B"H

Friday, Adar1 3, 5782 / February 4, 2022

This week's Parsha, Terumah, is about the building of the Mishkan (Tabarnacle) and its contents; the Aron (ark), the Kaporet (ark cover), the Shulchan (table), the Menorah (candelabra) and the Mizbe'ach (altar).  The Torah details the materials, measurements and construction of each component of the sanctuary.

The Torah states, "And they shall make an ark…and you shall overlay it with pure gold from within and from without… And you shall put into the ark the testimony (Two Tablets).  And you shall make an ark-cover of pure gold... And you shall make two Cherubim of gold at the two ends of the ark-cover... And the Cherubim shall be spreading their wings on high covering with their wings over the ark-cover and their faces one toward the other..."  

The Aron (ark) contained both sets of Tablets; the first Tablets, which Moshe broke when he saw the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf, as well as the second set of Tablets. There is an opinion that it also contained a Torah which Moshe wrote.

There are many lessons we can draw from the Aron.  The Aron was made of three boxes, which were placed one into the other.  The inner and outer boxes were made of pure gold. The middle box was made out of wood, for the Torah is called, " a Tree of Life." 

The Aron was covered with gold on the interior and the exterior. This teaches us that to comprehend the Torah, a person must be the same on the inside (in one's heart and mind), as on the outside (actions).

Due to the gold content and the Tablets, the Aron was extremely heavy!  Yet, when traveling, only four people carried the Aron, for as our sages say, "The Aron carried its carriers!"  This teaches us that Torah is not a burden,for it is the Torah which carries and uplifts the one who adheres to it.

Each of the two golden "Cherubim" on the ark cover had the face of a child and each had wings which extended over its head, as the Torah states, "And the Cherubim shall be spreading out their wings on high, screening with their wings the ark-cover, with their faces one toward the other."

The Cherubim teach us two very important lessons.  First, the guardians of the Torah are the children. Teaching our children Torah and the practice of mitzvot is the only way to guarantee our continuity.  

Also, that we must face and see each other.  There must be love and harmony between us.   These two factors were in fact the pre-conditions for G-d's giving the Torah to the Jewish people. 

SHABBAT  SHALOM – HAVE A GREAT & WONDERFUL SHABBAT

Montreal candle lighting time: 4:47 / Shabbat ends: 5:53