B”H
The Ark of the Covenant
It’s Measurements and Gematria
Shmoth (Exodus) 25.10 “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.”
16 “And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.”
Shmoth 25.17 “And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width.”
The Near Eastern or Biblical cubit is usually estimated as approximately 457.2 mm (18 in).
W. Gunther Plaut, Bernard J. Bamberger, William W. Hallo (eds.) (1981). The Torah. New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations. ISBN 9780807400555
2.5 Cubits x 1.5 Cubits x 1.5 Cubits = 18+18+9=45″ x 18+9=27″ x 18+9=27″ (45x27x27) Since a cubit (six hand’s [each 4 fingers wide] breadths or the distance from the tip of the extended middle finger to the elbow) is approximately 18 inches (46 cms), the length of the Ark is 2.5 cubits or 45 inches (114cms). The width and height of the Ark is 1.5 cubits or 27 inches each, respectively!
A handbreadth (Tefach) = four digits (four fingers wide or approximately 3 inches) So six handbreadths =18 inches! (A Handbreadth is the equivalent of a palm-span of four fingers wide!)
A cubit is six (6) handbreadths (Tefachim,) while half a Tefachim equals three handbreadths, so two and a half cubits = 15 handbreadths (Tefachim) and one and a half cubits = 9 Tefachim;.
Therefore the simple measurements of the Ark are 15T+9T+9T=33 Tefachim. 33 Tefachim = Lamed Gimmel “Log or Lag” (as in Lag B’Omer the 33rd day of the Omer Count).
So 15 Tefachim x4=60 Tefachim + 9 Tefachim x4=36 Tefachim + 9 Tefachim x4=36 Tefachim = 60+72= 132 Tefachim. So two and a half cubits length=60 Tefachim; A Cubit and a half width + a Cubit and a Half heighth=72 Tefachim
60 Tefachim + 72 Tefachim = 60+72=132
Phonetically, the gematria for 132 is Quf, Lamed and Bet! Qaleb (Caleb) means bold or courageous. Those who bear the Ark of Testimony must be bold or courageous in the presence of HaShem!
B’midbar (Numbers) 10.35 “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said: ‘Rise up, O LORD, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.’ “
Joshua 3.11 “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth on before you over the Jordan.”
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1
If one switches the order of the lamed and the bet we have the word Qabel “to receive” –
25.16 “And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.”
Pirke Avot 1.1 “Moshe received (Qabel) the Torah at Mt. Sinai….”
Shmoth 25.17 “And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width.”
RASHI:
two and a half cubits its length: like the length of the ark. Its width was like the width of the ark, and it lay on the thickness of the four walls. Although [Scripture] does not give a measure for its thickness, our Rabbis explained that it was a handbreadth thick. — [from Succah 5a]
So the Ark Cover 2.5 Cubits = Length, 15 Tefachim, the 2 sides of the Ark Cover – the top measurements + the bottom measurements (the Ark Cover’s surface) =30 Tefachim + 1.5 Cubits =Width 9 Tefachim – the 2 sides of the Ark Cover, the side measurement of it’s thickness and the side measurement of it’s thickness=18 Tefachim; the area of the Ark Cover= 30+18=48 Tefachim.
132 Tefachim (the outer surface area = length, width and heighth of the Ark) + 48 Tefachim (the Ark Cover) =180 Tefachim
Since the Ark cover is a handbreadth thick, then it has to be 1 Tefach x 15 Tefachim x 9 Tefachim
The Ark cover =2.5 Cubits + 1.5 Cubits or, 15×2= 30 Tefachim + 9×2= 18 Tefachim or the equivalent of 48 Tefachim
The ARK =132T + the Ark cover 48T=180 Tefachim =Qof Peh 180 = aPaq (Aleph Peh Qof) “to be strong”
Those who bear the Ark of the Covenant must be strong as a lion to do the will of Our Father in Heaven!
Pirke Avot 5.20
“Yehuda the son of Tema would say: Be brazen as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven.” … Therefore a person needs to be strong as a lion to rise in the morning for the worship of one’s Creator.
What is the unique nature of a lion’s strength? He grabs a-hold of his prey and does not let go! Therefore, One must cleave to the Creator with the strength of a lion!!!
from inside and from outside you shall overlay it: Bezalel made three arks, two of gold and one of wood. Each one had four walls and a bottom, and they were open on the top. He placed the wooden one inside the golden one and the [other] golden one inside the wooden one. He covered the upper rim with gold, thus it is found that [the wooden one] was overlaid from inside and from outside [with gold]. — [from Yoma 72b, Shek. 16b]
Shabbat Shalom.
