Exile And Redemption – When Separation Leads To Greater Connection
From the desk of Rabbi Nissim Lagziel, Mashpia in Oholei Torah: This week, we will read parshas Teruma which tells of G-d’s command to the Jewish people to construct a Mishkan. The first vessel they were commanded to make was the Aron in which the Luchos were placed. As Rambam puts it, “The primary object in the Mishkan is where the Shechina rested, which is the Aron. This is why the Aron and Kapores (the cover for the Aron) are first, because they are first in status.” • Full Article
By Rabbi Nissim Lagziel
BEGIN WITH A GRIN
When someone leaves the bank with a smile, you know why.
When someone leaves the IRS office with a smile, you ask, why?
SEPARATED OR CONNECTED?
This week, we will read parshas Teruma which tells of G-d’s command to the Jewish people to construct a Mishkan. The first vessel they were commanded to make was the Aron in which the Luchos were placed. As Rambam puts it, “The primary object in the Mishkan is where the Shechina rested, which is the Aron. This is why the Aron and Kapores (the cover for the Aron) are first, because they are first in status.”
Right after the command about the Aron, the Torah commands that the Keruvim be made (25:18), “And you shall make two Keruvim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover.” The commentators, Rishonim and Acharonim, struggle with the topic of the Keruvim. Many theological questions are asked about it. How did they look? Why were they made? And mainly, how could the Torah command the construction of something that looks like an idol, that went in the Holy of Holies of all places?!
Rashi says that the shape of the Keruvim was like the face of a baby. The Ibn Ezra explains that the source of the word “Keruvim”is the Aramaic word “ravya” which means a boy or a youth. According to his explanation, the linguistic understanding of the world “keruv” is “like a boy.” But even after this explanation, what’s it for? Why do we need the image of a boy in the Holy of Holies?
Rabbeinu Bechayai spends a lot of time on this in his commentary and brings several explanations. One is that the shape of the Keruvim was like both a male and female and the reason they were in the Holy of Holies was to display G-d’s love for the Jewish people, like the love between husband and wife. He bases this on the verse (Melachim I 7:36) that the shape of the Keruvim was “כְּמַֽעַר־אִ֥ישׁ וְלֹי֖וֹת סָבִֽיב” as the Gemara (Yoma 54a-b) says, “Rabah bar Shayla said, ‘It means like a man joined and clinging to his levaya (his companion, i.e., his wife).’” He also cites the earlier Gemara there (54a) that says, “When the Jewish people would go up for aliya l’regel, the kohanim would roll up the curtain for them and show them the cherubs, which were clinging to one another, and say to them: See how you are beloved before God, like the love of a male and female.”
Now, we contend with a complicated question which was asked a few hundred years ago by the Maharsha, one of the great commentators on the Gemara. The Gemara (Bava Basra 99a) addresses the textual contradiction about the placement of the Keruvim. On the one hand, it seems to state clearly in the verse in our parsha, that they faced one another. On the other hand, in the description of the construction of the Mikdash in the Navi it says that their faces were “to the bayis,” i.e. toward the walls of the Holy of Holies.
The Gemara answers that when the Jewish people do G-d’s will, the Keruvim face one another. That’s a time of much love between G-d and His dear children and this is seen in the position of the Keruvim. When Yisrael do not do the will of G-d, the love between the two sides is not that great so the Keruvim face the walls, as though to say they don’t want to look at one another.
Then we find that the Gemara in Yoma there says that when the gentiles entered the Heichal to destroy it they saw the Keruvim embracing. We understand that if it’s the churban, this is not exactly the time when the Jewish people are doing G-d’s will, so why were the Keruvim facing one another? If anything, they should have turned their heads to the wall. The Rebbe, in an electrifying sicha, explains this with a wonderful analogy.
DEEPENING THE CONNECTION
Picture a rosh yeshiva who really cares that his students understand the material being learned, not just to be able to recite what is written. This rosh yeshiva was in the middle of giving a deep analytical shiur on the Talmud when he was suddenly struck by a thought which changed the entire way he sees the subject. In the natural order of things, he would need to stop giving the shiur and focus all his attention on his brainstorm, because if he doesn’t, it might vanish. We understand that the deeper the new insight is, the more time and attention it will need. The more he focuses his attention on it, the more his attention to the students will weaken.
A simple student who sees his rosh yeshiva deep in thought in the middle of the shiur, will innocently think that the shiur is over or that the rosh yeshiva no longer cares and has no patience to explain the subject. A more seasoned student will realize that it pays to wait because the shiur that will be given shortly, which follows the rosh yeshiva’s delving into the subject, will be worth the wait!
That means that externally, the teacher’s ignoring his students and his immersion in his own thoughts might look like a “churban” and “exile,” as though he doesn’t care what happens to them. Actually, the reason why the teacher is immersed in his ideas is only because of the students, to help them understand properly and to give them the best possible shiur.
As the Rebbe puts it, “It turns out that the greater the concealment, the greater the revelation – for the new intellectual insight is most precious, and it’s worth some temporary concealment as long as ultimately he will receive the new insight.”
This analogy beautifully explains churban and exile. Exile, externally, seems like the most negative thing of all. As it were, G-d left us in despair. He doesn’t care what happens to us. He seems into His own stuff, lost in thought. All of this when really it’s a preparation for the ultimate revelation, the revelation of the future Geula. Due to the greatness and loftiness of the revelation of Geula, it pays that we temporarily have exile and destruction.
This is also the reason why at the moment of destruction, the Keruvim faced one another. It’s because specifically in the Holy of Holies, the most inward and holy place in the world, one can see the truth! It’s in the Holy of Holies, a place which represents the ultimate divine intent, where they showed us from heaven that G-d did not abandon us (not even) for a moment. He is preparing Himself (and us) for the infinite G-dly revelation of the true and complete Geula!
What is required of the student is double work; the work of clear knowledge and the work of thirst and hiskashrus. On the one hand, he needs to know that the concealment and withdrawal are only external, superficial because a father does not leave his children and a teacher does not ignore his students. On the other hand, the student needs to be in a mode of focusing his bond to and thirst for his teacher, as much and more so as he would be during the time of actual learning, as a preparation for the next shiur with the Geula shleima!
We Chassidim have to apply this same perspective to the time since Gimmel Tammuz 5754. The Rebbe did not abandon his flock and the time we are in now is (only) a time of preparation. We need to always remember and remind others that the concealment and withdrawal are only external. In truth, the Rebbe is with us just as always. Furthermore, we need to stand firm in our hiskashrus and soul thirst to see the Rebbe again with the Geula shleima!
TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY
We will end with the well-known story about Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Schwei a’h, member of the Crown Heights Beis Din. It was the end of the World War II and a nine-year-old Lubavitcher boy was sent by his widowed mother to learn in the one yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim that existed in the Soviet Union, in distant Samarkand. A long period of time went by and the mother was able to realize her dream and move to live near her son. This was not a small thing in those days.
How surprised she was when she arrived to see her son waiting at the station! Back then, there was no way of calling to let him know she was on her way.
She asked her son, how did you know to wait at the train station? He said that when they parted, she had promised to come and visit him. Every time a train came from her location, he went to wait for her to fulfill her promise.
The Rebbe promised and he will keep his promise!
Good Shabbos!
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