The Torah prohibits "gods of silver and gods of gold" (Exodus 20:20). But what exactly do these phrases add to the prohibition against idolatry? After all, the commandment against making graven images was already given. The Mekhilta finds a surprising and specific application.
God commanded in (Exodus 25:18) that two golden cherubs be made for the top of the Ark of the Covenant. Two, and only two. But someone might reason: if two golden cherubs are good, would four not be better? More cherubs, more glory for God's dwelling place.
To prevent this, the Torah adds "gods of gold." If you make more than the prescribed two cherubs, the extras become idolatrous images — "gods of gold." The prohibition is not about cherubs being inherently wrong. Two cherubs are commanded. The third and fourth become forbidden objects.
This teaching reveals a crucial principle in Jewish law: the line between sacred object and idol can be terrifyingly thin. The same golden figure that is a holy commandment when there are two of them becomes a violation of the second commandment when there are three. The difference is not in the object itself but in whether God commanded it. Sanctity in Judaism is not about the material or the form — it is about obedience to divine instruction. Exceed the specification by even one cherub, and you have crossed from worship into idolatry.