Cherubs of the Ark: Mythical Creatures or Symbolic Guardians?

In the portion of Acharei Mot, Yom Kippur's rituals are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of the 'kapporet': "Speak to Aaron your brother that he not come at all times into the holy [place] within the veil, before the 'kapporet' upon the Ark, that he not die; for I appear in the cloud upon the 'kapporet'."

What exactly is the 'kapporet'? And why is it named so?

Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, in his 'Ktav V'Kabbalah', proposes that 'kapporet' means cover, but it also implies atonement. Scholar Y.M. Grintz notes that in ancient Egyptian, there's a connection between 'kapporet' and the word for cover. However, this remains puzzling as the Torah treats the 'kapporet' as a distinct entity, not merely a cover or subordinate part. The Torah describes facing the 'kapporet', the 'house of the kapporet'; what does it mean for the priest and prophet to stand before a "cover"?

Indeed, the 'kapporet' is considered a standalone item. It doesn't require anointing because it embodies holiness itself, sanctified because the voice of Hashem is heard from between the cherubs perched upon it.

It's known that cherubs had infant-like faces, yet their bodies weren't human as they possessed wings. Cherubs guarded the revelation of the divine from humans, like those positioned at Eden's gate post-sin. Ezekiel sees in the cherubs all four faces, leaving their true form an open question.

Tosafot on the Torah notes opinions from R"Y Bechor Shor, R' Isaac of Vienna, and others that they resembled calves, while R' Isaac ben Judah HaLevi believed they were a composite of different species. Even Radak in Genesis 3:24 and his extended commentary on Exodus 25:18 speculates that 'cherub' refers to multiple creatures, possibly with a lion's body or another beast from the chariot, with infant faces symbolizing their spiritual nature since only humans are in the image of Hashem.

Thus, a lion cub, or 'k'fir', aligns with the idea of an infant face, being a young lion. In King Ahab's palace in Samaria, cherubs with lion bodies, wings, and infant faces were discovered.

Despite the cherubs' composite forms, they might be named after the lion, as royal tradition places lions beside thrones, similar to contemporary Holy Ark decorations. Consequently, the Ark is also referred to as 'Ariel' in Ezekiel and metaphorically for the whole Temple in Isaiah, also a general term for angels, 'Aralim'. If true, it suggests the 'kapporet' was a unique matter due to its lion cub form and its role in atonement.

Mesha, king of Moab, boasts on his stele of capturing the 'Ariel of David', likely empty claims akin to his false proclamation of Israel's eternal downfall. In contrast, the prophet states Benayahu son of Jehoiada struck down Moab's two 'Aralim', likely his temple's cherubs, as seen in a Phoenician inscription from Katif describing two lion-shaped cherubs in Larnaca's temple. Hence, 'kapporet' perhaps refers to "lions" too. The wings particularly protected and shaded the space of divine revelation (Ezekiel's "cherubim overshadowing").

The bull is unique to Ezekiel's vision as he observed the chariot of Hashem, where the bull bore it (plowing is also termed after the bull, misleading those who fashioned the Golden Calf to depict Hashem's chariot, yet Tabernacle cherubs weren't His chariot but guardians of His glory). The original cherubs are those carrying the chariot, as prophets envisioned, and the incense's ascent mirrored the chariot above, with its rider among the clouds. Therefore, 'cherub' suggests a 'mounted', making the Temple cherubs mere symbols of Hashem's glory appearing and defended from strangers.

Josephus mentions that people cannot describe or even fathom the cherubs' form, possibly because they're part of the prophetic vision, hence described neither in measurement nor fabrication within the Torah, and not occupying real space.

Overall, the root 'kafar' consistently denotes protection and shelter, like tar safeguarding from water. 'Kfar' for ransom, the Gibeonite city 'Kephira', is accessible only from one direction, like Masada, potentially resembling Nehemiah's trap set by Arabs. Moreover, the sages define denying deposits not primarily as verbal denial but as withholding and limiting access.

Thus, interpreting 'kapporet' as a cover is significant. With the cherubs, it constitutes a barrier, guarding humans from approaching the locus of divine glory. The 'parochet' directly opposes as a cover. Thus, the term 'House of the 'kapporet'' denotes its role in protection and boundary.