The relationship of Hashem and the Jewish people is likened to that of a husband and a wife.
During Golus, the Megillah of Eicha describes the Jewish people as being like a widow. Our sages explain that the intent is that we are not truly widowed, but rather we are “like a widow”, like a woman whose husband has left to travel overseas.
On one level of this relationship, the sins that brought about the Churban created a deep fracture. As a result, Hashem’s presence departed, the Jewish people were being exiled from their marital home and the marital home — the Beis Hamikdash itself was going to be destroyed.
Yet, hidden in the Holy of Holies at this very moment, before ‘leaving on a journey’, Hashem’s deep love for his bride shone deeper than ever. In the embrace of the Keruvim, Hashem was fulfilling His own Halacha to spend intimate time with the Jewish people before leaving.
Because of our sins there had to be a separation. But this fracture was only on the external level of our relationship. Hashem’s eternal, essential and deepest love for the Jewish people is always there, and this love was revealed in those moments.
The Kabbalists teach that the greater the love between husband and wife at the time of conception, the more lofty the Neshama that is drawn down.
We have a tradition that on the day of Tisha B’av, at the moment of the Churban itself, the Neshama of Moshiach was born. The Neshama of Moshiach is the most lofty Neshama that has ever existed.
Reb Pinchas of Koritz explains that this Neshama was conceived through the deep spiritual union embodied in those Keruvim and the deep love that it represented.
After conception, hidden inside the womb, the fetus grows and develops, finally emerging to a state of revelation at birth.
The conception of Geulah began nearly 2000 years ago in the privacy of the Holy of Holies. Ever since, it has been developing and growing as we draw closer to its birth. The Geulah is now long overdue and ready to emerge.
The two golden Keruvim which stood on top of the Aron Hakodesh, reflected the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people.
The Gemara teaches that when the Jewish people were faithful to Hashem and kept His Torah and Mitzvos, the Keruvim would face one another. This was a physical display of Hashem’s love and closeness towards the Jewish people. But when we were not following in Hashem’s way, the Keruvim would turn their backs on each other, showing a distance and displeasure.
When the Jewish people would be Oleh L’regel for the festivals, the Kohanim would draw back the curtain of the Holy of Holies, showing the Jewish people the Keruvim and saying “see how beloved you are to Hashem.”
Elsewhere, the Gemara describes how when the non-Jews entered to destroy the Beis Hamikdosh, they found two Keruvim intertwined in an intimate embrace, like the deep love between husband and wife. They ridiculed the Jewish people for what they understood to be an immodest image.
(The commentators point out that since the Aron had already been hidden prior to the destruction, these were other decorative Keruvim and not the Keruvim from the cover of the Aron).
The fact that the Keruvim were not just facing one another but were embracing, illustrates an incredibly powerful love and closeness between Hashem and His people. And when did this take place? As the Temple was being destroyed and the Jewish people were about to be sent into exile because of their terrible sins.
The first Beis Hamikdash was destroyed on account of the terrible sins of idolatry, murder and sexual immorality. How could it be that at this time, when the Jewish people were being punished and banished for their sins, the Keruvim were in the most intimate of positions?
The great Chassidic Master, the Bnei Yissaschar, writes that this very question was posed to the Maggid of Mezritch by his Talmidim.
The Maggid responded quoting a Halacha from Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah, based on the Gemara in Mesechta Yevamos. The halacha obligates a man to spend intimate time with wife before leaving on a journey. The reason for this obligation is because the time of separating is a time of heightened love and closeness, which the husband is obligated to requite.
