Excerpts for the new book, “code of the heart”  

In Search of the Ark of the Testimony

 In this Parsha, we learn about the detailed instructions of the construction of the Tabernacle. We also learn about the vessels of the temple including the Ark of the Testimony. This is was the most holiest object in heaven and earth as it contained the Tablets of the Testimony (Ten Commandments). However, it has not been seen for the past 2500 years. The last time it is mentioned is in Chronicles where it says, תנו את ארון הקדש בבית אשר בנה שלמה בן דויד , “Place the Holy Ark in the Temple that Solomon son of David , …the king of Israel built”(Chronicles 35:3). The Temple was reconsecrated by King Josiah. There are several opinions and theories as to where the ark was hidden, taken or even destroyed. According to Chronicles, the Babylonians sacked the first temple and removed all the articles of the Temple of G-d (Chronicles 36:11). In the end of  Writings, it states that Koresh authorized the building of the Second Temple. In fact, with the aid of the codes, we see an allusion to Koresh where the Torah discusses the Ark and the Cherubim (Angels). The Torah says, רחבה: ועשית שנים כרבים זהב , “its width: You shall make two Cherubim of gold”(Exodus 25: 16-17)  If we take the acronym of the encircled letters it spells the term כורש, Koresh (Cyrus). With this finding, it lends credibility to those who say it is in Babylonia as Cyrus took over power after Nebuchadnezer of Babylonia. Over twenty years ago, a movie called Raiders of the Lost Ark showed the ark as being in Egypt.  According to other theorists, the ark is in Lake Tana in Ethiopia. This past week, the History Channel did a program called In Search of the Ark and they showed an Explorer, Bob Cornuke,  visiting Lake Tana and they were shown some objects whom the local people claimed were from the Temple of Israel. They trace their roots to Queen Sheba who had a relationship with King Solomon. In the above phrase, תנו את ארון, Give the Aharon, we can see an allusion to Lake Tana as the encircled letters spell the term תן tan or with dots (nekudots), we can stretch it to say Tana. I personally feel that it is a weak theory just like my finding. According to Talmud Yoma 52b, it was hidden by King Josiah. In my opinion, it is hidden in the center of Israel (see Rashi, Megila 6a), which is near Tiberias in the Sea of the Galilee or in the Hebrew vernacular  ים כינרת Yam Kinneret  (See Rashi at Talmud Eruvin (Daf Lamud Amud Aleph)) where Rashi says, “Ginosar, the land of the Yam Kinneret, it’s fruit are sweet.” According to the Jewishvirtuallibrary.org,“When the Ark was finally placed in the Temple, the midrash reports that the golden tree decorations that adorned the walls blossomed with fruit that grew continuously until the Temple's destruction (Yoma 39b).”

In the Sinai desert, the Israelites encamped around the Mishkan and the ark. With the aid of the codes, we (my wife and I) have found an allusion to the Kinneret in this Parsha. The Torah says, ואל הארן תתן את העדת אשר אתן אליך: ונועדתי לך שם “And into the Aron  you shall put the Testimony that I shall give you. It is there that I shall audience with you”(Exodus 25:21-22). If we take the acronym of the encircled letters (rearranged), it spells the term, כינרת , Kinneret. The Gematria of this term is 680. Another term with the same number is פרת, Prus , or Euphrates River. Perhaps it is in the Euphrates River? It is this river that we learn flowed out of the Garden of Eden (See Genesis 2:14). As a side note, we know from the Midrash that Joseph’s ark was under the nile river until Moses brought it up. It is not so far fetched to have holy articles hidden under the water for safekeeping. We ourselves are created in the watery environment of the womb of a woman till we come out. Moreover, the Torah mentions the Sea of Kinneret as the eastern boundary of Israel(Numbers 34:11) It notes the terms מקדם and קדמה, meaning from the east and east. It is interesting to note that the Gematria of קדם kedem, east is 144 and the deepest part of the Kinneret is 144 feet. Perhaps it can be found at 144 feet below sea level as the 144th word from the beginning of Parshas Terumah describes the placement of the testimony into the ark (Exodus 25:16). As noted in my previous Bible discourses, קדם kedem, east plays an important role in the plan of G-d as we learn that it was an easterly wind that split the sea and we read Hebrew right (east) to left. Kedem also means ancient. We say the following prayer,  השבינו ה' אליךונשובה חדש ימינו כקדם, “Bring us back to you G-d , and we shall return, renew our days of old” (Lamentations 5:21). In any event, the most compelling evidence that the Ark is in the Kinneret is based on Gematria.  The Gematria of the term,  ים כינרת Yam Kinneret is 730. Another term with the same Gematria is ארן העדת , Aron Haedus(t), Ark of the Testimony that is found in the next Parsha, Tetzaveh (Exodus 30:6). What are the ramifications of this finding? It is awesome. It was from on top of the Ark that G-d spoke to Moses through the Two Cherubim. It was used as a talisman in Israel’s wars against it’s neighbors. Moreover, there is much history around Lake Kinneret as well. As noted above, Tiberias borders the Kinneret. The Sanhedrin relocated there during the Second Temple. The Mishna was completed under the authority of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi in 200 CE. Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai and Maimonides are buried there. (See ww.virtuallibrary.org). Maimonides was one of the greatest Jewish Philosophers. He also wrote the Mishneh Torah , which is the codification of all Jewish laws. As the ark represents the Torah, there is perhaps no more fitting place for it to be as these were great Torah scholars as well.  This discovery is like a delicious fruit that we must cherish and enjoy. It is from the study of Torah that we will always find the right path in the service of the Lord.

 A refuah shlaimah to my father Yaakov Zev , Ben Malka , who is recovering from stroke at Vanderbilt Nursing Home, SI, NY

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