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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
You
can order my book toll free, at
1-800-564-5972
About the author
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