This week’s Sedra ends with a very curious Mitzva. The Torah prescribes that each family of Leviim carry specific parts of the Mishkan when the Mishkan travels. The family of Kehos is instructed to carry the Klei Hakodesh (the Holy vessels) which includes even the Aron Hakodesh. The Torah adds something seemingly peculiar regarding the preparations for Kehos to carry these Klei-Hakodesh. The Torah tells us that Aharon and his sons should take special care to make sure that the members of the Kehos family don’t get killed by carrying the Klei-Kodesh. They must, therefore, make sure to first properly cover the Klei-Kodesh. Only after that could Bnei-Kehos carry the Klei-Kodesh. The Torah adds yet another restriction on Bnei–Kehos – they were not to look at the Klei-Kodesh until after they were covered.

This last injunction begs the question: usually if the Aron is in a viewable position there is no prohibition to look at it. What is it about its being prepared for travel that changes things and makes it forbidden to look at it?

The Torah describes the covering of the Aron and the Klei-Kodesh by saying that the Bnei-Kehos should not see the swallowing up of the holy items. There are two observations from this Passuk. Firstly that the problem is related directly to holy items being covered, and secondly why does the Torah refer to the covering up of the Klei-Kodesh as their being swallowed?

It is said in the name of the Vilna Gaon that when one removes his Teffilin he should actually feel pain in removing them. Kedusha is something great and phenomenal. Kedusha is something we wish to imbue and infuse into our lives wherever we can. The covering of Kedusha is not something that should ideally be wanted; if anything, we would rather reveal more and more Kedusha. When Klal-Yisroel were going to be traveling, the Klei-Kodesh did have to be somewhat hidden. However, such an act needed to be done with an air of reluctance. It also had to be done in a way that wouldn’t allow for people to have to witness the covering up of Kedusha (See Darash Moshe for similar answer).

Someone had to do the job of temporarily covering up the Kedusha. The only ones who were fit for such a difficult task of hiding Kedusha were those who best understood the Kedusha – the Kohanim who worked and lived with the Kedusha of these items.

A very warm Good Shabbos, Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski