Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses the unique ritual on Yom Kippur when the Cohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies. The verse states (Vayikra 16:17):

וְכׇל־אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִהְיֶ֣ה ׀ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבֹא֛וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֤ר בַּעֲדוֹ֙ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֔וֹ וּבְעַ֖ד כׇּל־קְהַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting until he comes out. When he has made expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel.

What is the meaning and significance of no person being present when the Cohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies?

The Rokeach (Nezikin Horiyos 13) explains that it means no man shall enter, even the greatest figures such as an angel. This area is reserved solely for God and the Cohen Gadol. Yismach Moshe (Acharei Mos) interprets the phrase "no man" to mean no human concern. When the Cohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies, he must divest himself of all trivial concerns and leave behind human interests and preoccupations.

The Zohar (Acharei Mos 66a) sees this as a metaphor for a deeply intimate act between husband and wife. Just as that level of love and intimacy is conducted in private, so too is this ritual, representing the climax of the Yom Kippur service and the bond between the Jewish people and God.

In Jewish mysticism, we often find that the sexual union symbolizes the union between God and humanity. Most notably, even the Cherubim on the Ark were depicted in an intimate embrace, possibly even a sexual one. The Gemara in Yoma (54a-b) tells us:

אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר רַב שֵׁילָא

Rabba bar Rav Sheila said:

כׇּל מְכַבְּדֶיהָ הִזִּילוּהָ כִּי רָאוּ עֶרְוָתָהּ

"All who honored her debased her because they have seen her nakedness."

This statement suggests that the Cherubim appeared to be embracing one another. When the gentiles destroyed the Second Temple and entered the Sanctuary, they saw these depictions of cherubs in an intimate embraceand misunderstood their significance. They removed the cherubs from the wall, took them to the market, and criticized the Jewish people for engaging in such matters and creating such images. Consequently, the cherubs were debased and destroyed.

From the way the heathens perceived the cherubim, it appears that the embrace of these male and female angels was highly intimate. This highlights the deeper message that God would not choose such imagery unless sexuality itself was inherently holy, particularly emphasizing the loving bond between husband and wife.

This understanding of the metaphysical significance of holy matrimony aligns with Jewish mystical teachings, which often draw connections between the intimate union of husband and wife and the spiritual union between humanity and the divine. It underscores the sanctity and importance of marital love and intimacy within the framework of Jewish tradition.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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