Prohibitive Gazing and Theft of the Service Vessels

In order for the camps of Israel to begin their journeys, the כהנים - were assigned to dismantle the holy vessels including the aron. They were then instructed to take down the curtain or פרוכת - and use it to cover the aron. Processed skins would be placed over it - and on top of that a cloth of תכלת- The family of קהת of the tribe of Levi were then responsible for its transport.

The Torah warns the לויים that looking upon this Holy Vessel after it was disassembled prior to be covered in its travel garment could prove lethal. The verse 4:20 reads - "So that (the Kehotites) will not come and see the Holy (vessel) prior to its entry into the covering and die." Curiously the Talmud (San 81) asserts that this verse also alludes to the prohibition of taking a כלי שרת a vessel belonging to the Temple (via theft) outside of the precincts.

A mystical approach in understanding this verse is to appreciate the relationship between the fatal prohibitions to envision the disassembled uncovered ארון and the theft of temple vessels from their place.

Second Stage of Creation and Spiritual Death

We are taught in the Midrash (BR) that prior to the creation of the universe as we know it - The Creator created worlds and destroyed them. This is a reference to what occurred in the second stage of creation called עולם הנקודים - We are taught (for reasons beyond the scope of this essay) that the Creator sent forth his light from above into the lower spiritual vessels of the world of אצילות - the highest of the four spiritual worlds.

These celestial vessels could not hold the light and broke - resulting in a spiritual death by descending with sparks of light called ניצוצות to the lower worlds of בריאה יצירה ועשיה - Amongst the eleven reasons for the spiritual death of the vessels enumerated in the writings of R. HaAri is that the light that entered into the seven lower vessels of אצילות was spiritually associated solely with דין - as they emanated from the spiritual eyes עיניים דא״ק - from above.

The vessels were not properly prepared for this - hence the unadulterated light emanating from the eyes proved lethal for the Holy vessels of אצילות - When the Holy vessels that rightfully belong to the world of אצילות - are forced out of this elevated precinct - they are said to undergo death. Based on the principles of the עולם הנקודים - we can now begin to appreciate how the unauthorized looking at an unprepared vessel by one (Levi) who is rooted in דין can prove lethal.

In addition we can also understand the relationship of this prohibition with the removing of a holy vessel from its holy precincts to a place outside or below its root.

Improper Vision of the Holy Vessel - Aron

R. Bahya writes that whenever the four lettered name of God YHVH יהו״ה appears in reverse order (beginning with the final ה instead of the initial י ) - this is an indication that the attribute of justice is at work. For instance when Haman said in Ester 5:13 זה איננו שוה לי - with the final letters spelling יהו״ה in reverse order - it indicated that at that point the attribute of דין - reversed his rise to power and set in motion his downfall.

In the verse (1:51) describing the disassembling of the Mishkan - the reverse spelling of the Holy Name YHVH appears twice. Coincidently both times beginning with the letter ה of the word הלוים - This is a reminder that the attribute or spiritual root associated with this tribe is that of דין - This is evidenced in the roots of their tribal father Levi who executed the people of שכם - Additionally it was this tribe as a group who acted as executioners in the episode of the golden calf.

The Leviim in having roots in the attribute of justice - must be subjugated as a whole under the service of the כהנים who are spiritually associated with חסד - Our Rabbi's teach that the ארון present in this world in the קדש קדשים has its parallel in the כסא הכבוד above in the celestial realm. R. Bahya explains that when the ארון was dismantled the שכינה or the כבוד ה׳ - left its position hovering between the כרובים - This left the ארון as a somewhat incomplete vessel. Hence the Torah warned the לוים who stemmed from דין and whose vision paralleled the original untempered light of עולם הנקודים - - which emanated from the spiritual eyes - that they not gaze on an incomplete vessel.

This the Torah warned would be lethal as it would parallel the original breaking of the vessels as indicated above which experienced a spiritual death. The commentators (Rikanti -Ramban) teach that it is only when the כבוד ה׳ is held within its vessel called חביון עזו is it possible to gaze. As the verse (3:4) in חבקוק reveals - "It is a brilliant light which gives off rays on every side - and there in vessel or divine name חביון עזו - is his glory enveloped."

Theft of the Holy Vessels

The Mishna (San 81) lists the theft of the temple service vessels as a case that would incur extra-judicial execution. R. D. Aharoni (Torah Lishma) brilliantly points out the odd term used by the Tanna of the Mishna הגונב את הקסוה - one who steals the Kasvah as a substitute for service vessels. This he writes is a code to explain the severe repercussions for such an act. The כלי שרת represent spiritually the seven lower vessels of the highest world of אצילות that had broken and fallen into the lower worlds.

We must recall that our physical world is a microcosm of the spiritual worlds. In this manner the holy precincts of the temple are parallel to the highest world of אצילות and anything outside of these confines parallel the lower three worlds of בריאה יצירה ועשיה - While the authorized use of the service vessels in the temple represent the elevated return of the broken spiritual vessels of עולם הנקודים back into their proper home in אצילות - their theft is reminiscent of their spiritual death during the second stage of creation when the seven lower vessels and sparks accompanying them fell outside of the holy precincts into the lower worlds.

The holy name יהו״ה according to our Sages reflects the 10 spiritual channels or vessels within the world of Asilut. While the initial letters י״ה represents the upper three vessels which never break and leave their holy confines - the ו״ה - represents the seven lower channels which are subject to the theft and descent. This of course is their spiritual death.

Hence the Mishna teaches one who steals a כלי שרת - causes to some extent a re-occurrence of the breaking of the lower vessels. The Mishnaic term used קסוה - reflects that which is subject to the theft. The initial letters קס numerically 160 are a reflection of the spiritual sparks of the light called צלם which descends with the vessels or the ו״ה below. Hence the coded message - that it is lethal to remove from the confines the קסוה kasvah.

Summary

Both of the prohibitions are intertwined - they both reflect a throwback to a stage in creation when vessels broke either due to improper light or vision or due to the vessels not being prepared and stolen from their place.

Our task in the third stage of creation called עולם התיקון is to establish and arouse a balanced light from above. As the Torah requires that the Kohanim (Hesed) instruct the Leviim(Din) in their service. Furthermore our job thru Torah and misvot is to constantly elevate the vessels ו״ה and the sparks קס back up into the highest world - Surely to insure that they never are subject to theft and a descent below.

Victor Bibi