The Cover That Needs Support

Parshat Terumah

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Concluding his commentary on 26:34, the Netziv comments "v'ein davar rik baTorah," there is no worthless item in the Torah. In other words, every detail in the Torah, from the choice of a word here versus there, or even a seemingly additional letter, has depth to it. Those who study "Scripture" alone will never understand this, and those who choose to study using translations will miss the nuances. Let us explore the depth of a seemingly subtle nuance.

            

Arguably the most prominent of the vessels of the Mishkan is the Aron – the Ark – which has different descriptions at different times: Hakodesh (the Holy Ark), HaBrit (Ark of the Covenant), HaEidut (Ark of the Testimony – housing the Tablets).

            

It is mentioned twice in our parsha, along with the cover – the Kapporet – which adorned its top. 25:10-22 describes how they are to be made, with 25:16 explaining that the Luchot will be placed in it, followed by placing the cover on top. [I'll leave you to research why the Luchot placement is repeated five verses later in 25:21]

            

Chapter 26 explains that the curtain which cordons off the Holy of Holies (HoH) will be put in place, after which the Aron will be brought in to the HoH uncovered, followed by the Kapporet being placed on top – inside the HoH (26:33-34).

            

When it comes time to put everything together, Moshe is instructed to erect the Mishkan, to then place the Aron HaEidut (Ark of the Testimony) in its spot, and then to raise the dividing curtain (40:2-3) (no mention of the Kapporet). When he actually puts it all together, Moshe puts up the walls of the Mishkan, places the Luchot in the Aron, puts the poles in their rings, and then he closes the Aron with the Kapporet. The Aron is then brought into the Mishkan, seemingly complete, and the curtain is hung up, designating the Aron's area as the HoH. (40:20-21)

            

That he changes the order of the original instructions when he puts all together (covering the Aron outside the HoH) is not surprising – the original instruction was more about making the items than about how to erect the Mishkan (Ramban 26:33). But according to the Netziv's line with which we opened, there is depth to be found in the instructions which seem to indicate the Aron will not be going into the HoH complete with cover, but will achieve its completeness only after it has been brought to its resting place.

            

Netziv asks about the extra word in 25:21 when we are told that the Kapporet will be placed on the Aron "m'il'maalah" - "from above" – as if there is another way the Kapporet could rest on the Aron.

            

The instruction to Moshe was that when he brings the Aron into the HoH, uncovered, the Ark will be called the 'Ark of the Testimony' – a term used to describe the Ark when the Luchot are visible. The Kapporet is to be on top of the Aron in some manner, but not fit in place. It is to be placed on "from above" (25:21) so that the Aron will not be brought rotated at a 90 degree angle – with the opening facing sideways while one of its sides faces upward, supporting the not-yet-positioned Kapporet during transport. Rather, the Ark enters the HoH in the position that it will be placed on the floor, just with the Kapporet, the rectangular cover, placed perpendicular to its proper positioning.

            

Netziv concludes that this was the order, consistent with the instruction and with the actual placing: the curtain was hung up, but not solidified in place; then the poles were inserted in the Ark, then the Kapporet was placed on top (not in its exact position), the Ark was brought into the HoH, and the Kapporet was straightened out once the Aron was resting in its spot in the HoH. The curtain was then tweaked to solidify the distinction between the Holy and the HoH.

            

In 40:20, Netziv goes into further detail, essentially describing the Ark as "Aron HaKodesh" only when it is sitting in the HoH with its cover properly positioned (which might make it not 'the Holy Ark,' but 'The Ark of the Holy (of Holies)').

            

The message of the Aron not being completely covered until it is in its resting place in the HoH, according to Netziv, is one spanning all eternity. The Ark is the "Ark of the Testimony" when it is not where it belongs, and as long as the Luchot are still visible. Symbolically, this means that the concept of the Ark is to bear witness to the event of Revelation, the connection between God and the Jewish people, and that the Luchot, or whatever represents them, should be visible to us as long as there is no Mikdash to house the Aron in a closed up room entered once a year.

The Kapporet was placed above the Aron incorrectly, requiring support to avoid falling during transit to the HoH. So too, anyone who is going to support Torah must be standing at the sides, ready in waiting, to see that the cover of the Torah does not fall. This is particularly important in times when the Aron is not in the Mishkan or the Mikdash.

            

The effort to support Torah in our day-to-day existence requires resilience and affirmation. Even when we are living dedicated Torah-oriented lives, we need to bear in mind that without the Mikdash, we can never achieve completeness – the cover of the Aron needs support so it can serve its purpose – first to bear witness (when uncovered), and hopefully to one day serve as a channel for representing the greatest holiness in our lives, when the real Aron, the Aron HaKodesh, complete with cover, once again rests on the floor of the Mikdash HaShlishi, the Third Temple.

When the Cherubs guard the Luchot in their proper position, they serve as a model for the relationship between God and the Jewish people. We look to them for guidance and inspiration in our continued efforts to get closer to the Divine.