Shelach 14:44 · unit 1 — the Ark and Moshe did not move

Parashas Shelach · Aliyah 4 · Passuk 44

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָה֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

They presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, but the Ark of the covenant of Hashem and Moshe did not move from the midst of the camp.

Chabad.org — 14:44

Source Citation

Torah Temimah on וארון ברית ה׳: two Arks — whole tablets and broken tablets.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ אוֹמֵר: שְׁנֵי אֲרוֹנוֹת הָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר — אֶחָד שֶׁל לֻחוֹת וְאֶחָד שֶׁל שִׁבְרֵי לֻחוֹת. זֶה שֶׁעִם הַלֻּחוֹת הָיָה מֻנָּח בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה׳ וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא מָשׁוּ מִקֶּרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה״.

English: It is taught: R’ Yehudah ben Lakish says: Two Arks traveled with Israel in the wilderness — one of the tablets and one of the broken tablets. The one with the [whole] tablets rested in the Tent of Meeting, as it is said: “And the Ark of the covenant of Hashem and Moshe did not move from the midst of the camp.”

Type of Learning

Two-Ark tradition from the stationary Ark here.

What Is Learned

The Ark that stayed in camp held the whole tablets; another went out with the people.