In the Torah
portion of Terumah, which generally falls out just before the holiday of Purim,
G-d commands the Jewish people to create a mishkan, a tabernacle, and He will
dwell in their midst. Amongst the furnishings of the mishkan we find detailed
blueprints for the Aron, the Golden Ark, which occupied the Holy of Holies. G-d
tells Moses to form two golden Cherubim with outspread wings to cover the ark,
and to put the Tablets containing the Ten Commandments within.
There are
only two instances in Torah, where the word Cherubim is used: Presently, in
regards to the construction of the Holy Ark, and previously, in the first Torah
portion of Beraishit, when Adam is banished from the Garden of Eden.
The Torah recounts that upon eating the
forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, G-d expelled Adam from the garden and
prevented him from reentering by a guard of destructive angels called Cherubim.
Now, as the Jews are constructing the tabernacle, our sages explain Cherubim to
mean innocent children, etymologically related to the Aramaic word Cheribah,
child.
How can the
same word Cherub have two diametrically opposed meanings?
Precisely
within these two narratives lays our answer. Every child has the capacity to be
angelic or destructive, depending on values he or she is raised with.
Adam’s life
in the Garden of Eden was a life free of toil. It was a life of abundance, with
everything available and accessible to him. G-d withheld just one thing from him,
the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The irrational desire for the one forbidden
thing, drove Adam to his ruin, and created menacing angels.
Everything
has its source in Torah and our sages explain that the source for Haman is
hinted to in the words “Hamin haetz hazeh…” “Have you eaten from this
tree...” referring to the incident of Adam, where he could not control himself
from the one thing that was prohibited to him.
Like Adam, Haman’s
destruction, too, was a result of a lack of self-restraint. He was the second
in command to the Persian king Achashverosh, and possessed the king’s signet
ring, giving him absolute power. Nevertheless, Haman said, “All this means
nothing to me when I see Mordechai the Jew.” Riches and supremacy left him discontented, because
he lacked one thing, the subservience of Mordechai. Consequentially, Haman
became obsessed with schemes to destroy Mordechai, paving the way to his downfall.
The Cherubim
on the Golden Ark, on the other hand, had the faces of angelic children. They
were founded upon the Ark that contained two sets of Tablets. The first pair of
broken Tablets imbued a sense of humility, as they were incomplete, and the
second pair of Tablets included all the explanations and lessons found in Torah.
The contents of the Ark provided the Cherubim with solid base of morality,
humility, and self-discipline.
Today, as
our world enjoys unprecedented bounty, we vividly see the consequences of
unfettered plenty and instant gratification. More people90o than ever are plagued
by addiction, depression and narcissism. If a child does not know the virtues
of restraint, self-control, and satisfaction with what they have, they can grow
to become angels of self-destruction. Conversely, if a child has a strong
foundation of morality, modesty, and restraint, they enjoy contentment,
satisfaction, and peace of mind. When children are taught these important
lessons, they become virtuous angels worthy to grace the Ark in the Holy of
Holies.
