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- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Terumah
What exactly did the "Keruvim" look like?
HaMikdash was the Aron Kodesh that held the
Luchot. Its ornate cover had on it 2 Keruvim (tho
that technically violated the issur of a graven
image). The Keruvim figure was also engraved on
the curtains, the parokhet & the walls & doors of
the Heikhal. We have no clear idea of their exact
appearance: one opinion is that they had the
faces of children, or (as Yechezkel reported) 1
child & 1 man, mimicking a father & son. Some say
they were a boy & girl, representing pure love
(both between both male & female and Man & G-d).
Ibn Ezra said they resembled oxen. The Torah
explicitly says that they had wings, & some
(Rashbam) said they were images of birds, or
half-bird & half man with lions’ feet. The voice
of Hashem emanated from between the wings of the
Keruvim. Still others connect the Keruvim to the
reference in Bereisheit: baby-faced angels who
brandished weapons & guarded the entrance to Gan
Eden (i.e. Israel) – what a perfect description of our holy Chayalim!
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 17- "Miracles Don't Make a Messiah (87)
After learning about the unique "mass-revelation" at Sinai, the question was asked: what about the Christian claim that their "messiah also did miracles in front of people. The class summarizes the 3 significant differences between that claim and Israel's "mass-revelation".
