Where the Holy Ark
is Located Today
The Rambam begins the fourth chapter of Hilchos
Beis HaBechirah with the following statements:
There was a stone in the western portion of the Holy of
Holies on which the ark was placed.1
Before it, [were placed] the vial of manna and Aharon’s staff.
When Shlomo constructed the Beis [HaMikdash], knowing
that it would ultimately be destroyed, he constructed a place for the ark to be
entombed below [the Holy of Holies] in deep mazelike vaults.
King Yoshiyahu commanded that the ark be entombed in the
chamber which Shlomo had built; as it is written:2 “And he told the Levites3 who were granted understanding above all of Israel
and who were consecrated unto G‑d; ‘Place the holy ark in the chamber built by
Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry it upon your
shoulders. Now, go and serve G‑d, your L‑rd....’ “
Together with [the ark], were entombed Aharon’s staff, the
vial [of manna], and the anointing oil. All of these [sacred articles]
did not return in the Second Beis [HaMikdash].
Similarly, the urim vetumim which were present in the
Second Beis [HaMikdash] did not reply with Divine inspiration, and
questions were not addressed to them...4
The commentaries have raised questions concerning this
passage, because this lengthy historical explanation is out of context for the
Mishneh Torah. Moreover, the fundamental point mentioned by the Rambam,
that the ark was entombed, is a matter of dispute among the
Sages,5 some
maintaining that it was not entombed, but rather taken to Babylonia together
with the other sacred articles from the Beis HaMikdash.
Maintaining the Sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash
Several of our Rabbis6 have attempted to resolve this
difficulty by explaining that the Rambam’s statements concerning the
entombment of the ark are intended to complement the position he states at the
conclusion of Ch. 6 of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah:
Why do I say that the original consecration sanctified the
[Beis Ha]Mikdash and Jerusalem until the future era, while in relation to
the consecration of the remainder of Eretz Yisrael, as regards the
Sabbatical year, the tithes, and other similar [agricultural] laws, [the
original consecration] did not sanctify it for eternity?7
Because the sanctity of the [Beis Ha]Mikdash and of
Jerusalem stems from the Divine Presence, and the Divine Presence can never be
nullified.
These commentaries explain that the Divine Presence rests on
the ark. Accordingly, the eternal sanctification of the site of the Beis
HaMikdash and of Jerusalem is dependent on the constant presence of the ark
on that site.
There are, however, several difficulties with this
resolution. Firstly, it does not explain all the particular details mentioned by
the Rambam in our halachah. Were this the Rambam’s intent,
he could have written merely, “The ark was entombed in its place.”
Moreover, the Rambam’s conception of the
sanctification of the site of the Beis HaMikdash is not necessarily
dependent on the presence of the ark. On the contrary, the Rambam states
that the consecration was brought about by Shlomo at the time of the dedication
of the First Beis HaMikdash without mentioning the need for the constant
presence of the ark. It would appear that the Rambam’s intent is that the
consecration of the Beis HaMikdash came about at the moment the ark was
brought into the Holy of Holies. At that time, this became the resting place for
the Divine Presence and remained so for all time, for “the Divine Presence can
never be nullified.”8
Thus our original difficulty remains unresolved. In addition,
there is a further question which results from considering the order of
Hilchos Beis HaBechirah. In chapter 1, the Rambam explains the basic
principles associated with the construction of the Beis HaMikdash.
Chapter 2 concerns the altar and chapter 3 focuses on the other sacred utensils
including the menorah, the table for the showbread, the incense altar,
and the like. Chapter 4, by contrast, dwells on the structure of the building,
its dimensions, and the different elements of its design. Seemingly, the
mention of the ark should have been included in chapters 2 or 3 with the other
sacred articles. Why was it included in chapter 4?
Not Merely a Sacred Article, but Part of
the Beis HaMikdash
The above questions force us to view the ark in a different
light. It was not merely one of the sacred utensils of the Beis HaMikdash,
nor even the most important of those utensils.9 Rather, it
was a part of the structure of the Beis HaMikdash itself. For it is the
ark which assures that the Beis HaMikdash will be “a house for G‑d,”10 the place where the Divine Presence rests.
If so, a question arises: How could the Second Beis
HaMikdash be complete without the ark? How could the Holy of Holies be
complete without this fundamental element of its structure? To reinforce these
questions: The site of the Beis HaMikdash was consecrated as the resting
place for the Divine Presence previously — and that sanctity remains for all
time. Nevertheless, since the Rambam considers the ark as an element of
the structure of the Beis HaMikdash, it would appear that the building as
a whole cannot be complete without it.
This is the difficulty which the Rambam seeks to
resolve in this halachah with his description of the entombment of the
ark. Every one of the particular details he mentions contributes to the
explanation.
Two Places for the Ark
The Rambam emphasizes that the chamber in which the
ark is hidden was constructed by King Shlomo as part of the original conception
of the Beis HaMikdash. The entombment of the ark was not a decision
adopted at the last moment because of an emergency. Instead, at the outset, in
the prophetic conception of the Beis HaMikdash, there were two places for
the ark:
a) a revealed place, atop “the foundation stone” in the Holy
of Holies, and
b) a hidden place, in the “deep mazelike vaults” below the
Holy of Holies.11
The latter place was also consecrated as a place for the ark by King Shlomo
and thus was considered as a part of the Holy of Holies. The construction of
this chamber was not an afterthought to protect the ark at a time of need, but
rather part of the structure which G‑d intended for the
Beis HaMikdash at the outset. Accordingly, as long as the ark was in this
chamber, the structure of the Holy of Holies — and the Beis HaMikdash in
its entirety — was complete. In regard to the structure of the Beis HaMikdash,
it did not matter whether the ark was revealed in the Holy of Holies or hidden
in this chamber.
King Yoshiyahu’s Command
This explanation also enables us to understand why the
Rambam mentions that it was King Yoshiyahu who ordered that the ark be
entombed. At the time of King Yoshiyahu, there was no immediate danger that the
Beis HaMikdash would be destroyed. Quite the contrary, at that time, the
Jews lived in relative security. Thus, it is clear that the entombment of the
ark was not merely an expediency adopted for its protection, but rather was part
of the initial intent in the construction of the Beis HaMikdash.
To further emphasize this concept, the Rambam quotes the instructions
given by King Yoshiyahu: “Place the holy ark in the chamber built by Solomon,
son of David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry it upon your shoulders.
Now, go and serve G‑d, your L‑rd....”
Yoshiyahu did not say, “Remove the ark from its place,” for
the emphasis was not that the ark was being taken from its place of resting in
the Holy of Holies, but rather that it was being brought to a place appropriate
for it.
By saying “Now, go and serve G‑d,” Yoshiyahu was emphasizing that the fact
that the ark would no longer be in the Holy of Holies (“you will no [longer]
carry it on your shoulders”) did not detract at all from the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash. The sacrificial service could continue
without interruption.
The conception of the ark having two places is further
accentuated by the Rambam’s following sentence: “Together with [the
ark], were entombed Aharon’s staff, the vial [of manna], and the
anointing oil.” When the ark was located in the Holy of Holies, these sacred
articles were required to be placed before it, as the Rambam states in
the beginning of the halachah. Accordingly, when the ark was brought to
its second location in the mazelike vaults, these sacred articles were taken to
that place as well.12
The Urim VeTumim, a Parallel to the Ark
Based on the above, we can also appreciate why the Rambam
also mentions the urim vetumim in this halachah. It would appear
that the reference to them is entirely extraneous, for they were not part of the
Holy of Holies, nor were they placed there. The Rambam, however, mentions
them in this context because of a parallel which they shared with the ark.
What was this common factor? The urim vetumim were
present in the Second Beis HaMikdash, but in contrast to their function
in the First Beis HaMikdash, they did not serve as oracles. Although
they existed — and by virtue of their existence, the High Priest’s garments
were complete — their existence did not have a direct effect on the lives of the
people as it did previously. This reflects on the role of the ark in the Second
Beis HaMikdash. It was present, and its presence completed the structure
of the Beis HaMikdash. Nevertheless, it was not seen by the people as it
had been before.
The Presence of the
Ark on Mount Moriah, an Eternal Truth
On this basis, we can appreciate a unique bond of oneness shared by all the
structures within which G‑d’s Presence dwelt, beginning from the Sanctuary in
the desert. For each of these structures contained, in a revealed or hidden
manner, the same ark, the receptacle for G‑d’s presence. More particularly,
each of the three Batei HaMikdash — the First and
Second Batei HaMikdash, and the Third Beis HaMikdash which will be
built in the near future — share a unique bond, for the same ark will complete
these structures.
Indeed, this connection is shared with the site of the
Beis HaMikdash at present, for the ark is contained there now as well, lying
hidden in the “deep mazelike vaults” which Shlomo constructed. With the
rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash in the Era of the Redemption, however,
the presence of the ark will be openly revealed. For it will emerge from these
hidden depths and be placed in the Holy of Holies once more.
Our Sages teach13 that reward and punishment are given “measure
for measure.” Within every Jew, there is a “sanctuary in microcosm,” an
indwelling of G‑d’s presence.14 At times, this spiritual
potential is hidden, lying untouched in “deep mazelike vaults.” By probing
within our hearts and bringing this inner potential to outward expression, we
can hasten the coming of the time when the ark will emerge from its hidden
place. And then it will be placed in the Holy of Holies in the Third Beis
HaMikdash, an eternal structure which will never be destroyed. May this take
place in the immediate future.
