- The Ark's Poles
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- What is the purpose of haftoras Pekuday teaching that the Cherubim
not only covered the Ark with their wings, but they also covered the
poles of the Ark? What is derived from this? Additionally, what may be
derived from the command (Exod. 25:15) that the Ark's poles are never
to be removed? Lastly, what may be derived from the order of the Ark's
assembly, (Exod. 40:20) "he (Moses) placed the Tablets into the
Ark, he placed the poles on the Ark and he placed the Kapores (Ark
cover) on the Ark"? Shouldn't the poles be last, as the Kapores
should most certainly be prior, as it is more essential than the
poles?
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- I believe the answer to all these questions is one concept, that is,
that the Ark has no "destination" i.e., the Temple. The Ark
outweighs the Temple in importance, as the Ark houses the Law - mans'
main pursuit in life. Suggesting that the Ark has found 'purpose' in
something else, attributes greater import to something other than the
Ark itself. This is as if to say that a higher purpose in the Ark has
been realized by the Ark's arrival in the Temple. This is not so.
Torah study must always claim top priority for man. To demonstrate
that the Ark has not 'come to finally rest' in the Temple, the poles
are never to be removed. This informs us that the Ark which houses the
law must be the central focus of the Temple - counter intuitive to
what we would expect of such a marvelous structure.
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- This is why Moses inserted the poles prior to covering the Ark, to
demonstrate that the poles of all other objects are merely for
transport. But the Ark's poles are integrally tied to the Ark's
purpose and designation. Moses therefore displayed the pole's
essential character, giving them prominence by inserting them even
prior to covering the Ark with the Kapores. This also explains the
passage in the haftora that the Cherubim not only covered the Ark with
their wings, but they also covered the poles.
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