"The Divine Presence Within Israel is a Need of the People" - "Shechina BeYisrael Tzorech Hediot"

We will be looking at a short section that is one of Ramban's most important comments in his entire commentary on the Torah. In a break from the usual, we will explore one of his comments that he categorizes as sod - the hidden, underlying meaning of the text. What does it mean that God took Israel out of Egypt so that He would dwell in their midst? Is the Exodus necessary for God to dwell in Israel's midst? Is it a conditional statement? Is dwelling in Israel's midst the purpose of the Exodus? Who benefits, and why is God's presence within Israel so crucial?

As we consider different responses to these questions, we gain insight into Ramban's approach to both peshat and Kabbalistic sod perspectives on the relationship between God and Israel.