"Terumah — Part V — “וְעָשׂוּ אֲרוֹן”: Torah, Knowledge, and the Equality of Israel"

5.3 — A Republic of Faith

The Plural Command

When the Torah commands the construction of the Ark, it uses an unusual form of language:

וְעָשׂוּ אֲרוֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים
“And they shall make an Ark of acacia wood” (Shemos 25:10)

The verb is in the plural: וְעָשׂוּ — “they shall make.” This is striking, because many of the Mishkan’s components are assigned to specific artisans or leaders. Yet the Ark, which represents the Torah, is described in a way that includes everyone.

The plural form hints at a deeper idea. The Ark is not the possession of a single class, tribe, or individual. It belongs to the entire nation.

The Torah is the shared inheritance of all Israel.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: A Covenant, Not a Kingdom

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that the Torah introduces a new model of society. Most ancient civilizations were built on hierarchy and power. Kings ruled by force. Priests controlled access to the gods. Social classes were rigid and inherited.

The Torah presents a different vision: a covenantal society.

In a covenant, the people are bound together not by coercion, but by shared commitment. They stand together under a common moral law. Authority is not absolute; it is limited by the Torah itself.

In this sense, the Torah creates what Rabbi Sacks calls a “republic of faith”—a society in which the ultimate authority is not a king or a priestly class, but the Divine teaching itself.

The Ark stands at the center of the Mishkan, not as a throne for a ruler, but as the resting place of the Torah. The highest authority in the nation is the word of Hashem.

Rav Avigdor Miller: A Nation of Students

Rav Avigdor Miller teaches that the greatness of the Jewish people lies in their commitment to learning. Unlike other nations, whose identities were built around territory, military power, or political authority, Israel was built around Torah.

From the beginning, the Jewish nation was meant to be a nation of students.

Every child was taught the words of the Torah. Every home became a place of learning. Study was not reserved for an elite class; it was a national responsibility.

This created a unique kind of society. A poor scholar could command more respect than a wealthy merchant. A person’s dignity came not from his possessions, but from his knowledge and character.

The Ark, containing the Luchos, symbolized this national identity. It stood at the center of the camp, reminding the people that their true power lay in their covenant with Hashem.

Knowledge as the Basis of Equality

When a society is built on power, inequality is inevitable. Those with strength, wealth, or status dominate those without it.

But when a society is built on knowledge, a different dynamic emerges. Knowledge can be shared. It can be taught. It can be acquired by anyone who is willing to learn.

The Torah’s vision of society is therefore profoundly egalitarian. Every person stands under the same covenant. Every person is bound by the same commandments. Every person has access to the same crown of Torah.

The plural form “וְעָשׂוּ” reflects this idea. The Ark is not built by one individual. It is built by the people together.

The covenant belongs to all.
And so does the responsibility to build it.

The Ark at the Center of the Camp

The physical placement of the Mishkan reinforces this message. The sanctuary stands at the center of the camp, surrounded by the tribes of Israel.

At the center of the sanctuary stands the Ark.
At the center of the Ark stands the Torah.

This arrangement reflects the structure of the nation:

• The people surround the Mishkan.
• The Mishkan surrounds the Ark.
• The Ark houses the Torah.

At the heart of the entire system lies the Divine teaching. This is the source of authority, unity, and purpose.

The people are not united by a king’s palace or a military fortress. They are united by a sanctuary that houses the Torah.

A Society of Shared Responsibility

In a republic of faith, responsibility is shared. Each person is responsible for learning, teaching, and living by the Torah.

This idea appears throughout the Torah’s commands:

• Parents must teach their children.
• The people must gather to hear the Torah read.
• Leaders must write their own Torah scrolls.
• Judges must rule according to the law.

The entire society becomes a community of learners and teachers.

The Ark, built by the people and standing at the center of their camp, symbolizes this shared responsibility.

The Moral Community

When knowledge becomes the foundation of society, something remarkable happens. The community becomes moral, not merely political.

People are not united only by geography or economics. They are united by a shared vision of right and wrong.

The Torah shapes:

• How people speak.
• How they conduct business.
• How they treat the vulnerable.
• How they structure their time.
• How they build their families.

The Ark, containing the tablets of the covenant, becomes the heart of this moral order.

Application for Today — Learning-Centered Communities

The vision of a “republic of faith” remains deeply relevant today. Many modern societies struggle with divisions of wealth, power, and status. Communities often fragment along social or economic lines.

The Torah offers a different foundation: shared learning.

When a community centers itself around Torah:

• The beis midrash becomes its heart.
• Teachers and scholars are honored.
• Children grow up with a sense of shared purpose.
• Knowledge becomes the common language.

In such a society, dignity is not reserved for the powerful. It is available to anyone who engages in learning and moral growth.

On a personal level, this means:

• Prioritizing time for Torah study.
• Supporting institutions of learning.
• Encouraging a culture of curiosity and wisdom.
• Valuing character over status.

A community built around learning becomes more than a collection of individuals. It becomes a covenantal society—a republic of faith.

📖 Sources

• Full sources available on the Mitzvah Minute Parshas Terumah page under insights and commentaries