Holiest and THE Holy of Holies

Parshat Ki Tisa 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The term "Kodesh Kodashim" appears in the Torah 18 times – twice in Parshat Ki Tisa. However, not one of these times does it refer to the Holy of Holies, the section of the Mishkan/Tabernacle which houses the Aron/Ark.

           

The "Holy of Holies," as it were, is called "Kodash HaKodashim," with the letter "heh" defining the definite article as being "THE" Holy of Holies – the room designated as the holiest place in the world.

            

In addition to the 18 Torah references, "Kodesh Kodashim" appears 5 more times in the Bible. The phrase referring to the back room of the Mishkan appears 9 times, thrice in the Torah and four times in Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles).

            

Referencing Rabbi Akiva as the source, the Midrash describes the book of Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) as being "Kodesh Kodashim," the holiest of the books of the Bible(Shir Hashirim Rabba 1, Medrash Tanchuma Tetzaveh 5, etc)

            

The difference between the Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim) and the holiest of things (Kodesh Kodashim) is literally one letter "heh" in the Hebrew. How could the same term be applied twice, meaning different things, with only one letter distinguishing between them?

            

The truth is, this concept is not foreign to us. There are bosses, and there is The Boss. There are Avot (ancestors), and there are The Avot (the Forefathers). There are gods, and there is The One and Only God. The list goes on.

            

Is there a common theme to all of the things described as "Kodesh Kodashim" (the holiest of things) in the Torah?

            

The simple answer is yes, as almost everything described as being the holiest of things are part of the Mishkan. Sometimes it refers to the large Mizebach (altar) where animal sacrifices were burned (Shmot 29:37; 40:10). Sometimes it refers to the inner Mizbeach, where spices were burned (30:10,36).

At times the "holiest of things" refers all the vessels of the Mishkan (one reading of Shmot 30:29), the Lechem HaPanim (showbread) that was placed on the Shulchan (Table) in the Mishkan (Vayikra 24:9), or the fire representing the sacrificial order associated with the Mizbeach (Bamidbar 18:9).

In the book of Vayikra the holiest of things is the term used to describe Mincha offerings, a Sin offering, the Asham offering (mostly in chapters 6, 7 and 10).

The only other reference in the Torah is to the concept of a Cherem – items which are essentially consecrated to the Mishkan or to God (Vayikra 27:28) when they are excluded from profane use. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch describes this designation as a person taking property given to him by God and returning it to its original owner.

God in turn, as the Talmud (Arachin 29a) points out, has designated this Cherem to the Priests, who may personally use it as unconsecrated items – unless the designator specifically claimed the items for Temple use.

Something which is "Kodesh Kodashim" specifically, however, is "a sacred thing from which other sacred things derive their sanctity." According to Hirsch, everything which is described as Kodesh Kodashim "relates directly to man's actions, to the Torah and to man's relation to it." It is the consecration of actions which is the main foundation and basis of the Sanctuary, as it is the source of the consecration of all of man's other relations.

The Mizbeach plays such a significant role in the consecration of active man. This is why both Mizbechot stand in the center – of the Mishkan itself and the outdoors, respectively – directly opposite the Aron. It constitutes the true center of the area in front of and around the Sanctuary.

In his commentary on Shmot 29:37 Hirsch argues that, "In Judaism, the concept of holiness is inseparably connected with sanctifying. Nothing becomes holy so that holiness should be concentrated in it, while all else is left to the realm of the unsanctified. Everything becomes holy in order to sanctify."

            

In a sense there is an ideal holiness which in unattainable: The Holy of Holies, the Kodesh HaKodashim. But there is also a holiness which is attainable, which is inspired by the ideal, and that is Kodesh Kodashim, a holiness that is largely dependent on actions. Whether it is an action that brings one close to God through the Mizbeach, or one that assigns exclusion from profane use to define its sanctification, it is the person who creates this admirable level of holiness which draws inspiration from the Holy of Holies itself.

            

Our task is to take action: to assign holiness to our endeavors. To make our davening a holy experience. Our learning a holy experience. Our performance of every mitzvah, each into its own unique experience. It will be what elevates our Shabbos to a day of Kedusha, on top of a day in which we exclude the profane.

            

Perhaps we can now understand why Shir HaShirim is referred to by Rabbi Akiva as "Kodesh Kodashim." Shir HaShirim is a love song, some claim an allegory to the love between God and the Jewish people. And love can be quite mundane and physical. But love also has the potential to be holy, to sanctify, and to elevate, and to consecrate man to his beloved, or more poignantly to his God.

            

May we be blessed to achieve that level of love which is Kodesh Kodashim so we may yet merit to once again admire the ultimate holiness that comes from the Holy of Holies, the Kodesh HaKodashim, with the building of the everlasting Temple in Jerusalem.

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.