687. Make for Yourself an Ark

Aba Hanan said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, “One verse says, ‘Make for yourself an ark.’ Another verse says, ‘Make an ark’ [in plural form]. How come? Here, when Israel do the Creator’s will, according to the RASHI interpretation, the work is named after them. Here, when they do not do the Creator’s will, it is named after Moses” (Yoma 3b).

We need to understand what is the actual reality, Moses or Israel. We should say that the ark is the place where the Torah is placed. “Time” means the Kli [vessel], which is the desire for the Torah. The Creator gives the Torah, and the desire belongs to the created beings.

It is written, “When Israel do not do the Creator’s will,” and their whole intention is to do their own will, the ark is named after Moses, meaning that their desire to receive the Torah is not their own, but Moses’.

In other words, the Torah, which is the quality of Moses, obligates them to do its will. But for themselves, they have no desire. Yet, since the Torah obligated them to receive the Torah, they receive the Torah. This is why it is Moses’ will.

But when they do the Creator’s will, meaning that their only aim is to bestow, it is considered that they themselves are making their desire to receive the Torah. This is (like) a youth who has the Torah of his own volition, or he needs the overseer to give him the desire to learn Torah.

Rabbi Yochanan wondered: It is written, “Make for yourself an ark,” and it is written, “Make” [in plural form]. Hence, a wise disciple, whose townspeople command him to do his work, RASHI interpreted that in the beginning he charged the work to Moses, and afterward charged it to the public (Yoma 72b).

In ethics, we should say that “ark” means the desire to receive the Torah. First, the verse obligated Moses to be a servant of the Creator only with the good inclination, and then with the evil inclination. That is, his townspeople, namely the organs and desires in the body, surrender and do the work of the good inclination. This is the meaning of “with both your inclinations.”