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Why does the Torah (תורה) use plural "va'asu" (they shall make) for the Aron while every other Mishkan vessel uses singular "vasisa" (you shall make)? The Ramban (רמב"ן) explains that the Aron represents the keter Torah, which belongs to all Israel. Everyone gains a portion in the Aron not by physically building it but through their kavanah in learning Torah—their focus on connecting to Hashem (ה׳) through Torah study itself.
Rabbi Zweig examines a textual anomaly in Parshas Terumah regarding the construction of the Mishkan vessels. Throughout the parsha, the Torah (תורה) consistently uses the singular form "vasisa" (you shall make) when commanding the construction of each vessel. However, when describing the Aron (Ark), the Torah uniquely uses the plural form "va'asu" (they shall make). This raises an obvious question: if all the vessels were built by the same people—primarily Betzalel and his team—why does the Torah single out the Aron with plural language? The Ramban (רמב"ן) offers three possible explanations for this linguistic shift. First, perhaps everyone should donate a small amount of gold with the hope that their particular contribution might end up in the Aron itself. However, this approach seems impractical given that with approximately two million people potentially donating, it would be impossible to ensure everyone's gold made it into this single vessel. Second, perhaps everyone should physically help Betzalel in constructing the Aron. But this too presents difficulties—having hundreds of thousands of people trying to assist in building one vessel would create chaos rather than meaningful participation. Third, the Ramban suggests it refers to everyone having kavanah (intention) regarding the building, though the practical meaning of this requires explanation.
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Parshas Terumah - construction of the Aron
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