2022/5782
The holiest of the Keilim of the Mishkan also has the strangest Lashon. When being told to make the Aron, Moshe Rabbeinu is told “VeNatata El Ha’Aron Eit Ha’Eidut Asher Etein Eilecha,” “Put the ‘testimony’ that I’ll give to you in the Aron,” then is told how to make the Kaporet, and finally again told “Ve’El Ha’Aron Titein Et Ha’Eidut Asher Etein Eilecha,” “Put the ‘testimony’ that I’ll give to you in the Aron” (Shemot 25:16, 21). Why is the commandment of placing the Luchot in the Aron given twice? Even the great Rashi struggles with this question, saying he doesn’t know why, but suggesting that it is to show that the Luchot should be put in it before putting the Kaporet on. This is a troubling suggestion to Rashi because why would it be repeated after the command to make the Kaporet?
Rav Shlomo Fischer suggests that there are two perspectives on the “Luchot house”. One is that the Ikar is the Kaporet, covering the basis of our religion with the beautiful Keruvim. The other is the Ikar being the Aron itself, an exquisite golden box housing the most remarkable and important objects known to man. This duality sees its expression in the repetition of the commandment to place the Luchot in the Aron, once after the instructions for the Aron itself and once after the instructions for the Kaporet. This also is the reason why the Aron is made of both gold and wood. The wood is to show that from one side, the box itself does not really matter, only the Kaporet on top of it. On the other side, there is a gold box to show that the Aron is the crucial point in its own right.
Why does the Aron have these two sides? It’s more than just that. The commandment for building the Mishkan is “Ve’Asu Li Mikdash VeShachanti Betocham,” “You (pl.) make me a sanctuary and I will dwell among you” (ibid. 8) It is given as a collective commandment. The rest of the Parashah’s commandments are all singular, except one: “Ve’Asu Aron Atzei Shitim,” “You (pl.) make an Ark of Shitim wood” (ibid. 10). It’s given to everyone. Ramban even says that the building of all of the Keilim of the Mishkan is just a Hechsher (preparatory step) for the Avodah (service in the Beit HaMikdash) except for the Aron (which doesn’t have Avodah). The Aron is its own Mitzvah, just like the Mishkan as a whole (Hasagot HaRamban Al Sefer HaMitzvot, Mitzvat Aseh 33). The lesson of the Aron is that there are multiple perspectives to everything, and it’s important to understand them all. Both the views of the Keruvim from up above and from the people are important to fully understand the Aseret HaDibrot. This is so important that there is one Mitzvah to build the Aron and Kaporet to ensure that while the two perspectives exist, they are merged to create a house for our fundamental beliefs.