Keruvim (Cherubs)

The Ark in the Holy Temple housed the marriage document binding G‑d to His people. But who could be trusted to guard this seminal manuscript?

A strange detail in the construction of the Temple’s “Holy of Holies” reveals the secret of where G‑d lives.

One whispers, G‑d’s voice audible from within the cherub’s wings. His words silence the howl of the storm. I Am with you now more than ever before. You are my only; never shall we part.

What did the Ark in the Holy of Holies look like? The commentaries on the Torah discuss the design of the Ark and its unusual lid upon which were two golden Cherubs.

Hospitals, retirement villages, anti-discrimination commissions, museums, and Yiddish theaters. All are worthy causes and deserving of support, yet they are not our communal priority...

The mishkan – the holy sanctuary – contained various sacred articles, but chief amongst them is the Holy Ark containing the two tablets. Join us as we probe the depth of this holy vessel.

When we would be at odds with G-d and He with us, the two angels would turn away from one another. But when the two of us would be in harmony, the temple priests would open the curtains and show us the two figurines entwined in embrace...

If galut is a time of estrangement between G-d and Israel, why were the two keruvim embracing at the time of the Temple’s destruction? Wouldn’t the destruction of the Holy Temple mark a nadir in our relationship with the Almighty?