This week’s parsha begins with the instructions to build the moveable Mishkan (Tabernacle), the “House of G–d” in the desert which eventually gives rise to the permanent place for the House of G-d in Jerusalem.
The central item in the Mishkan was the Aron, Ark, placed in the Holy of Holies and containing the Tablets and the Torah written by Moses. This space was visited only visited by the High-Priest on Yom Kippur.
Atop the Aron, as if guarding it, were two angelic figures with the faces of children. As it says:
“From the lid [of the Ark] you shall make two cherubs at its ends. Their wings shall spread upwards, sheltering the lid with their wings
Quoting the Sages, Rashi notes that the cherubim had the faces of children (Rashi 25:18), one male and one female.
Why the faces of Children?
This brings to mind the teaching of our Sages (Midrash Rabba, Song of Songs 1:4) regarding the Children’s role in guarding the Torah:
Rabbi Meir said: When the Jews stood before Sinai to receive the Torah, G‑d said to them: “I swear, I will not give you the Torah unless you provide worthy guarantors who will assure that you will observe its laws.”
The Jews responded, “Master of the world, our forefathers will be our guarantors!”
“Your guarantors themselves require guarantors!” was G‑d’s reply.
“Master of the world,” the Jews exclaimed, “our prophets will guarantee our observance of the Torah.”
“I have grievances against them, too. ‘The shepherds have rebelled against Me’ (Jeremiah 2:8),” G‑d replied.
“Bring proper guarantors and only then will I give you the Torah.”
As a last resort, the Jews declared, “our children will serve as our guarantors!”
“They truly are worthy guarantors,” G‑d replied. “Because of them I will give the Torah.
The scholars, the righteous men and women of our past, those who do acts of kindness were not enough.
Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik (Insights of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Saul Weiss pg. 20) provides a fascinating insight regarding the aspect of childhood as it relates to the service of God of an adult: :
“A strange polarity characterizes the world of authentic Judaism. It swings like a pendulum between the two ideals of maturity and childishness. The great man, whose intellect has been raised to a superior level through the study of Torah, is gifted with well developed, overflowing powers of depth, scope, and sharpness but should not be viewed as entirely as an adult. The soul of a child still nestles within him. On the one hand, he is knowledge-sated, strong of intellect, rich in experience…On the other hand, he remains the young and playful child; naïve curiosity, natural enthusiasm…and spiritual restlessness have not abandoned him.
If a man has aged and become completely adult, if the morning of his life has passed him by and he stands in spirit and soul at his high noon, bleached of the life dew of childhood, if he has grown up completely, in thinking, in feeling…he cannot approach God. The adult is too clever. Utility is his guiding light. The experience of God is not a business-like affair. Only a child can breach the boundaries that segregate the finite from the infinite. Only the child with his simple faith and fiery enthusiasm can make the miraculous leap into the bosom of God.”
It is worth considering, as one Rabbi of mine would ask: Are you a Child or an Adult? His point was always that though we move beyond childhood, we always retain an aspect that is childlike (that happens to be older than our adult self)
The Lubavitcher Rebbe took it so far to say that: “G-d loves the Jew not for his wisdom or piety, but for his childishness. He loves us because the simplicity of the simple Jew is of a piece with the simple essence of G-d.”
May we access that inner child that is necessary to guarantee and maintain a joyous and sincere relationship to Torah.
Shabbat Shalom!
Shabbat Morning Services
With gratitude to Hashem, we will be having Shabbat morning services this week starting at 9 am.
If you’d like to attend, please RSVP to me at oribergman@gmail.com.
Virtual Classes and Davening
Thursday at 4:30 pm – Judaism’s Life Changing Ideas- Postponed this week-
Friday Kabbalat Shabbat at 4:45 pm
Sunday at 10 am- Diving into the Purim Megillah- please bring your Megillot
Tuesday at 1 pm- Parsha Class
Purim 2021
Thursday, February 25
Fast begins: 5:28 am
Ma’ariv (at Clearfield Gym)- 6:20- RSVP HERE
Megillah Reading- 6:30
Fast Ends- 6:29
Friday, February 26
Shacharit: 7:30 followed by Megillah (around 8 am)- at KOT
Second Megillah Reading: 12 pm
Please RSVP HERE (same link as above)