11 hours ago
10
ARTICLE AD BOX
An exploration into the meaning and significance of the cherubim (angels) that sat upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle.
By RABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ FEBRUARY 28, 2025 12:04
THE OBJECT permanently placed in the holiest site on Earth had the pure faces of innocent children.
(photo credit: FLASH90)
In this Torah portion, God commands the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Tablets of the Covenant that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.
No one ever saw the Ark; it was the only vessel placed inside the Holy of Holies, where entry was forbidden. As the Israelites wandered in the desert, they were able to see all the sacred vessels of the Tabernacle – except for the Ark, which, due to its immense sanctity, was covered with multiple coverings.
On top of the Ark were two cherubim (angels) made of pure gold, about which our portion states: “The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, shielding the cover with their wings, and their faces shall be toward each other; toward the cover shall the faces of the cherubim be” (Exodus 25:20).
From between the cherubim, God would communicate with Moses:
“I will meet with you there and speak with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on the Ark of the Covenant, regarding all that I will command you concerning the Children of Israel” (Exodus 25:22).According to the sages (Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 99a), the cherubim had the form of infants. When the Israelites fulfilled God’s will, the cherubim faced each other, symbolizing love and affection. However, when the Israelites sinned, they turned away from each other.
The significance of the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant
Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437–1509) was a biblical commentator, Jewish philosopher, and statesman who served as treasurer for the kingdoms of Portugal, Castile, and Aragon, and as adviser to the rulers of Naples and the Republic of Venice. He explained the significance of placing these particular figures on the Ark in the Holy of Holies:
“Their faces were turned toward each other to teach that everyone called by the name of Israel must first direct their wings and thoughts upward – to serve their Creator in matters between themselves and God. Yet at the same time, their faces must be toward each other, meaning they must love their fellow human beings in matters between one person and another.”
The object that God commanded to be permanently placed in the holiest site on Earth – where the Divine Presence dwells – had the pure faces of innocent children, who had never sinned, whose eyes and hearts were directed upward toward the Almighty, and whose faces were turned toward each other in love and affection.
A reflection of this idea is also found in God’s command regarding the construction of the Ark. While the building of the Tabernacle and its vessels was assigned to Moses alone, with each instruction written in singular form (“And you shall make...”), the Ark is unique in that the Torah states, “And they shall make an Ark” – in plural form.
This, as explained by Nachmanides (Ramban), indicates that the Ark, which houses the Torah and serves as the seat of the Divine Presence, had to be built by the entire Jewish people, in unity – either in action or in thought.The Holy of Holies represents love – the love of God for the Jewish people, and the love among the Jewish people themselves. This is why, when King Solomon poetically describes the Temple, he refers to the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant in these words:
Stay updated with the latest news!
Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter
“Its interior is filled with love” (Song of Songs 3:10; see Rashi and Targum Yonatan there).
The Talmud states that at the moment of the Temple’s destruction, as the Jewish people were sent into exile, the cherubim were found embracing each other:
“When the invaders entered the sanctuary, they saw the cherubim intertwined in an embrace” (Talmud Bavli, Yoma 54b).
This teaches that exile and destruction do not signify the end of God’s love for Israel.
On the contrary, they mark the beginning of a process of healing and repair, which will ultimately lead to a perfected world and everlasting love.■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.
English (US) ·