This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein.
It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmothers Channah Freidel Bas Sarah, and Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-And all of the Cholei Yisrael, especially those suffering from COVID-19 and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
בס”ד
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Parsha Paradise/פרשה פרדס – Terumah: What are “Cheruvim”? ???♂️???❤️???
We assume that they were types of angels based on how we’ve been taught and based on sketches we’ve seen from our childhood, but what in fact were they and what was their purpose?
P’shat:
Rashbam [to Shemos 25:18] suggests that Cheruvim resembled birds but with child faces.
The Gemara indicates, seemingly Al Pi P’shat, that the word Cheruvim is a derivative of the Aramaic word for child, “K’Raviya” (lit., like a child) [Succah 5B, Chagigah 13B].
Ibn Ezra, however, suggests that while Mesorah indicates that the Cheruvim on the Aron had childrens’ faces, Al Pi P’shat, the word “Cheruvim” more broadly connotes “forms,” possibly of all kinds of creatures.
(The Gemara’s derivation of the word “Cheruvim” could be understood as a non-literal Drashah.)
Remez:
Ba’al HaTurim has a number of observations and Remazim [Ibid 24:18-22]. We’ll mention a couple of them.
He first comments that the two Cheruvim atop the Aron with their faces positioned “Ish El Achiv,” a man toward his friend, resemble a pair of friends engaged in Divrei Torah.
He also comments that the words, “Shnei HaCheruvim” (“The two Cheruvim”), in Gematria (numerical value), equals “Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov” (“Im HaKollel,” i.e. off by one). Apparently, in this way, the Cheruvim were meant to invoke our Zechus Avos (patrilineal merit).
(The names of the Avos equal 638, one more than the two Cheruvim which equal 637, perhaps suggestive that the Avos transcended the angels; after all, Yaakov did battle with an angel and succeeded.)
To bolster this Remez, Ba’al HaTurim points out that the two Cheruvim and Moshe Rabbeinu together, form a trio corresponding to the Avos, explaining that Moshe should be included as Hashem spoke to Moshe, “מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים”-“from between the two Cheruvim,” the Roshei Teivos (abbreviation) of which spells out none other than “Moshe” [משה].
Drash:
The Gemara in Yoma [74A] depicts the faces of the Cheruvim as those of a boy and girl, symbolic of the pristine combination of innocence on the one hand and marital unity on the other.
Sod:
Perhaps tying several of the above explanations together, Zohar [1:1B] explains that the sound of children engaged in Torah study “sustains the world and causes the Avos to appear.” He adds that the world is only sustained for their sake and cites a Pasuk in Shir HaShirim [1:11] in deference to these children; “תּוֹרֵי זָהָב נַעֲשֶׂה לָךְ”-“Golden necklets we will make for you.” Zohar elaborates that this verse is a reference to the children and young men, citing the Cheruvim as his source with a parallel verse from our Parsha; “וְעָשִׂיתָ שְׁנַיִם כְּרוּבִים זָהָב”-“And you shall make two golden Cheruvim” [Shemos 25:18].
We should be Zocheh to derive all the benefits of the Cheruvim, from Pilpul Chaveirim, to Zechus Avos, to Shalom Bayis, to the sound of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren engaged in Torah learning and eventually the return of the original Cheruvim with Binyan Bayis Shlishi and the coming of Moshiach, Bimheirah BiYomeinu! Have a Great Shabbos!
-Yehoshua Shmuel Eisenberg