Presence In Residence

The Ramban gives names to each of the five books of the Torah. He names the book of Shemot, Sefer HaGalut VehaGeulah, the book of exile and redemption. It is an apt name as the first half of sefer Shemot indeed deals with the exile in Egypt, the Exodus, and ultimately Matan Torah.

The Ramban questions what the second half of Shemot that deals with the Mishkan, has to do with exile and redemption? The answer is that the redemption of Am Yisrael was not complete until they had re-attained the status of the Avot and the Imahot, who merited G-d’s Shechina residing in their tents. There was a cloud of G-d’s Shechina perpetually over their tent, the Friday night candles remained lit the entire week, and there was a blessing in the bread dough. This was duplicated in the Mishkan by the Aron, Menorah and the Shulchan. So, according to the Ramban, the Mishkan was in fact culmination of the Geulah.

In this week’s shiur I would like to explore the Keruvim, the cherubs.

If you analyze the overall structure of the Mishkan (and Beit HaMikdash) you see that it is layered according to the level of holiness. The outer layers are less holy and as you go successively inwards, the layers become holier, until you reach the holiest compartment, the Kodesh HaKodashim, the inner sanctuary. Beyond the Parochet, the degree of holiness continues to be focused further, until it reaches a single point – above the Aron, between the two Keruvim. Here G-d concentrates His Shechina into one focal point and it is from this point that He communicates with Moshe.

How it is possible for G-d, whose Glory stretches across galaxies, to minimize His vast Shechina into such a small area? G-d is infinite and just as G-d is infinitely large He is at the same time infinitely small. If G-d decided to focus His Shechina at this specific point, there must be something special about it – the space above the Aron, above the Kaporet, between the two Keruvim.

The purpose of Creation was to have G-d’s Shechina reside in all levels of Creation, from the highest to the lowest. In order to house G-d’s Shechina, you need a blueprint of the structure suitable to house the Shechina.

Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps one of the greatest scientists that ever lived, believed that the blueprint of the Beit HaMikdash harbored secrets of the essence of G-d and he spent decades studying and researching it. Despite having one of the highest intellects in the history of mankind, Newton was humble enough to admit that there is a Higher Power at work in nature, beyond the capability of human intelligence. Newton never managed to “decipher” the secrets of the Mikdash, as he never delved sufficiently into the Torah on the level required to understand them, his initial instinct however was spot on.

The pasukim (Shemot 25:10-22) describe the two Keruvim as made from gold, an integral unit with the Kaporet (cover) below. One Keruv was on one end of the Kaporet and the second Keruv on the other end. Their wings were stretched upwards covering the Kaporet and they were facing each other and also facing down at the Kaporet.

The meaning of the word Ke-ruvim, “like ruvim” is explained in two different ways. The first is “ruvim” meaning many, alluding to the comparison of the Keruvim to the angels of which there are “many.” The second is “ravyan” meaning children or babies, the Keruvim are so called because they resemble children/babies, one male and the other female, in a loving embrace (Zohar 148a).

Betzalel was only thirteen years old when he built the Aron (Sanhedrin 69b). Why choose a child to build the Mishkan? It’s not because he was born a master craftsman – G-d taught him all these skills. It was because he was innocent like a child, the same relationship G-d wants us to have with Him – “You shall be innocent with Hashem your G-d” (Devarim 18:13).

Let’s analyze the model. You have two figures, like children, one male, one female, their wings spread upward in a loving embrace, facing each other, smiling at each other and at the same time facing down to the Aron, which housed the Luchot. This is the configuration of the model in which G-d’s Shechina resides.

Interestingly you have two other vessels in the Mishkan that have a similar motif. The Menorah and the Shulchan.

The Menorah is an integral unit connected to a central stem from which three branches radiate upwards on either side like wings. The faces of the Menorah, the lights, are tilted inwards toward the central stem. The shape of the branches is like the letter U, resembling a smile.

The Shulchan has twelve loaves of lechem hapanim in two stacks of six, facing each other and at the same time facing the two bowls of levonah (frankincense), in the center between the stacks. The U shape of the bread resembles two wings spread upwards and also resembles a smile.

The Gemara (Yoma, 54a) says that on the three festivals – Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot – the Kohanim would roll up the Parochet and Am Yisrael, standing outside in the Ezrat Yisrael (the area where non-Kohanim/Levi’im were permitted to stand), could see the Keruvim lovingly embracing. In addition, they would remove the Menorah and the Shulchan from the Heichal and display them (Chagiga 26b) to show G-d’s love for Am Yisrael.

It was necessary to display specifically these three things – because they most vividly reflected the model of the residence of G-d’s Shechina – unity, joy, and harmony.

Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: Where in the Mishkan would Moshe stand when G-d communicated with him?

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: What kind of an ox is considered a Shor Muad, a habitual gorer? One that has gored three times.