Naso

 

·        The last sentence in Parsha Naso says: 

·        When Moses came into the Ohel Moed to speak with Hashem, he would hear the voice of Hashem speaking to him from between the two Cruvim above the covering which was over the Aron Kodesh.

 

·        The 6th Mishnah in Messechet Kalim says there are 10 levels of Kedushah:

1.     Eretz Yisroel

2.     Walled cities within Eretz Yisroel

3.     The walled city of Yerushalayim.

4.     The ‘rampart’ inside Yerushalayim

5.     The Ezras Nashim.

6.     The Ezras Yisroel

7.     The Ezras Kohanim

8.     The area between the Mizbeach and the Haichal.

9.     The Haichal.

10. The Kedosh Kedoshim.

·        The Kodosh Kedoshin in the Mishkan and in the Bais Hamikdosh was the holiest place in the world.

·        It was the location of the Schenah during the Mishkan and the first Bais Hamikosh.

 

·        The Gemorah in Succah 5a says that Hashem’s presence never came down to earth below 10 tefachim, because that was the height of the Aron Kodesh in the Mishkan and the Bais Hamikdosh.

·        Inside the Aron Kodesh were the broken Luchos, the Luchos, and eventually a sefer Torah.

·        And on either side of the Aron Kodesh were these two Cruvim, statues of winged creatures.

·        The Gemorah Yuma (54a) says:

·        "When the people of Israel came to the Beit Hamikdash on the 3 Regalim, the Parochet were opened to show the Keruvim hugging each other and they said to Jewish People: 'see how beloved you are to Hashem like the love of a man and a woman.'"

 

·        Who were these Cruvim in the Kedosh Kedoshim in the Mishkan and the Bais Mamikdosh?

·        The Cruvim only appear one other place in the Chumash.

·        The start of the Chumash tells us how Adam and Chava sinned and were banished from Gan Eden.

·        2 Cruvim were posted on guard with swords to prevent anyone from entering Gan Eden.

 

·        Samson Rapheal Hirsch, in talking about Yaakov’s dream of the ladder, suggests why angels were going up and down the ladder.

·        He says that the angels go down into this world to see how we are acting, and then go up to Shamayim to see our ideal selves, and angels compare the two.

·        I want to suggest that the Cruvim were the ideal forms of Adam and Chava, who they were supposed to be.

·        When Adam & Chava – or we, their descendents – are ready to do Tshuva – a word that means to return – the Cruvim will let them (or us) return to Gan Eden – and they (we) will adopt the behavior of the Cruvim, the ideal behaviour of men and women – who we are supposed to be – and we will re-enter Gan Eden.

 

·        The Cruvim are in the two holiest places that ever were.

·        In Gan Eden, where Hashem talked with Adam and Chava.

·        And in the Kedosh Kedoshim, where Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabenu, and where the Schenah rested during the first Bais Hamikdosh.

·        One of the messages of comparing Gan Eden and the Kedosh Kedoshim with the Aron Kodesh and the Luchos is that - is that by learning Torah, we can re-enter Gan Eden.

 

·        Another place that Hashem descended to speak to the Jewish People was on Har Sinai, when He said the Aseret Hadibros.

·        Messechet Shabbos 11b says that when the Jews left Mitzrayim, Hashem said to Moshe “I want to offer to the  Jewish People the special gift of Shabbos that I’ve been saving for the Jewish People since the beginning of time”.

·        We sing Lecha Dodi every Friday evening to welcome the Shabbos Bride, and the implication is that we married Shabbos at Har Sinai.

·        It says at the end of Messechet Shabbos that he who keeps Shabbos is like he keeps the whole Torah. 

·        So it’s like the Jewish People marrying the Torah.

 

·        So Har Sinai is another intensely holy place where Hashem rested His presence.

·        It is just like a Chupah – where the Jewish people were married to Shabbos, which is symbolic of being connected to the whole Torah.

·        Chazal say that at Matan Torah, the Jewish people had the status of Adam and Chava before the Chet

 

·        So we have 3 images that bear a strong resemblance to each other.

·        3 places of intense Kedushah where Hashem came down from Shamayim to rest His Presense.

·        Gan Eden with the Cruvim

·        The Kodosh Kedoshim with the Cruvim.

·        And Matan Torah where the Jewish people committed themselves to Shabbat and  the Torah, just like the 2 Cruvim, making vows to each other to commit themselves to each other.

 

·        So we come to the 4th place of intense Kedushah, that bears a resemblance to the other 3.

·        And that is an actual Chupah.

·        Here the Choson and Kallah are taking the roles of the Cruvim

·        And the Schenah descends from Shamayim and rests on top of the Chupah.

 

·        That is one reason it is called Kedushin – is that it is a place of intense Kedushah.

·        It is said that the Chupah is a place of Kaporah.

·        Hashem forgives the Choson and Kallah of any past transgressions.

·        They are enveloped by the Schenah and its Kedushah.

·        It is said that Tefilot that are made under the chupah after the Kiddushin have a special strength.

 

·        By implication this intense Kedushah of the Chupah is similar to the intense Kedushah of the Gan Eden, the Kedosh Kedoshim, and Matan Torah.

·        The Choson and Kalah symbolize the Cruvim that are Gan Eden and the Kedosh Kedoshim, and the Jewish People committing themselves to Shabbos and the Torah at Har Sinai.

 

·        This is truly an inspiring picture.

·        The next time you go to a Chasunah, have this in mind.

·        That this is a truly holy place – compared to Gan Eden, the Kedosh Kedoshim, and Matan Torah at Har Sinai.

·        The Chasan and Kallah are like Cruvim, the ideal versions of Adam and Chava as they were meant to be.

·        A Chupah is truly an inspiring and holy place to be, on par with Gan Eden, the Kedosh Kedoshim, and Har Sinai.