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Why did the Aron not take up any space in the Kodesh HaKodashim? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod: the Mishkan's ultimate purpose was not merely to house holy vessels but to create "His space"—a place where we experience being contained within Hashem (ה׳)'s reality rather than Him existing within ours. This transforms our understanding of aliyah l'regel, the batei knesiyos, and our entire relationship with kedusha.
This shiur presents a profound analysis of the nature and purpose of the Mishkan, beginning with a Tosafos (תוספות) in Sukkah that questions the size of the keruvim. Tosafos asks: if we apply the principle of "tafasta meruba lo tafasta" (when in doubt, take the minimum measurement), how could the keruvim fit into the Kodesh HaKodashim given the building's limited height? This question seems to overlook the famous Gemara (גמרא) in Yoma stating that "makom ha-Aron eino min ha-midah"—the Aron did not take up any space. The shiur proposes a revolutionary understanding of this miracle. The conventional reading suggests that the Aron itself possessed miraculous properties that caused it not to occupy space. However, Rabbi Zweig argues that Tosafos understood differently: it was not that the Aron didn't take up space, but rather that the Kodesh HaKodashim was a place whose space could not be diminished. This distinction is fundamental. If the miracle resided in the Aron, then the Kohen Gadol entering on Yom Kippur would have taken up space. But if the miracle was a property of the Kodesh HaKodashim itself, then even the Kohen Gadol would not have diminished its space—he too would have been ten amos from each wall while standing within it.
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Terumah - Shemos 25:8 (v'asu li mikdash v'shachanti b'socham)
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