A Buried
Treasure: The Entombment Of The Ark
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXI, Parshas
Terumah
Where the Holy Ark is Located Today
The
Rambam begins the fourth chapter of Hilchos
Beis HaBechirah with the following statements:
There was a stone in the western portion of the
Holy of Holies on which the ark was placed.[1] Before it, [were placed] the vial of manna
and Aharon’s staff.
When Shlomo constructed the Beis [HaMikdash],
knowing that it would ultimately be destroyed, he
constructed a place for the ark to be entombed below
[the Holy of Holies] in deep mazelike vaults.
King Yoshiyahu commanded that the ark be entombed
in the chamber which Shlomo had built; as it is written:[2] “And he told the Levites[3] who were granted understanding above all of Israel
and who were consecrated unto G-d; ‘Place the
holy ark in the chamber built by Solomon, son of
David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry
it upon your shoulders. Now, go and serve G-d,
your L-rd....’ “
Together with [the ark], were entombed Aharon’s
staff, the vial [of manna], and the anointing
oil. All of these [sacred articles] did not return
in the Second Beis [HaMikdash].
Similarly, the urim vetumim which were present
in the Second Beis [HaMikdash] did not reply
with Divine inspiration, and questions were not addressed
to them...[4]
The
commentaries have raised questions concerning this
passage, because this lengthy historical explanation
is out of context for the Mishneh Torah. Moreover,
the fundamental point mentioned by the Rambam,
that the ark was entombed, is a matter of dispute
among the Sages,[5] some maintaining that it was not entombed, but
rather taken to Babylonia together with the other
sacred articles from the Beis HaMikdash.
Maintaining the Sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash
Several
of our Rabbis[6] have attempted to resolve this difficulty by
explaining that the Rambam’s statements concerning
the entombment of the ark are intended to complement
the position he states at the conclusion of Ch. 6
of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah:
Why do I say that the original consecration sanctified
the [Beis Ha]Mikdash and Jerusalem until the
future era, while in relation to the consecration
of the remainder of Eretz Yisrael, as regards
the Sabbatical year, the tithes, and other similar
[agricultural] laws, [the original consecration]
did not sanctify it for eternity?[7]
Because the sanctity of the [Beis Ha]Mikdash
and of Jerusalem stems from the Divine Presence,
and the Divine Presence can never be nullified.
These
commentaries explain that the Divine Presence rests
on the ark. Accordingly, the eternal sanctification
of the site of the Beis HaMikdash and of Jerusalem
is dependent on the constant presence of the ark
on that site.
There
are, however, several difficulties with this resolution.
Firstly, it does not explain all the particular details
mentioned by the Rambam in our halachah.
Were this the Rambam’s intent, he could have
written merely, “The ark was entombed in its place.”
Moreover,
the Rambam’s conception of the sanctification
of the site of the Beis HaMikdash is not necessarily
dependent on the presence of the ark. On the contrary,
the Rambam states that the consecration was
brought about by Shlomo at the time of the dedication
of the First Beis HaMikdash without mentioning
the need for the constant presence of the ark. It
would appear that the Rambam’s intent is that
the consecration of the Beis HaMikdash came
about at the moment the ark was brought into the Holy
of Holies. At that time, this became the resting place
for the Divine Presence and remained so for all time,
for “the Divine Presence can never be nullified.”[8]
Thus
our original difficulty remains unresolved. In addition,
there is a further question which results from considering
the order of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah. In chapter
1, the Rambam explains the basic principles
associated with the construction of the Beis HaMikdash.
Chapter 2 concerns the altar and chapter 3 focuses
on the other sacred utensils including the menorah,
the table for the showbread, the incense altar, and
the like. Chapter 4, by contrast, dwells on the structure
of the building, its dimensions, and the different
elements of its design. Seemingly, the mention of
the ark should have been included in chapters 2 or
3 with the other sacred articles. Why was it included
in chapter 4?
Not Merely a Sacred Article, but Part of
the Beis HaMikdash
The
above questions force us to view the ark in a different
light. It was not merely one of the sacred utensils
of the Beis HaMikdash, nor even the most important
of those utensils.[9] Rather, it was a part of the structure of the
Beis HaMikdash itself. For it is the ark which
assures that the Beis HaMikdash will be “a
house for G-d,”[10] the place where the Divine Presence rests.
If
so, a question arises: How could the Second Beis
HaMikdash be complete without the ark? How could
the Holy of Holies be complete without this fundamental
element of its structure? To reinforce these questions:
The site of the Beis HaMikdash was consecrated
as the resting place for the Divine Presence previously
— and that sanctity remains for all time. Nevertheless,
since the Rambam considers the ark as an element
of the structure of the Beis HaMikdash, it
would appear that the building as a whole cannot be
complete without it.
This
is the difficulty which the Rambam seeks to
resolve in this halachah with his description
of the entombment of the ark. Every one of the particular
details he mentions contributes to the explanation.
Two Places for the Ark
The
Rambam emphasizes that the chamber in which
the ark is hidden was constructed by King Shlomo as
part of the original conception of the Beis HaMikdash.
The entombment of the ark was not a decision adopted
at the last moment because of an emergency. Instead,
at the outset, in the prophetic conception of the
Beis HaMikdash, there were two places for the
ark:
a)
a revealed place, atop “the foundation stone” in the
Holy of Holies, and
b)
a hidden place, in the “deep mazelike vaults” below
the Holy of Holies.[11]
The
latter place was also consecrated as a place for the
ark by King Shlomo and thus was considered as a part
of the Holy of Holies. The construction of this chamber
was not an afterthought to protect the ark at a time
of need, but rather part of the structure which G-d
intended for the Beis HaMikdash at the outset.
Accordingly, as long as the ark was in this chamber,
the structure of the Holy of Holies — and the Beis
HaMikdash in its entirety — was complete. In regard
to the structure of the Beis HaMikdash, it
did not matter whether the ark was revealed in the
Holy of Holies or hidden in this chamber.
King Yoshiyahu’s Command
This
explanation also enables us to understand why the
Rambam mentions that it was King Yoshiyahu
who ordered that the ark be entombed. At the time
of King Yoshiyahu, there was no immediate danger that
the Beis HaMikdash would be destroyed. Quite
the contrary, at that time, the Jews lived in relative
security. Thus, it is clear that the entombment of
the ark was not merely an expediency adopted for its
protection, but rather was part of the initial intent
in the construction of the Beis HaMikdash.
To
further emphasize this concept, the Rambam
quotes the instructions given by King Yoshiyahu: “Place
the holy ark in the chamber built by Solomon, son
of David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry
it upon your shoulders. Now, go and serve G-d,
your L-rd....”
Yoshiyahu
did not say, “Remove the ark from its place,” for
the emphasis was not that the ark was being taken
from its place of resting in the Holy of Holies, but
rather that it was being brought to a place appropriate
for it.
By
saying “Now, go and serve G-d,” Yoshiyahu was
emphasizing that the fact that the ark would no longer
be in the Holy of Holies (“you will no [longer] carry
it on your shoulders”) did not detract at all from
the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash. The sacrificial
service could continue without interruption.
The
conception of the ark having two places is further
accentuated by the Rambam’s following sentence:
“Together with [the ark], were entombed Aharon’s staff,
the vial [of manna], and the anointing oil.”
When the ark was located in the Holy of Holies, these
sacred articles were required to be placed before
it, as the Rambam states in the beginning of
the halachah. Accordingly, when the ark was
brought to its second location in the mazelike vaults,
these sacred articles were taken to that place as
well.[12]
The Urim VeTumim, a Parallel to the Ark
Based
on the above, we can also appreciate why the Rambam
also mentions the urim vetumim in this halachah.
It would appear that the reference to them is entirely
extraneous, for they were not part of the Holy of
Holies, nor were they placed there. The Rambam,
however, mentions them in this context because of
a parallel which they shared with the ark.
What
was this common factor? The urim vetumim were
present in the Second Beis HaMikdash, but
in contrast to their function in the First Beis
HaMikdash, they did not serve as oracles. Although
they existed — and by virtue of their existence,
the High Priest’s garments were complete — their existence
did not have a direct effect on the lives of the people
as it did previously. This reflects on the role of
the ark in the Second Beis HaMikdash. It was
present, and its presence completed the structure
of the Beis HaMikdash. Nevertheless, it was
not seen by the people as it had been before.
The Presence of the
Ark on Mount Moriah, an Eternal Truth
On
this basis, we can appreciate a unique bond of oneness
shared by all the structures within which G-d’s
Presence dwelt, beginning from the Sanctuary in the
desert. For each of these structures contained, in
a revealed or hidden manner, the same ark, the receptacle
for G-d’s presence. More particularly, each
of the three Batei HaMikdash — the First and
Second Batei HaMikdash, and the Third Beis
HaMikdash which will be built in the near future
— share a unique bond, for the same ark will complete
these structures.
Indeed,
this connection is shared with the site of the Beis
HaMikdash at present, for the ark is contained
there now as well, lying hidden in the “deep mazelike
vaults” which Shlomo constructed. With the rebuilding
of the Beis HaMikdash in the Era of the Redemption,
however, the presence of the ark will be openly revealed.
For it will emerge from these hidden depths and be
placed in the Holy of Holies once more.
Our
Sages teach[13] that reward and punishment are given “measure
for measure.” Within every Jew, there is a “sanctuary
in microcosm,” an indwelling of G-d’s presence.[14] At times, this spiritual potential is hidden,
lying untouched in “deep mazelike vaults.” By probing
within our hearts and bringing this inner potential
to outward expression, we can hasten the coming of
the time when the ark will emerge from its hidden
place. And then it will be placed in the Holy of Holies
in the Third Beis HaMikdash, an eternal structure
which will never be destroyed. May this take place
in the immediate future.
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