Back to the Luchos
Let’s take a (short) trip back to Parshas Ki Tisa — back to the moment when everything is finished. When all was said and done, what did G-d do? He gave Moshe the Luchos.
Now, let’s return to our Parsha when nothing was finished and nothing yet commanded. In essence, to the beginning. Yes, I know that the absolute beginning are the donations. The true beginning is when Am Yisrael collectively — albeit by individual volition — donate all the materials for the Mishkan.
But then, once we have all the “stuff”, everything that we need to start building the Mishkan, what is the first item mentioned before any other?
It is the Aron. And that is interesting.
After all, it need not be so. Why not start with the foundation — with the boards and the bases that hold up the boards. Why not start with the structure of the Mishkan and then move to the vessels?
The Torah could have done that, but it didn’t. Instead, it started with the keilim (the vessels) — and not just any vessel, but the Aron.
And what is it that goes inside the Aron? Yes, I know above we said it is the Torah.
But even if the Torah is inside the Aron, it is not there by itself:
וְנָתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
Shemos · 25:16And you shall put into the Aron the testimony that I will give you.
The “testimony”. What is the testimony? The Luchos, as we saw before in Parshas Ki Tisa:
וַיִּתֵּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בְּהַר סִינַי שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת לֻחֹת אֶבֶן כְּתֻבִים בְּאֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים
Shemos · 31:18And He gave to Moshe (when he finished speaking with him on Har Sinai) the two testifying tablets — stone tablets, written by the finger of G-d.
In other words, the Mishkan begins with the Luchos and it ends with the Luchos. It begins with the Aron which houses the Luchos and it ends with the actual giving of those Luchos.
I know, I know — we are looking for the Torah and the Mitzvah. And I know that we still have not found them.
But this is what we have found. We have found that the Aron HaKadosh houses the Luchos and (eventually) will also house the Torah itself.
Or, alternatively, it houses the Luchos on the inside and will hold the Torah on the outside.
Either way, one Aron — two of the three promises. I think we are on to something. But we still have to look further.
And that something won’t be found inside of the Aron. But it will be found on top of it.
The Kruvim
The Aron HaKadosh is remarkable. Obviously I have never seen it, but I can see its beauty nonetheless. It is described meticulously in the Chumash and the details are quite stunning.
Gold plated (with pure gold) inside and out. A gold crown surrounding it. Gold rings on its sides. And a cover made of pure gold.
And on top of this cover (the kapores) are two Kruvim also made of gold. Indeed, made of the very same gold as the covering itself.
We have seen Kruvim before.
We saw them in Gan Eden, when man was expelled from the garden:
וַיַּשְׁכֵּן מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן עֵדֶן אֶת הַכְּרֻבִים וְאֵת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים
Bereishis · 3:24He placed the Kruvim east of Gan Eden, with a revolving fiery sword, to guard the path to the Eitz HaChaim (the tree of life).
The tree of life — eitz hachaim. What is the tree of life?
In Gan Eden, I don’t know. Today, though, I have an idea. Not my idea, Shlomo HaMelech’s idea.
The Tree of Life
Mishlei is a difficult sefer — but that difficulty is worthwhile.
Let us note its beginning. Here Shlomo HaMelech tells us that he will write a book of proverbs and parables — what he calls meshalim.
A mashal is a type of example. Let me focus your attention on something that you understand and use that as a means for you to understand something that you do not understand.
A stitch in time saves nine. If I use one stitch now, while a tear is small, I’ll save myself the trouble of having to use nine stitches later, when the tear is big.
In short, nip the problem in the bud.
Of course, this phrase is not really about sewing, but rather about life. There are many “tears” that need “sewing”. Take care of them now, don’t wait until the problem is much worse.
So that is the heart of Sefer Mishlei, examples from every day life designed to teach something larger than the example itself.
Now, what is that larger something that Shlomo HaMelech wants us to learn. He has a list. We’ll focus on the first item on the list:
לָדַ֣עַת חׇכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר
To know wisdom and restraint (aka musar).
We’ll ignore the restraint part for now. It’s the wisdom that interests us.
What does Shlomo HaMelech have in mind when he speaks about chachma (חכמה) — which I translated as wisdom?
I’m not sure. But may I note the following. In one of the last speeches he ever gave to the nation, Moshe Rabbeinu tells Am Yisrael to keep and observe the statutes and judgments he has taught them:
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ כִּ֣י הִ֤וא חׇכְמַתְכֶם֙ וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הָעַמִּ֑ים
Devarim · 4:6Keep and observe them, for that is your chachma and your understanding in the eyes of the nations.
The nations, he says, will look at us and declare:
רַ֚ק עַם־חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן הַגּ֥וֹי הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּֽה
Devarim · 4:6Surely a wise and understanding people is this great nation.
And what makes us wise? What are these statutes and judgments? They are:
כְּכֹל֙ הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את
This entire Torah.
There is some essential connection between the Torah and its chukim and mishpatim that are wise and which give us chachma.
Is this what Shlomo HaMelech had in mind? Seems possible. Indeed, there are other proofs, but for now this will suffice.
Let’s continue in Mishlei. A few verses later:
שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃
Mishlei · 1:8My son, listen to the instruction of your father and do not forsake the Torah of your mother.
This is line eight of Sefer Mishlei (still the first chapter) and we finally have our first mention of the word Torah. But it’s not just any old mention, there’s another word hiding there in plain sight: מוסר (musar). The same “musar” that we found in the third verse alongside chachma.
All in all, there seems to be a close connection between wisdom (chachma) and Torah in Sefer Mishlei — and with both of them and musar.
And it is in this light that we take a look at the third chapter of Mishlei. Which begins with a reference to the Torah:
בְּ֭נִי תּוֹרָתִ֣י אַל־תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י יִצֹּ֥ר לִבֶּֽךָ
Mishlei · 3:1My son, do not forget my Torah, and let your heart keep my Mitzvos.
Here we have Shlomo HaMelech speaking as G-d’s messenger — enjoining them to not abandon His Torah (see Rashi to Mishlei, 4: 2).
Now, why should we not forget G-d’s Torah? Because the Torah will lengthen our days, grant us years of life and give us peace:
כִּ֤י אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים וּשְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּ֑ים וְ֝שָׁל֗וֹם יוֹסִ֥יפוּ לָֽךְ
Mishlei · 3:2Because they will lengthen your days and grant you years of life, and they will give you peace.
Thus starts the first section of the third chapter.
Let’s move on to section two and its opening line:
מוּסַ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה בְּנִ֣י אַל־תִּמְאָ֑ס וְאַל־תָּ֝קֹ֗ץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּֽוֹ׃
Mishlei · 3:11My son, do not reject the musar of Y-K-V-K, and do not despise His rebuke.
Torah, then musar. Interesting.
Want to make a guess what word appears in the third section of the third chapter:
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה בְּחׇכְמָ֥ה יָסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃
Mishlei · 3:19Y-K-V-K with chachma laid the foundation of the earth; and built the heavens with bina.
Torah > musar > chachma.
I think they are connected.
And with that said, let us return to the second section, the one that starts with musar — and note its transition to chachma:
אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חׇכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃
Mishlei · 3:13Fortunate is the man who finds chachma, and the man who acquires understanding.
Chachma and understanding. The same chachma and understanding that G-d used to lay the foundation of the earth and build the heavens.
This chachma is more valuable than silver and fine jewels. The length of days are in its right hand. It is a tree of life for all who take possession of it.
A tree of life. Eitz HaChaim.
The Torah is a Tree of Life.
And now, my mind races back. Not to the Garden of Eden, but to the waters of Marah. To the time that the Jewish people first travelled in the desert. When they were in need of water. They had travelled for three days — and found no water.
No water means no life.
But then, they make their way to Marah. And finally, water. Life itself, right in front of them. But, alas, it is bitter. They cannot drink it.
Bitter water means no life.
But Hashem instructs them. He shows them. He מורה them.
וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ יְהֹוָה֙
And Y-K-V-K showed them.
Look at the root. It is the same root as the word Torah.
What does He instruct them in? What does He show them? What is He מורה them?
About a tree.
וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ יְהֹוָה֙ עֵ֔ץ
And Y-K-V-K showed them a tree.
A tree which sweetens the waters when you throw it into the waters.
וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ יְהֹוָה֙ עֵ֔ץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם
Shemos · 15:25And Y-K-V-K showed them a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were sweetened.
A tree of life! Sweet waters means life.
But this is the key — this is what makes this story so telling. What happens next? Once the waters are sweetened? Once they can drink water and live. What does Moshe (or is it Hashem) do?
He gives them some Torah!
שָׁ֣ם שָׂ֥ם ל֛וֹ חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט
There he (or is it He) gave them chok and mishpat.
Do you see how it all comes together? Do you understand why, at that moment, He (or is it he) gives them Chok uMishpat?
Now they can appreciate life. And so now they can appreciate the Torah — which extends life and gives it vitality.
In other words, the Torah is also a tree that makes bitter waters sweet.
Of course, it doesn’t make literal waters sweet. But then again, nipping a problem in the bud doesn’t mend a literal rip in a literal pair of pants either.