Rabbi's Corner

This week's parashah, Parashat Terumah, contains the following verse: "The poles shall remain in the rings of the Aron (Ark); they may not be removed from it."  Like several other vessels of the Mishkan (the wilderness Tabernacle), the Aron had poles attached to it.  However, unlike these other vessels, there was something very unique about the poles of the Aron.  In Masekhet (Tractate) Yoma of the Talmud Bavli (the Babylonian Talmud) we are told that the poles of the Aron had to be installed on the Aron even before the Luchot (the Tablets) were placed inside of it.  Just what is the reason as to why the poles always had to remain on the Aron?  We can find the answer to this question in the story as related to a colleague of mine by Captain Joe Goldman, a Delta Airlines pilot.

  "I was once flying a red-eye from California to New York.  Since I decided to stretch my legs, I got up and walked around the plane.  I felt a sense of pride as I observed almost all the passengers sleeping peacefully as if they felt very secure that I was flying the plane.  I noticed, however, toward the back of the plane there was a passenger with his overhead light on.  'Why was he not taking advantage of sleeping on this flight?' I wondered.  I went back to where he was sitting and was surprised to see a young Jewish man bent over a volume of Talmud silently reading its words.

Even though I had been raised religious, I had long ago abandoned the mitzvot and adopted a totally secular lifestyle.  I simply saw no value or relevance of the Torah believing that it was something you kept on the shelf at home.  But this yeshiva student showed me how wrong I was.  He was not cramming for an exam or preparing for an interview.  He was simply studying HaShem's wisdom.  He was living proof that the Torah is not confined to any one place; the Torah accompanies the Jewish people wherever we go.  Perhaps this yeshiva student was doing more to keep the passengers safe and secure through his studying Talmud than we who were at the controls in the cockpit could ever do!"

HaShem gave us the Torah in order that it accompany us wherever we may be going and whatever we may be doing.  The poles of the Aron must remain attached to its side so that it (the Aron) is constantly ready for transport.  We, the People Israel, must be ready to take the Torah with us wherever we may be as well.