Parashat Terumah

By Rabbi David Shasho: “Make two cherubim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover.”
The Malbim explains the word שְׁנֵי means the same, and the word שְׁנַיִם means different. We see that the Cherubim on the Aron were different, male and female.

We know when Moshe Rabenu wanted to make the Menorah he wasn’t able to. It was too complicated so instead he threw the gold into a fire and it just came out. He did the same thing by the Aron, but the top part of the Aron, the Cherubim, he had to make himself. Why? Couldn’t Hashem do that for him as well? We know that the Cherubim were also made from one solid piece of gold just like the Menorah and the bottom of the Aron was just as difficult.

As we said the Cherubim had children on them, one a boy and one a girl. Hashem was teaching us that you have to work to make your children great. It has to be “hammered” work. You have to do the work. You have to put in the effort to make them great.

Children don’t become great on their own; you need to help them and show them. Many people think they can send their kids to school and that’s enough. Children don’t learn how to become great from school. They watch their parents’ every move and learn from the way they act. Show them the proper way to act and they will learn to act the same way. Show them a bad example and they will follow that as well.

Shabbat Shalom.