A Torah ark (also known as the hekhal, Hebrew: היכל, or aron qodesh, אֲרוֹן קׄדֶש) is an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. [1] Arks in the Yochanan ben Zakai Synagogue in Old Jerusalem. The building was originally constructed in the 17th century.

The aron kodesh (“holy ark”), where the Torah Scrolls are kept, is situated in the front of the synagogue. In the Sephardic tradition, it is referred to as the heichal (“chamber”). The ark is the holiest place in the synagogue.

Ark, (“holy ark”), in Jewish synagogues, an ornate cabinet that enshrines the sacred Torah scrolls used for public worship. Because it symbolizes the Holy of Holies of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, it is the holiest place in the synagogue and the focal point of prayer.

The term “Aron HaKodesh” translates to “Holy Ark” in Hebrew (ארון הקודש), and it refers to the ornamental cabinet or enclosure that holds the Torah scrolls in a synagogue. These scrolls contain the five books of Moses, handwritten on parchment and treated with utmost reverence.

The only remnant of the Ark in Jewish life today is the Holy Ark, where Torah scrolls are kept in synagogues. These Arks are often decorated with copies of the Tablets, reminiscent of the contents of the actual Ark of ancient times.

The ark housed the tablets (engraved with the Ten Commandments) that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai, the broken pieces of the first set of tablets,6 and a Torah scroll.7 A pitcher of manna and Aaron ’s miraculous staff8 were placed right in front of it.

ARK, the receptacle in the synagogue in which the Torah scrolls are kept. Among Ashkenazim, it is generally called the aron or aron kodesh ("Holy Ark"; cf. II Chron. 35:3); among the Sephardim, it is known as the heikhal or sanctuary (" Ehal " among the Spanish and Portuguese communities of London, Amsterdam, etc.).

The service for removing the Torah from the ark, parading it around the congregation, reading it, and then returning it became an opportunity to symbolically reenact the history of Israel, from the giving of the Torah at Sinai to the worship in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Mar 24, 2022 · The Priestly text of the Torah describes an ark of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and with a solid gold cover in the form of cherubim (Exod 25:10–22), Deuteronomy, in contrast, describes the ark as a plain wooden box (Deut 10:1–5).

Torah ark (aron hakodesh) A cabinet set in or against one wall of a synagogue. It holds the Torah scrolls and is the focus of prayer.