How Does Rashi Know When “Keruvim” Refers to Small Children and When It Refers to Sword-Wielding Forces of Devastation?
Hashem commanded Moshe to make two keruvim [cherubim] on top of the Aron, one on each end. Rashi explains that these keruvim had the faces of small children. However, this imagery is difficult to reconcile with one of Rashi’s earlier comments. In Parshas Bereishis, after Adam and Chava sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, Hashem exiled them from the Garden of Eden.
To ensure they would not attempt reentry, Hashem placed keruvim wielding fiery swords at the gate (Bereishis 3:24). Rashi writes that these keruvim were angels of destruction. If so, how could he say that the keruvim in Parshas Terumah looked like infants, who are considered paragons of innocence and purity?
The following amusing story will help us appreciate the answer to this question.
On the first day of classes, a Hebrew school teacher wanted to assess the knowledge and skill level of the children in her new class. She began by asking, “Who knows the translation of ‘Baruch Atah Hashem’?” Every hand went up, and the student she called on correctly answered, “Blessed are You, Hashem.” Next the teacher asked, “Who knows the translation of ‘Shema Yisroel’?” They all raised their hands again, and she chose a student who properly responded, “Hear, O Israel.”
Impressed with their knowledge, the teacher decided to ask one more question. “Who knows the translation of ‘Amen’?” This time, she was met with bewildered expressions. Only one hand went up. The teacher called on the student, who eagerly declared, “That’s an easy one. The translation of ‘Amen’ is ‘Cong’.”
After getting over her initial confusion, the teacher chuckled when she realized the student’s mistake. The word “Cong” is short for “Congregation,” and it is often printed in the siddur next to the word “Amen” to indicate that the congregation should collectively respond “Amen” at this point in the prayer service. Seeing this in the siddur without understanding what it meant led the student to erroneously assume that it was the English translation of the word “Amen.”
In light of this entertaining anecdote about the innocence of children, we can appreciate the answer given by Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein to reconcile Rashi’s apparently contradictory comments. Parshas Terumah is discussing the keruvim in the Mishkan, where they were placed on top of the Aron. By attaching them to the sefer Torah and Luchos contained therein, the keruvim remained wholesome cherubs that resembled pure babies, as demonstrated by the naïve student in the story. However, when we separate children from the Torah, they become sword-wielding forces of devastation, as any parent can testify. (R’ Ozer Alport)
