Exodus 37:5
וַיָּבֵ֤א אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־הָאָרֹֽן׃
He inserted the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark for carrying the ark.
Every part of the Ark of the Covenant had its purpose. Inside the hollow space rested the tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. On top, the cherubim created a sense of awe and reverence, symbolizing the place where God’s presence would dwell. But perhaps the most understated feature of the Ark is the poles inserted through the gold rings on its sides, poles that the Torah tells us were never to be removed.
That small detail carries a powerful message: the Ark was designed to be mobile. Even when it rested in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple, the poles remained in place. The Ark was always ready to move with the people.
As the central feature of the Tabernacle, the Ark symbolized the intimate relationship between the Israelites and God, and its design teaches us something about that relationship. The poles remind us that our spiritual lives were never meant to be static. It’s easy to become comfortable spiritually, relying on the same habits, and the same understanding of God, Judaism, and Torah that we’ve always had. But the Ark reminds us that holiness is something we carry forward. As we grow, our relationship with God should grow. As we change, our relationship should deepen.
If our understanding of God is exactly the same as it was five, ten, or fifteen years ago, the poles of the Ark suggest that something may be missing, because a living relationship with God is not static. It is meant to move forward.