How were the K'ruvim Set Up

(1) And so the sages (OBM) stated in the context of the cherubs (Bava Batra 99:1): “How were they situated? Rabbi Yokhanan and Rabbi Elazar—one said that they faced each other and one said they faced outward. For the one who said that they faced each other, how does he reconcile it being written ‘and they faced outwards’? It’s not a difficulty. Here it’s when Israel does God’s-Ma-kome will, and there it’s when they do not do God’s-Ma-kome will.” (Refer to RaSh”Y [for more details].) And the one who said that they faced outwards, that it’s written that they faced each other means that they faced to the side, intending to convey: a little to each other and a little outwards—refer to RaSh”Y (OBM). And here it’s impossible to explain it as above (e.g., “here it’s when Israel does...”), that because the essential fact is that they made them face outwards, they shouldn’t have done that, it being a sign that Israel were not doing God’s-Ma-kome will. And this is what Tosafote wrote there in the commentary beginning with the words “to the side”, that plainly they set them up initially as if they were doing God’s-Ma-kome will. Seemingly that would question as to why they initially set Shlomo’s cherubs up to face to the side and not facing each other directly.

(2) And the matter is, as they said in the Chapter Kei-tzad M’vor-khim (Berakhot 35b): “The Rabbis taught about ‘You shall gather in your grain...’ (D’varim 11:14). What does it come to teach us in light of what is written (in Yehoshua 1): ‘This book of the Torah shall not cease from your mouth...’? Could the words be taken literally, to teach: ‘“you shall gather in your grain”—‘behave in them per the ways of the world’—these being Rabbee Yishmael’s words? Rabbee Shim’on Bar Yo-khai said: ‘Is it possible that a person should plow when it’s the season for plowing... what will then become of Torah?’ Rather, when Israel does God’s-Ma-kome will, their labors are performed by others for them...; and when Israel doesn’t do God’s-Ma-kome will, they perform their own labor, as it is said “And you shall gather in your grain...”’.”

(3) It seems surprising to explain the text “you shall gather in your grain...” as applying when [Israel] doesn’t do God’s-Ma-kome will, for just before that is written (D’varim 11:13): “If you are careful to pay heed to my commandments... to love... and to serve Him with your entire hearts/minds.” It was in this context that “and you shall gather in your grain” was stated.

(4) Rather the matter is, that Rabbee Yishmael’s view is definitely not that permission is given to a person to separate himself (heaven forefend) even a short time from being involved with Torah, to be involved [instead] with earning a living, during which time he would be completely lacking involvement with Torah (heaven forefend). However, Rabbi Yishmael hinted in his holy statement: “behave in them per the ways of the world,” to imply “with them” i.e., with the words of Torah—that at the same brief moment and time that you occupy yourself with earning a living to the extent necessary to stay alive, even so, in your thoughts you should be preoccupied only with the words of Torah.

(5) And so did Ravah say to his students: during the months of Nissan and Tishrei they shouldn’t appear before him, shouldn’t come to his Beit Midrash, but certainly Ravah’s students weren’t completely lacking involvement with Torah (heaven forefend) when at their homes during those periods.

(6) And there it is stated that many did per Rabbee Yishmael’s directions and they succeeded, and many did per Rabbee Shim’on Bar Yo-khai’s words and they did not succeed. It says specifically “many” because definitely, for most of the masses it’s nearly impossible that they could dedicate all of their time only to involvement with Torah, to not turn away from it even a brief time for the sake of earning a living sustenance. And about this the sages stated in Avot: “that all Torah that is not accompanied by labor...”. But an individual, if it’s possible for him to only be involved his entire lifetime with his Torah and his service to the One (blessed be His name), the obligation is definitely upon him to not separate even a brief time from Torah and service to earn a living (heaven forefend), in accordance with Rabbee Shim’on Bar Yo-khai’s opinion [*].

(7) And the verse “and you shall gather in your grain...” is found in the context of the section that starts “If you are...” that is stated wholly in the plural, while the verse “and you shall gather...” is stated in the singular. Therefore you should read it that one is not doing God’s-Ma-kome will when he turns himself away even for a moment to earn a living.

(8) Annotation: And for that reason in the first paragraph of the kree-aht sh’ma it’s written “and with all your [singular] resources”, and in parsha “v’ha-ya” it doesn’t say “and with all your [plural] resources”, because the parsha of sh’ma is stated totally in the singular, and an individual who is capable, is required to fulfill “this document of Torah shall not cease from your mouth” (Yehoshua 1:8)—these words are to be taken literally. For that reason it’s stated “and with all your [singular] resources”, defined as with all your financial means, as is stated in Mishna at the end of B’rakhote, intending to convey that one shouldn’t be involved in earning a living at all.

(9) But the parsha v’haya that is stated in the plural form— for the many—it’s almost an imperative to be involved in some minimal way also with earning a living, for that reason its not written there “and with all your [plural] resources.” And even though, according to the opinion of Rabbee Shim’on Bar Yo-khai, this is still not the way and the level that’s the highest of the high, corresponding to the reality of His (blessed be His name) will, even so, for him it’s not a case of (heaven forefend) that by doing this they are not doing God’s-Ma-kome will when they dedicate a small amount of their time to also earn a living. While they are earning a living, their heart/minds are practicing wisdom and are reflecting on words of Torah and fear of God -YHV”H. And for Rabbee Yishmael this is His (blessed be He) primary will regarding the behavior of the public masses, and their argument is about what is His (blessed be He) primary will and the level that’s highest about how the public masses behave.

(10) And it’s known that the cherubs, one of them hints at Him (blessed be His name), and the second at Israel, His chosen. And how close Israel is and how well they cling to Him (blessed be His name) (or the opposite, heaven forefend), this is revealed in the cherubs’ postures, by way of a miracle and wonder. If their faces were faced directly toward Him (blessed be His name), the cherubs too then stood facing each other. Or if they turned their faces away somewhat to the side, so too, the situation was obvious immediately in the cherubs. Or if (heaven forefend) they turned completely away, the cherubs too instantly rotate and turn their faces away from each other completely (heaven forefend).

(11) And also relating to the context relative to which our sages (may their memory be blessed) said (Yoma 54:1) that they would pull aside the curtain [that divided off the Holy of Holies] for those who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the three holidays, and showed them the cherubs who were attached one to the other, and said to them: observe the affection that God-Ma-kome has for you... .

(12) And in T’rooma 152b: “When is she in compassion? He said: during the time when the cherubs turn back... and stare face-to-face, so that when the cherubs stare face-toface, then all of the colors are rectified... just as Israel organizes all of their rectifications toward the Holy One (blessed be He), so everything occurs. And in this way all is put in order... .”

(13) And in the section of Ah-kha-rei (59b, top): “‘When brothers sit...’—For when they would stare face-to-face it is written ‘how good and how pleasant...’; but when the male turns its face away from the female, woe to the world.” And in the Zohar Chaddash, at the end of parshat T’rooma 43a: “When Israel is righteous, the cherubs would cleave to each other face-to-face. And when they would sin, they would turn their faces away from each other... and in this way at that time when Israel was righteous the cherubs faced each other... and via these secrets Israel would know if they were righteous or not... . It is written ‘serve God in joy’, the joy of the two cherubs... when it would settle upon/permeate them they would return to being in joy and the world would return to exist in compassion.” And refer there for more information.

The verse teaches us this: The area below the cherubs is like the area above them; just as the area above the cherubs’ wings, which were spread out in the air, was not used for anything, i.e., it was empty space, so too the area below them was not used for anything and was empty. This supports the opinion of Rabbi Levi, as Rabbi Levi said, and some say it was Rabbi Yoḥanan who said: This matter is a tradition handed down to us by our ancestors: The space occupied by the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubs is not included in the measurement of the Holy of Holies in which it rested, as miraculously it did not occupy any space at all. The Gemara comments: This is also taught in a baraita: When they brought the Ark that Moses crafted into the Holy of Holies in the Temple of King Solomon, even though the total width of the Holy of Holies was only twenty cubits, nevertheless the Ark had ten cubits of empty space between it and the wall in each and every direction. Rabbenai says that Shmuel says: The cherubs stood miraculously and did not occupy any physical space, as it is stated: “And five cubits was one wing of the cherub, and five cubits was the second wing of the cherub; ten cubits from the tip of its wings until the tip of its wings” (I Kings 6:24). Accordingly, the wings of two cherubs, standing side by side, would occupy the entire twenty cubits width of the Sanctuary. But if so, where, in what space, were their bodies standing? Since their wings alone, which protruded from the sides of cherubs’ bodies, occupied twenty cubits, there was no room left in which their bodies could stand. Rather, one must conclude from the verse that the cherubs stood miraculously and did not occupy any physical space. Abaye objects to this proof: But perhaps they stood with their bodies emerging beneath their wings, like chickens, with their wings protruding above them from the same point in the center of their backs. If so, their bodies would stand beneath their wings and would not occupy any additional space. Rava also objects to this proof: But perhaps they stood so that this one was not next to that one and the wings of the two cherubs overlapped, thereby allowing for the additional space occupied by their bodies. Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov also objects to this proof: But perhaps they were standing in a diagonal [ba’alakhsona] alignment from one corner of the Holy of Holies to the diagonally opposite corner. In this way there would be enough space for their bodies and their wings. Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua also objects to this proof: But perhaps the width of twenty cubits stated in the verse refers only to the width at ground level, whereas the room widened at the top and was therefore able to accommodate both their wings and the width of the bodies. Rav Pappa also objects to this proof: But perhaps they were folding their wings somewhat; since their wings were not fully extended they did not actually fill the full twenty cubits of the Sanctuary. Rav Ashi also objects to this proof: But perhaps their wings crossed over one another, so that they did not occupy so much space. § Continuing its focus on the cherubs, the Gemara asks: How were the cherubs standing? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar disagree about this. One says: Their faces were turned one toward the other. And one says: Their faces were turned toward the House, i.e., the Sanctuary. The Gemara asks: But according to the one who says that their faces were turned one toward the other, isn’t it written: “And their faces were toward the House” (II Chronicles 3:13)? How does he explain the meaning of this verse? The Gemara answers: This is not difficult, as their faces miraculously changed directions in reflection of the Jewish people’s relationship to God. Here, when it states that the cherubs faced each other, it was when the Jewish people do the will of God. There, the verse that describes that the cherubs faced the Sanctuary and not toward each other, was when the Jewish people do not do the will of God. The Gemara asks: And according to the one who says they stood as described in the verse: “And their faces were toward the House,” isn’t it written: “With their faces one toward the other” (Exodus 25:20). How does he explain the meaning of this verse? The Gemara answers: They were angled sideways so that they turned both to each other and toward the Sanctuary, as it is taught in a baraita: Onkelos the Convert said that the cherubs were of the form of children, as the verse states: “And in the Holy of Holies he made two cherubim of the form of children; and they overlaid them with gold” (II Chronicles 3:10), and their faces were angled sideways toward the Ark of the Covenant, like a student taking leave of his teacher.