וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃
Make two Keruvim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover.
(18) Make two Keruvim of gold—make them of hammered work—at the two ends of the cover. (19) Make one Keruv at one end and the other Keruv at the other end; of one piece with the cover shall you make the Keruvim at its two ends. (20) The Keruvim shall have their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their wings. They shall confront each other, the faces of the Keruvim being turned toward the cover.
וּמַאי כְּרוּב? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: כְּרָבְיָא, שֶׁכֵּן בְּבָבֶל קוֹרִין לְיָנוֹקָא רָבְיָא.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה, דִּכְתִיב: ״פְּנֵי הָאֶחָד פְּנֵי הַכְּרוּב וּפְנֵי הַשֵּׁנִי פְּנֵי אָדָם״, הַיְינוּ כְּרוּב הַיְינוּ אָדָם! אַפֵּי רַבְרְבֵי וְאַפֵּי זוּטְרֵי.
And what is a keruv? Rabbi Abbahu said: Like that of a child [keravya], as in Babylonia one calls a child ravya. Abaye said to him: But if that is so, what is the meaning of that which is written “The face of the first was the face of a keruv, and the face of the second was the face of a man” (Ezekiel 10:14)? A face of a keruv is the face of a man. One is a face of an adult and one is the face of a child.
Keruvim - They had the form of a child’s face.
It seems to me that the Keruvim had the form of young humans, without any blemish and having never tasted sin. One was in the form of a male, and the other female. This hints at the idea that anybody in Israel, man or woman, should dedicate their life to the study and the practice of the Torah...
They faced each other with their wings up high, to symbolise that any Jew should have their thoughts and wings raised upwards, thinking of worshipping God in matters that concern God. But one's face should be towards the others, symbolising the love and solidarity between all people.
Their faces look at each other, like two friends debating words of Torah
According to the plain meaning of the text the reason that such figures of angels were placed both in the Tabernacle and in the permanent Temple is to keep alive the idea that there are such beings whom God designated from time to time to perform miracles on earth. Just as we have been commanded to have a firm belief in the existence of God Himself and the fact that He is the original Existence, and this is one of the fundamental concepts of the Torah as proven by the first words of the Decalogue: "I am the Lord your God, etc.," so we are required to believe in the existence of angels as the second fundamental concept in the list of our religious beliefs.
וַיִּרְכַּ֥ב עַל־כְּר֖וּב וַיָּעֹ֑ף וַיֵּרָ֖א עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ
He mounted a Keruv and flew; He was seen on the wings of the wind.
אַ֨תְּ־כְּר֔וּב מִמְשַׁ֖ח הַסּוֹכֵ֑ךְ וּנְתַתִּ֗יךָ בְּהַ֨ר קֹ֤דֶשׁ אֱלֹקִים֙ הָיִ֔יתָ בְּת֥וֹךְ אַבְנֵי־אֵ֖שׁ הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃
I created you as a Keruv with outstretched shielding wings; and you resided on God’s holy mountain; you walked among stones of fire.
כרבים - עוף גדול בעל כנפים. וחכמים פירשו: פני תינוק.
Keruvim - It must be a large bird. Our sages however understand the word to mean having the faces of young children.
שנים כרבים פירש עוף גדול בעל כנפים, ואעפ״י שאמר לא תעשה לך פסל וכל תמונה כאן התיר צורת הכרובים שהרי לא נעשו להשתחות.
Two keruvim - they are a certain type of large bird with wings. And even though the Torah says do not make graven images. Here they are permitted because they were not meant to be worshipped.
וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עֶ֣שֶׂר יְרִיעֹ֑ת שֵׁ֣שׁ מׇשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י כְּרֻבִ֛ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֖ב תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃
As for the tabernacle, make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them.
פַּרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכָּאן וּפַרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכָּאן – אֲרִי מִצַּד זֶה וְנֶשֶׁר מִצַּד זֶה.
One design on one side, a different design on the other; e. g., a lion on one side and an eagle on the other side.
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ פָרֹ֗כֶת תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מׇשְׁזָ֑ר מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֛ב יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖הּ כְּרֻבִֽים׃
You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen; it shall have a design of cherubim worked into it.
Keruvim — i. e. he shall make on it figures of different creatures.
וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃
Man was driven out; and east of the garden of Eden were stationed the Keruvim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
The Keruvim — Angels of destruction
הכרבים צורות מפחידות את רואיהן.
Keruvim -They were creatures whose very appearance frightened all those who merely looked at them.
את הכרובים. הן המלאכים בדמות שוורים וקורא אותם כרובים על שם חרישה.
The Keruvim. These are angels in the form of bulls and they are called Keruvim in reference to plowing.
כֵּיצַד הֵן עוֹמְדִין רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר חַד אָמַר פְּנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו וְחַד אָמַר פְּנֵיהֶם לַבַּיִת וּלְמַאן דְּאָמַר פְּנֵיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו הָא כְּתִיב וּפְנֵיהֶם לַבַּיִת לָא קַשְׁיָא כָּאן בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם כָּאן בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם
How were the cherubs standing? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar. One says: Their faces were turned one toward the other. And one says: Their faces were turned toward the House.
But according to the one who says that their faces were turned one toward the other, isn’t it written: “And their faces were toward the House” This is not difficult. Here, when the Jewish people do the will of God. There, when the Jewish people do not do the will of God.
אמר רב קטינא בשעה שהיו ישראל עולין לרגל מגללין להם את הפרוכת ומראין להם את הכרובים שהיו מעורים זה בזה ואומרים להן ראו חבתכם לפני המקום כחבת זכר ונקבה
Rav Katina said: “When the Israelites would come to the Temple for the holiday the curtain would be pulled back for them and they would see the cherubs intertwined with each other. [The priests] would say to them: “Behold, the love of you before God is like the love of man and woman.”