דברים, פרק ל״א, פסוק כ״ו

In his final days, just before his passing on the seventh of Adar, Moses completed the writing of the Torah. According to tradition, on that very day, he wrote thirteen distinct scrolls. Twelve were distributed among the twelve tribes of Israel so they could study and observe the Commandments, while the thirteenth scroll was reserved for the most sacred space [רא״ש, דעת זקנים, רש״ר הירש]. The directive to take this final scroll was framed as an ongoing obligation rather than an immediate action [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים]. The physical placement was delayed because Moses first needed to read the Song of Ha'azinu to the assembly [העמק דבר].

Once ready, the scroll was to be placed beside the Ark of the Covenant. The precise location is a matter of classic debate, resting on whether the scroll was meant to sit on the exterior or interior of the Ark [משכיל לדוד]. One perspective suggests that a special shelf protruded from the outside of the Ark, serving as a resting place for the scroll. Conversely, another view maintains that the scroll was placed directly inside the Ark itself, resting right next to the Tablets of the Covenant [רש״י, רא״ש, דעת זקנים, ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Housing both the stone tablets and the parchment scroll together represents the merging of two distinct spiritual connections. The letters permanently engraved in stone reflect the Israelites' essential, unbreakable bond with the Torah. Meanwhile, the letters written with ink on parchment symbolize the conscious, ongoing human effort required to draw the Torah's holiness into the routine of everyday life [חומש קה״ת].

While the physical task of handling the scroll was entrusted to the Levites as a group, its ultimate purpose as a witness was directed at the entire nation, addressing them as one unified body [העמק דבר, ברכת אשר, אבן עזרא]. God knew that the nation might eventually abandon the Torah, so He commanded that this single master copy be placed in the Holy of Holies, a sanctuary entered only by the High Priest once a year. This extreme isolation guaranteed that the text would remain completely intact, safe from any additions or omissions, ensuring that no doubt could ever arise regarding the original wording [ספורנו]. The complete scroll stands as a permanent testimony and warning against the nation's potential rebellion and stubbornness [רבנו בחיי, אם למקרא]. Should the Israelites face exile, this scroll would prove to the entire world that God faithfully kept His covenant and warned the people, and that the fault lay in their own transgressions [בכור שור].

Centuries later, it was this exact original scroll of Moses that Hilkiah the priest discovered in the Temple during the reign of King Josiah. When the text was read aloud, the king trembled, realizing just how far the nation had strayed from the original path preserved by that witness [ספורנו, אם למקרא]. Beyond its historical role on earth, an additional tradition relates that the angel Gabriel took this final Torah scroll directly from Moses' hand and brought it to the heavenly court. There, it testifies to Moses' righteousness before the angelic host, and the righteous souls in heaven continue to read from it [רא״ש, דעת זקנים].