There are 2 opinions in the gemara how the keruvim of moshe were designed. According to one opinion they were designed facing each other, but when the Jews weren't doing רצונו של מקום they would turn away. According to the other opinion they were designed to face on a diagonal. The Rashbam and Tosafos explain that the gemara can't say that according to the second opinion they were initially designed to face the wall, but when the jews would to the will of Hashem they would turn to face each other, because it is not logical that they would initially design the keruvim to face in a way that indicates that the Jews weren't doing the will of Hashem. But according to the first opinion they were originally designed to face each other representing that the Jews were doing the will of Hashem, just that they would turn away if the Jews would reject Hashem.
The question is: If the original design of the keruvim is to face one another, there is no longer a miracle representing the Jews doing the will of Hashem. Actually, the miracle would occur when the Jews stop doing the will of Hashem. Wouldn't it make more sense to design the keruvim on a diagonal (like the second opinion) so that when the Jews were doing the will of Hashem, it would be apparent from the miracle of the keruvim turning to face each other?
The Rashbam seems to hint to answering this question by writing:
ומתחלה כך נעשו, פנים אל פנים, כדי שתשרה שכינה בישראל וישראל יעשו רצונו של מקום, וכשאין עושין הופכין בניהם לבית ע"י נס
The Rashbam holds that the purpose of making the keruvim facing one another is to show Hashem that this is the relationship that we desire - פנים אל פנים. It is a way of showing Hashem that we expect and hope to be doing the will of Hashem and we show this by designing the keruvim in this way. This is more of a symbol than the miracle of the keruvim turning to face one another - why? Because our initial design of the keruvim indicates our inner ratzon to do the will of Hashem and have a relationship. This is more valuable to our relationship with Hashem than the miracle of them turning to face one another, because it is a way of showing Hashem initially that our inner ratzon is to have a relationship.
Based on this, we can understand the question raised by R' Chaim Volozhin in Nefesh HaChayim 1:8, who asks why according to the second opinion did they design the keruvim on a diagonal? Why would it make sense to design the keruvim not facing each other? Based on what I said, we cannot answer that we specifically design them on a diagonal so that we can appreciate the miracle of them turning to face one another when we do the ratzon Hashem, because it would still make more sense to initially design them to represent our true desired relationship with Hashem. So, R' Chaim Volozhin asks, why were they designed on a diagonal according to this opinion? He elaborates in his explanation that the Jews in EY are not able to devote their entire lives to service of Hashem because as a group they are required to work and earn a living. Therefore, the diagonal facing keruvim more accurately represents the relationship that people on the whole will have with Hashem (only the individuals will be zocheh to ובכל מאודך and give their entire lives to the service of Hashem).
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