What were the Keruvim?
Rashi, Ramban, R. Bachye #1, Seforno (in Pasuk 20), Rashbam #2 (both citing Succah, 5b) and Seforno: They were (golden) angels 1 with wings and with the face of a child 2 3 2.
Rashbam #1: A large species of winged bird. 4
Seforno #1: They were (golden) angels with wings and a human face ? one of a male, the other, of a female. 5
Seforno #2: They were the Seichel of a human-being, which strives to know Hashem and to attain perfection.
Ramban: They were similar to the angels that Yechezkel saw in his vision of the Merkavah, which he specifically refers to as 'Keruvim' - in Yechezkel, 10:20.
Ramban and R. Bachye: As a matter of fact, the word "Keruvim" really reads 'ke'Ravya', like children See also Sifsei Chachamim and Ba'al ha'Turim. R. Bachye: The word ought realy to be 'Ruvim', and the Torah adds the 'Kaf' which stands for 'Kisei' and for 'Kavod' ? as if to say that they served as the Throne of Glory for the Shechinah, as the Navi writes in Yechezkel 10:19 "u'Chevod Elokei Yisrael aleihem mi'Lema'alah".
Chagigah, 13b: Because on Bavel, they call children 'Ravya'.
As in Yechezkel, 28:14.
See R. Bachye ? page 270 ? who ascribes the concept of male and female to the two Luchos and elaborate.
Why does the Torah write "Shenayim Keruvim " and not "Sh'nei"?
R. Bachye: Whenever the Torah writes "Sh'nei" it means that they are exactly the same, 1 which is not the case here since one of them had the face of a male, the other, of a female. 2 And it is to indicate that they were to be formed as a couple (and not as two individuals) that the Torah writes "Shenayim". 3
Seeing as the minimum of plural is two anyway. See for example, Ki Sisa, Sh'mos, 31:18 and Pinchas Bamidbar, 28:9.
See R. Bachye.
See Torah Temimah, note 23, from DH 've'Ayein', who queries this and elaborates.
What is the significance of the two Keruvim? What role did they play?
Ramban (in Pasuk 21) and R. Bachye #1 (in Pasuk 10, citing Pirkei de'R. Eliezer) 1 : They corresponded to the Ma'aseh Merkavah which Yechezkel saw, where the angels ? Tif'eres and Kavod - supported the Kisei ha'Kavod. 2 3
R. Bachye #2 (in Pasuk 10): They hint at the Nefesh (the physical soul) and Seichel (Chochmas ha'Torah). 4
R. Bachye #3 (in Pasuk 10): They symbolize the angels that receive the Spirit of Hashem (with reference to prophecy) - to form the point of direct communicaton with Moshe.irectly from Hakadosh-Baruh-Hu. 5
R. Bachye #4 (citing the Rambam (in Moreh Nevuchim): They serve as testimony that angels exist ? which we are obligated to believe, 6 just as we are obligated to believe in the existence of Hashem.
R. Bachye #5 (citing Yoma 54a): They were two angels in the form of a male and female ? to demonstrate the love of Hashem towards Yisrael ? like the love of a man and a woman, 7 and his intimate relationship with them without a medium. 8 9
R. Bachye #6 (in Pasuk 18, citing Succah 5b): They were two angels in the shape of a male, one in the shape of a man, the other, of a boy ? to demonstrate the love of Hashem towards Yisrael, like that of a father towards his son. 10
R. Bachye #7 (in Pasuk 18): It was from between the two Keruvim that Hashem s would speak with Moshe.
R. Bachye #8 (in Pasuk 39, citing R. Chananel): The Aron symbolized the Tzadikim, the lid, the prophets, the Keruvim, the Mal'achim, who spread their wings upwards towards Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu but who looked downwards; 11 The Shulchan symbolized the kings, the Menorah, the Chachmei Yisrael, the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav, the Kohanim nd the MIzbe'ch ha'Nechoshes, the people, 12
See R. Chavel's footnotes note 85.
R. Bachye (ibid.): Though in fact, it was the Kisei ha'Kavod which supported them!
Refer also to 25:20:
Refer to 25:18:3.1:1 and See R. Bachye who elaborates.
Refer also to 25:20: 151:3.
R. Bachye, ibid.: Because the angels convey the power of Seichel and place the words of prophecy in the mounths of the prophets ? Otherwise there would be no prophey, and if there would be no prophecy there would be no Torah either.
See R. Bachye, citing Yoma and R. Chavel's footnotes DH 'ke'Ish ha'Me'urah ... '.
R. Bachye: As the Torah writes in Devarim 32:121 "Hashem Badad Yanchenu ve'Ein Imo Eil Acher" - as opposed to the other nations, whom He leads via their guardian angel.
R. Bachye: This is also to teach us to Daven to Hashem directly and not to a medium ? since the Aron and the Keruvim were placed in the Kodesh Kodshim ?'the pile towards which every mouth turns in prayer' ? B'rachos 30a.
See R. Bachye, who elaborates, merging the previous answer with this one.
R. Bachye, ibid.: Because they were not permitted to see Him.
See R. Bachye, on page 284, for more details.
Why did there have to be two Keruvim?
Refer to 25:18:2.1:1 & 5.
R. Bachye #1 (citing the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim): So that people should not Chas ve'Shalom think that it is an image of Hashem. 1
R. Bachye #2: With reference to 25:18:2.1:1 ? because they are synonymous with the Chayos ha'Kodesh. 2 3
R. Bachye #3 (according to Kabalah): The two Keruvim in the Mishkan and the Mishkan correspond to 'Kol and Eish' (Tif'eres and Kavod [Malchus]) 4 which they saw on Har Sinai 5 - the first and last Midos, corresponding to Chesed and Din repectively. 6
Seforno: With reference to 2:18:1:5 ? because the level of perfection towards which one person strives differs from that of his fellow, so that no two Sichlim are alike, and each one strives to know Hashem at a different level than the next one.
Ba'al ha'Turim: The Gematriya of 'Sh'nei Keruvim eqals that of 'Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov' ? to evoke the merit of the three Avos. 7 .
See R. Bachye ? on page 274 ? citing the Rambam.
See R. Bachye on p. 276, who bases this on the Rambam's interpretation of the Keruvim.
R. Bachye: In spite of the fact that Yechezkel discusses four Chayos and the Keruvim were only two ? they were all really one Chayah , as the Navi writes in Yechezkel 10:20. See R. Bachye who goes on to discuss the Merkavah in detail.
R. Chavel's footnotes: Refer to 25:18:2.1:1.
As the Torah writes in Devarim 4:26.
See R. Bachye on page 277.
Ba'al ha'Turim: The two Keruvim plus Moshecorespond to the three Avos. The first lettersof "mi'Bein Sh'nei ha'Keruvim" ? in Pasuk 22 spell Moshe'.
What is the meaning of "Mikshah"?
Rashi, Rashbam, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means that the Keruvim were beaten (with a hammer - Rashbam) out of the same lump of gold as the Kapores, 1 and not manufactured independently and soldered on to it later.
As the Torah explains later - in Pasuk 19 (Rashi there).
Why did the Keruvim need to be beaten out of the lid?
R. Bachye (in Pasuk 10): Because the lid represented the Kisei ha'Kavod from which the Seichel emanated and to which it was destined to return ? together with the Nefesh (which it transformed into a Nefesh Sichlis). 1
R. Bachye: In fact, the lid is called 'Kapores' because the Nefesh will only return to its source with a Kaparah (for its sins) and with the Torah that it learned.
How will we reconcile the current Pasuk with the Pasuk in Vayikra, 1:1, which implies that Hashem spoke to Moshe from the Ohel Mo'ed - outside the Paroches?
Rashi (in Nasi, Bamidbar, 7:89): Hashem's Voice came down from Heaven to between the two Keruvim, from where it traveled to the Ohel Mo'ed, which is where Moshe heard it.
Rashi (in 20:20) writes that it is forbidden to make four Keruvim instead of two. But Shlomoh made another two Keruvim (See Melachim 1, 6:23)?
Riva (citing R. Tam of Orleans): The Prohibition applies to making additional Keruvim on the Kapores, 1 whereas Shlomo made the additional Keruvim on the Aron. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: Refer to 5:8:152:1. The two additional Keruvim that Shlomoh made stood on the ground and were not part of the Kapores.
Why can't we similarly answer that the Isur is "Elohei Kesef v'Elohei Zahav", whereas those of Shlomoh ha'Melech were made primarily of wood, only they were overlaid with gold? Bear in mind that the Chachamim permit a wooden Menorah of seven branches (Avodah Zarah 43a)! Perhaps since it looks like solid gold, it is forbidden. (PF)
How did they rest on the Aron? The Kapores covers the Aron! We must say that it rested on the gold outer covering of the Aron. Sukah 4b says that the outer covering extended above the wooden Aron, opposite the Kapores. How could a a gold wall Mashehu thick support the weight of Keruvim? Refer to 25:11:152:1*.
This is problematic, since a Navi only has the authority to negate a Torah ruling temporarily, but not on a permanent basis?
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that the Keruvim had the face of a child. What is the significance of this statement?
Vilna Gaon (Chidushei Agados, Bava Kama Perek 8, Michtav me'Eliyahu 5, p. 460, citing a Midrash): It symbolizes Yisrael, who, in their infancy (shortly after they left Egypt, at Keri'as Yam Suf) were afraid of the Egyptians but trusted implicitly in Hashem. 1 Later, when their trust decreased, so did Hashem's Hashgachah. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: The Keruvim were fashioned from the lid and were part of it (and they looked down at the lid of the Aron which housed the Seifer Torah) - to teach us that the Chinuch of a child should be based entirely on Torah. 3
This can be compared to a young chick, whose mother places food in its mouth, but when it gets older, is able feed itself and no longer relies on its mother; and to a child, who depends totally on Hashem, and there is awesome Hashgachah. When he grows lder, he trusts in himself, and the Hashgachah decreases. See also Torah Teemimah, note 23, who elaborates.
Mishnas R. Aharon 4 p.70: A baby who relies on his mother and on no one else, this arouses love from his mother. Likewise, total reliance on Hashem arouses His desire to fulfill all one's requests.
See Oznayim la'Torah who elaborates. The two Keruvim teach us that one should not learn on one's own, but together with a Chavrusa, as the Gemara teaches in B'rachos, 63b (Oznayim la'Torah). And the Torah writes in Pasuk 22 "Vedibarti itcha me'al ha'Kapores", to teach us that, as long as there are children learning Torah, the Shechinah rests in Yisrael and Hashem speaks with the prophets, but 'If the Tinokos shel Bei Rabban have gone into exile, the Shechinah has gone into exile together with them - Oznayim la'Torah citing the Midrash Rabah.
