The answer, according to our Sages, might surprise you.
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating discussion about the Ark, the Aron, and its significance. It begins with the verse, "They shall take Me a gift" (Exodus 25:2), immediately followed by, "They shall craft an Ark of acacia wood" (Exodus 25:10). The connection? Just as the Torah itself preceded everything, so too, in the building of the Tabernacle, the Ark—the vessel designed to house the Torah—came before all the other sacred objects.
Think about it: light itself preceded all the acts of Creation. As it says, "God said: Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). Similarly, the Torah, often called light, as it is written, "For the commandment is a lamp, the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23), preceded all the other vessels in the Tabernacle. The Ark, then, wasn't just another piece of furniture; it was the embodiment of light, of Torah, of divine wisdom.
But here's where it gets even more interesting. Notice the subtle difference in the language used when describing the construction of the Ark versus the other vessels. For everything else, the Torah commands, "you shall craft." But for the Ark, it says, "they shall craft." Why this shift from the singular to the plural?
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shalom explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted everyone to be involved in the making of the Ark, so that all would acquire the Torah. What a powerful idea! The Torah shouldn't be the domain of a select few, but rather something that all of us, together, strive to embrace.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai takes it a step further. He speaks of three crowns: the crown of kingship, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of Torah (Mishna, Avot 4:13). The table for the showbread represents the crown of kingship, adorned with "a golden crown [zer] all around" (Exodus 25:24). The altar symbolizes the crown of priesthood, similarly adorned with "a golden crown [zer] all around" (Exodus 30:3). And the Ark? It too has "a golden crown [zer]" (Exodus 25:11).
But why is the word zer, crown, written in a way that it could also be read as zar, estranged? The Rabbis explain that if a person merits the Torah, it becomes a crown, a source of honor and connection. But if not, it can become something distant, alienating.
And finally, we find yet another linguistic nuance: "you shall craft for it" is used for the other vessels, while "you shall craft upon it" is used for the Ark. This, we are taught, is to show that the crown of Torah is superior to all the others. As Shemot Rabbah concludes, if a person acquires Torah, it is as though he has acquired everything.
So, what does this all mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that the Torah isn't just an ancient text, but a living source of wisdom and guidance. It's an invitation to participate, to engage, to make it our own. And maybe, just maybe, by embracing the Torah, we can transform ourselves from being estranged (zar) to becoming crowned (zer).