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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Terumah
Translated by Hillel Fendel
Four out of five of the coming weekly Torah portions speak of the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and related matters, beginning this week with Parshat Teruma. The first utensil that Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded to prepare for the Mishkan was the Holy Ark (Aron), in which the Two Tablets were to be placed. That it was first indicates its importance and central role in the dwelling of the Divine Presence in the Mishkan. And in fact, we find that the very presence of the Aron in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Holy Temple, is what bestowed upon them their special status. (See the Tosefta at the end of Tractate Zevachim.)
According to this Tosefta, when the Ark was not in the Mishkan - as was the case after the death of Eli [the High Priest who mentored the Prophet Shmuel] and his sons, until the construction of the Holy Temple in the days of King Shlomo – the Mishkan was no longer a Sanctuary, but merely what was called a Large Bamah [Altar], with all the Halakhic ramifications that this entails.
The Aron and the cherubim atop it symbolize the tight and special connection between Israel and G-d. So states the Midrash regarding the cherubim "whose faces were one to the other" (Sh'mot 25,20): "This shows Israel the great love that G-d had for them."
On the other hand, regarding the cherubim that Shlomo built and installed in the Holy Temple, the Bible states, "They faced the Temple" (Chronicles II 3,13), and not each other. The Sages say: "This was when Israel did not do G-d's will" (Bava Batra 99a; see another opinion there as well).
In addition, the special Divine speech with Moshe Rabbeinu took place precisely here, through or via the cherubim above the Ark. This is described at the end of Parashat Naso: "When Moshe came into the Tent of Meeting [Mishkan] to speak with Him, he would hear the Divine Voice being spoken to him from between the two cherubim from above the kaporet atop the Ark of Testimony" (Bamidbar 7,89).
We can sum up by saying that the Ark and the cherubim serve as a means to measure the spiritual state of the Nation of Israel.
On the other hand: The Ark also has special significance when Israel takes it from place to place, in terms of the revelation of the Divine Presence. This is manifest in the following famous verse: Vayhi binso'a ha'aron, where Moshe would say upon beholding the Ark traveling: "Arise, o G-d, and have Your enemies flee and those who hate You [or, cause You to be hated] will run from before you" (Bamidbar 10,35). This verse was granted a special status by our Rabbis who instituted it in our prayers when we open the Holy Ark in the synagogue and take out the Torah scroll to be read aloud.
The Ark is open and the Torah scroll is brought to the congregation – this expresses our attempt to create special closeness between the Jew and his G-d. This link can be manifest via toiling in Torah study and striving to fulfill its mitzvot.
However, according to the simple meaning of the verse and its context, it is dealing with another facet of Jewish life – one that was in "hibernation" for nearly 2,000 years, and that is that of our "nationalism." The verse is referring to when the Jewish nation must go out to war – which is something that occurs only when our nationalist aspects are in play, i.e., when we have the political status of an independent nation. Ideally, when the nation then goes out to war, it seeks the closeness and accompaniment of the Divine Presence so that it will defeat his enemies. This is because the enemies of the Jewish People are the enemies of G-d – as we read in Psalm 83:
Your enemies stir, those who hate You raise their heads. They plot against Your people, they take counsel against Your protected ones. They said, "Let us destroy them, the name of Israel will no longer be remembered." For they have taken counsel together, against You they form a pact.
When the Jewish Nation battles against others, it is fighting the battle of G-d.
These two aspects of the revelation of the Divine Presence – the spiritual and the national – are expressed in two Rabbinic approaches in explaining Biblical verses that depict this revelation. In Moshe's parting speech to the Children of Israel, he said: "G-d came from Sinai and shone forth from Seir to them; He appeared from Mount Paran and came with some of the holy myriads; from His right hand was a fiery Law for them" (D'varim 33,2). And another verse is from the Song of Deborah: "G-d, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, also the heavens gushed; also the clouds oozed water. The mountains melted at the presence of the Lord, of Sinai, for the presence of G-d, the G-d of Israel" (Judges 5,4-5).
According to Rashi's approach, based on Targum Onkelos, these verses deal with G-d's revelation at Sinai and the giving of the Torah. Onkelos writes: "G-d was revealed from Sinai, and the rays of His glory was seen to us from Seir; He was revealed in His might upon Mt. Paran and with Him, myriads of holy ones. His right hand wrote from within the fire, the Torah He gave us." This is entirely the Stand at Mt. Sinai.
However, Ibn Ezra and the Radak explain that these verses are referring to G-d's revelation to Israel at a time of war. In the Ibn Ezra's words: "All the years that Israel was in the desert, G-d did not show might to the nations – until the People of Israel arrived in the field of Edom [where they met up with their first war on their way into the Land]… Fire came from the myriads of holiness from G-d's right hand to surround [and protect] Israel…"
In sum, we see that the Ark symbolizes the dwelling of the Divine Presence in Israel from both the spiritual/Torah facets and the nationalist aspects.
Let us all pray for the renewal of both these sides.
Four out of five of the coming weekly Torah portions speak of the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and related matters, beginning this week with Parshat Teruma. The first utensil that Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded to prepare for the Mishkan was the Holy Ark (Aron), in which the Two Tablets were to be placed. That it was first indicates its importance and central role in the dwelling of the Divine Presence in the Mishkan. And in fact, we find that the very presence of the Aron in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Holy Temple, is what bestowed upon them their special status. (See the Tosefta at the end of Tractate Zevachim.)
According to this Tosefta, when the Ark was not in the Mishkan - as was the case after the death of Eli [the High Priest who mentored the Prophet Shmuel] and his sons, until the construction of the Holy Temple in the days of King Shlomo – the Mishkan was no longer a Sanctuary, but merely what was called a Large Bamah [Altar], with all the Halakhic ramifications that this entails.
The Aron and the cherubim atop it symbolize the tight and special connection between Israel and G-d. So states the Midrash regarding the cherubim "whose faces were one to the other" (Sh'mot 25,20): "This shows Israel the great love that G-d had for them."
On the other hand, regarding the cherubim that Shlomo built and installed in the Holy Temple, the Bible states, "They faced the Temple" (Chronicles II 3,13), and not each other. The Sages say: "This was when Israel did not do G-d's will" (Bava Batra 99a; see another opinion there as well).
In addition, the special Divine speech with Moshe Rabbeinu took place precisely here, through or via the cherubim above the Ark. This is described at the end of Parashat Naso: "When Moshe came into the Tent of Meeting [Mishkan] to speak with Him, he would hear the Divine Voice being spoken to him from between the two cherubim from above the kaporet atop the Ark of Testimony" (Bamidbar 7,89).
We can sum up by saying that the Ark and the cherubim serve as a means to measure the spiritual state of the Nation of Israel.
On the other hand: The Ark also has special significance when Israel takes it from place to place, in terms of the revelation of the Divine Presence. This is manifest in the following famous verse: Vayhi binso'a ha'aron, where Moshe would say upon beholding the Ark traveling: "Arise, o G-d, and have Your enemies flee and those who hate You [or, cause You to be hated] will run from before you" (Bamidbar 10,35). This verse was granted a special status by our Rabbis who instituted it in our prayers when we open the Holy Ark in the synagogue and take out the Torah scroll to be read aloud.
The Ark is open and the Torah scroll is brought to the congregation – this expresses our attempt to create special closeness between the Jew and his G-d. This link can be manifest via toiling in Torah study and striving to fulfill its mitzvot.
However, according to the simple meaning of the verse and its context, it is dealing with another facet of Jewish life – one that was in "hibernation" for nearly 2,000 years, and that is that of our "nationalism." The verse is referring to when the Jewish nation must go out to war – which is something that occurs only when our nationalist aspects are in play, i.e., when we have the political status of an independent nation. Ideally, when the nation then goes out to war, it seeks the closeness and accompaniment of the Divine Presence so that it will defeat his enemies. This is because the enemies of the Jewish People are the enemies of G-d – as we read in Psalm 83:
Your enemies stir, those who hate You raise their heads. They plot against Your people, they take counsel against Your protected ones. They said, "Let us destroy them, the name of Israel will no longer be remembered." For they have taken counsel together, against You they form a pact.
When the Jewish Nation battles against others, it is fighting the battle of G-d.
These two aspects of the revelation of the Divine Presence – the spiritual and the national – are expressed in two Rabbinic approaches in explaining Biblical verses that depict this revelation. In Moshe's parting speech to the Children of Israel, he said: "G-d came from Sinai and shone forth from Seir to them; He appeared from Mount Paran and came with some of the holy myriads; from His right hand was a fiery Law for them" (D'varim 33,2). And another verse is from the Song of Deborah: "G-d, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, also the heavens gushed; also the clouds oozed water. The mountains melted at the presence of the Lord, of Sinai, for the presence of G-d, the G-d of Israel" (Judges 5,4-5).
According to Rashi's approach, based on Targum Onkelos, these verses deal with G-d's revelation at Sinai and the giving of the Torah. Onkelos writes: "G-d was revealed from Sinai, and the rays of His glory was seen to us from Seir; He was revealed in His might upon Mt. Paran and with Him, myriads of holy ones. His right hand wrote from within the fire, the Torah He gave us." This is entirely the Stand at Mt. Sinai.
However, Ibn Ezra and the Radak explain that these verses are referring to G-d's revelation to Israel at a time of war. In the Ibn Ezra's words: "All the years that Israel was in the desert, G-d did not show might to the nations – until the People of Israel arrived in the field of Edom [where they met up with their first war on their way into the Land]… Fire came from the myriads of holiness from G-d's right hand to surround [and protect] Israel…"
In sum, we see that the Ark symbolizes the dwelling of the Divine Presence in Israel from both the spiritual/Torah facets and the nationalist aspects.
Let us all pray for the renewal of both these sides.
Rabbis in Midrash
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