough! Psalms 49:8–9 echoes this, saying redemption is "too costly." But God reassures him, "I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability" – "this, they shall give" (Exodus 30:13). Rabbi Meir even adds that God showed Moses a coin of fire from beneath the Throne of Glory as an example.

The second instance? When God said, "Command the children of Israel…My offering, My food, for My fires…" (Numbers 28:2), Moses questioned who could possibly provide enough offerings. Isaiah 40:16 makes the same point, "Lebanon is not sufficient for kindling and its beasts are not sufficient for burnt offerings." Again, God clarifies, "I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability"; "This is the fire offering [that you shall bring to the Lord...]" (Numbers 28:3). It’s not about quantity, but about intention, about what they can offer.

And finally, when God commanded, "They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell in their midst" (Exodus 25:8), Moses was bewildered. How could they build a dwelling place for the Almighty? 1 Kings 8:27 says, "Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You." Isaiah 66:1 asks, "The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool; what house could you build for Me?" God's response? "I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability." He only needed a relatively small structure, a mishkan, a tabernacle.

Rabbi Prozedak bar Naḥsha, citing Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, beautifully summarizes: the Almighty rests in the shelter crafted by Betzalel – the Tabernacle. The idea is that God, who dwells in the hidden places, seeks to rest in our shelter.

So, what about the fears that plague us? The psalm speaks of "the terror of night" (Psalms 91:5), which the text connects to demons, even naming Agrat bat Maḥalat. There's also "the arrow that flies by day" (Psalms 91:5), a demon that darts through the air. Rabbi Berekhya suggests that sending the mother bird from the nest (Deuteronomy 22:6–7) can protect you from it.

And then there's "the scourge [ketev] that ravages at noon" (Psalms 91:6). The Rabbis describe it as a demon that plunders strength between the fourth and ninth hours of the day. It's a terrifying image, with a head like a calf and a horn on its forehead. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish even says that one eye is affixed to its heart, and anyone who sees it dies!

But amidst all this talk of demons and plagues, there's a powerful message of protection. Rav Yitzḥak teaches that even performing one mitzva, like wearing tefillin (phylacteries), brings a thousand angels to protect you. Performing many mitzvot? Tens of thousands!

Ultimately, this passage from Bamidbar Rabbah invites us to consider our own "shelter of the Most High." Are we creating a space, both physical and spiritual, where the Divine can dwell? Are we living our lives in a way that invites protection and blessing? Maybe, just maybe, we're more sheltered than we realize.