Parashat Terumah

Parasha Thoughts

By Rabbi Shlomo Zargari

Shalom,

In the year 1923 there was a great gathering of many leaders and Rabbanim of Europe in the month of Elul. Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, the Rosh HaYeshiva of Keneset Yisrael in Slobodka gave a fiery speech and many parts of this speech had a great effect at that time. One segment was the following: Twice in the Torah we find the word “Keruvim.” In Bereshit (3,24) when Adam was expelled from Gan Eden:

וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת
לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃

“He drove Adam out and stationed the keruvim and the fiery ever turning sword east of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Rashi explains keruvim as destructive angels.

In Shemot (25,18) by the building of the Mishkan, the command is:

וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

“Make two keruvim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover.”

Here Rashi explains “Keruvim” as having the face of a young child.
What’s the reason for the change in the explanation of the same word? The Torah is coming to teach us that when we raise a child properly with Torah and correct behaviors, he can be like an angel hovering over the holy ark. However, when that true Torah upbringing is missing, the child can grow wild and become like a destructive angel… We should all see true nahat from all our children, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom