The Hovot HaLevavot tells us that to properly rely on Hashem you must believe that Hashem is “אינו מתעלם “ “He never ignores”.
We are always on Hashem’s mind, so to speak.
The Hovot HaLevavot brings an oft-quoted pasuk from tehilim as proof:
הנה לא ינום ולא יישן שומר ישראל (תהלים קכא,ד)
Hashem never slumbers or sleeps, He watches over the Jewish people.
In Parashat Teruma, Hashem says, Make for me a Mikdash- עשו לי מקדש
Why? The Midrash Rabbah asks. The answer is, because Hashem tells us, through 3 analogies:
-1You are my sheep - make a booth for your Shepard אתם צאני ואני רעה
-2You are my vineyard- The Watchman needs a booth.
-3 And finally, Hashem is our Father- How special it is when father lives next to his children?
So, why does G-d need a Mikdash? To watch over us.
It’s common nowadays that a guard stands outside shul to protect us.
I was recently out of town and tried to attend a shul in a gated community. I drove up to the guard-booth but I couldn’t get in because I didn’t have a pass. So I left, parked elsewhere and walked up to the guard. Still, I couldn’t get in. Eventually the guard made an exception for me for the day, as I knew one of the residents, but something occurred to me: What is actually guarding us? The guard booth or the shul itself? It’s not the guard booth. Hashem told us to build Him a Mikdash, to guard us. As we quoted above:
עשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם
Hashem asked us to build him a Mishkan, so He can dwell with us. And as we know, a shul is aמקדש מעט - Mini-Mikdash.
Of course we aren’t saying we don’t need the guards. Just don’t forget:
אם ה׳ לא ישמר העיר, שוא שקד שומר. (תהלים ,קבז)
If Hashem doesn’t watch the over city, the guard watches in vain.
Yes, we need the guards. We have one here at our shul. That is our hishtadlut. But know that the shul is the real guard, watching over everything else.
The shul is our booth and the more connected to shul, and connected to G-d you are, the more protected you are.
עשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם.
Make for me a Mikdash that I will Dwell amongst you.
Because as the pasuk says:
הנא לא ינום ולא יישן שומר ישראל (תהלים קכא,ד)
Hashem never slumbers or sleeps, He watches over the Jewish people.