The ancient rabbis grappled with this, and in Shemot Rabbah (that's the Book of Exodus explained and expanded upon by the Rabbis) we find a fascinating exploration of this very idea.
The passage begins with a verse from I Chronicles 29:11: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness, and the might…for everything that is in the heavens and on the earth.” Rabbi Berekhya uses this verse as a springboard to explore the parallels between the celestial and the terrestrial.
It's a mirror, of sorts. Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created above, He also created below. Let's look at some examples...
Above, there's an abode and a thick cloud. We see this reflected in verses like Isaiah 63:15: “See from the abode of Your holiness,” and Exodus 20:18: “Moses approached the thick cloud [where God was].” Even Job 22:13 asks, "Can He judge through the thick cloud?" Below, we have the Temple, the Beit Hamikdash, which is described in I Kings 8:12: “The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick cloud," and I Kings 8:13: "I have built a house as an abode for You.”
The connections keep coming. Above, seraphim, fiery angels, stand before God (Isaiah 6:2). Below, we have "standing acacia wood" in the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:15). Above, cherubs surround the Divine Presence (Isaiah 37:16). Below, “the cherubs shall be” in the Temple (Exodus 25:20).
The parallels extend to the very structure of the universe. Above, the heavens are divided by a firmament (Genesis 1:6). Below, "the curtain shall divide for you [between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies]" (Exodus 26:33). Even the armies of heaven have their earthly counterparts. "The kings of hosts flee again and again" (Psalms 68:13) above, while below, "the hosts of the Lord departed" from Egypt (Exodus 12:41).
And it goes on! From the throne of God above (I Chronicles 29:23) to the Temple below, which is described as the "Throne of glory, exalted from the first" (Jeremiah 17:12). From countless stars above (Genesis 15:5) to the numerous Israelites below (Deuteronomy 1:10). Angels above (malakh meaning "messenger" in Hebrew - Psalms 34:8, Malachi 2:7) to priests below.
This isn't just a list of coincidences. The Midrash, in this case Shemot Rabbah, is trying to tell us something profound. It's suggesting that the earthly realm is a reflection, a microcosm, of the divine.
But here's the kicker: according to the Midrash, what's below is more beloved than what's above. Why? Because God chose to forsake the heavens and dwell among us.
The passage concludes with a powerful idea. Even though God possesses everything – “Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, the utterance of the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8) – He desires to be among us, in the earthly sanctuary.
So, what does this all mean? Perhaps it means that the divine isn't some far-off, unattainable ideal. It's present here, within our world, within our communities, even within ourselves. The challenge, then, isn't to reach for the heavens, but to recognize the heaven that already exists right here on earth. The sacred can be found in the seemingly mundane, if only we know where—and how—to look.