Why does it matter that the ark was made of gold and wood?

No matter how far we stray, God, Torah, the Jewish people, and Jerusalem are all interconnected. It is a 'marriage' that can never be broken. 

Believe it or not, there is some important child-rearing advice to be taken from the cherubim that appear in this week's Torah portion.

What are the cherubim? Are they gentle and sweet or violent and threatening?