The obvious question that everybody on the planet asks is: “aren’t the KERUVIM-the angel like statues on the ARON a form of idol worship?”
Even if the Jews of that time period were 100% believers, wouldn’t it still be putting a stumbling block in front of a blind man, considering that this was the number one temptation of that time period?
Boy, the KERUVIM sure seem to go against a prime directive of “do not make for yourself any carved idols or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above or here on earth below” (Shemot 20:4). We all know how our forefather, Avraham, broke all the idols in his father’s store. Then he placed the hammer into the hand the the biggest idol and when his father came in, Avraham simply pointed to the last remaining idol, and said he did it!
Speaking of Avraham, we find a similar incident. What made the test of the AKAIDA (G-d told Avraham to slaughter his beloved son) more difficult was that all his life he was preaching to the world “it’s not proper to sacrifice your children to your gods” and here he is, Mr. self-righteous doing the same!
Similarly, the Romans ridiculed us after they conquered and destroyed our Temple. They brought out the KERUVIM and said “look they worship idols just like we do, they are no different”.
The Abarbanel explains that images were only forbidden if it was the intention to worship them.
The KUZARI explains regarding the sin of the Golden calf that the Israelites did not deny G-d’s existence rather they only wanted to make their worship of Him more concrete.
Interestingly, G-d issued two commandments regarding engraved images that seem to contradict each other. This is reminiscent of the Talmudic dictum that “whatever the Torah forbade, it made permissible by other means”. Thus, when G-d said “do not make for yourself carved idols” He also said “make two KERUVIM”. Likewise, one is prohibited to marry the wife of his deceased brother, but is commanded to do so if he dies childless. We are forbidden to wear any garments made of wool and linen, but the next verse states “make yourself tzitzit on the four corners of your garment” and these garments may wool even if the corners are linen. The Torah states that “those who violate the Shabbat shall be killed”, yet He commands “On the Shabbat day, a two year old lamb without a blemish shall be brought”. Such an offering involves acts that violate the Shabbat.
All of the above do not come close to the wonderment expressed regarding the commandment of placing the KERUVIM on top of the ARON which mimics idol worship. It sounds heretical, but mustn’t we ask-“what was G-d thinking?”
Perhaps that’s exactly the point. We have no authority or right to probe into something that G-d did not provide us answers for. We just have to follow the commandment and do G-d’s will. We tend to forget the proper outlook we should have; our religion is a belief. That’s the challenge. Belief comes from the heart. So one should not say “HEY MAN PROVE IT”. We answer to him ” WELL CHABIBI HOW DO YOU FEEL?”
Still, the KERUVIM remain one of the most perplexing mysteries in our religion.
This Dvar Torah is the fruit of a quick conversation had with Rabbi Lenny Bromberg plus some thoughts culled from the Nachshoni.
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