Parshas Terumah 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Feb 21
- 2 min read
וערת אילם מאדמים וערת תחשים ועצי שטים ... (כה-ה)
In the Medrash Rabbah, there’s a statement of Chazal that says the following: "אמר ר' חנינא, לא היה העולם ראוי להשתמש בארזים אלא בשביל המשכן ובשביל בית המקדש". The world was not meant to have had access to cedar wood - עצי שיטים. It was only available for human use owing to the משכן and the בית המקדש. What is the meaning behind this remarkable idea? What is so special about the עצי שיטים that would limit it to such restricted use?
The Shem M’Shmuel says the following pshat based on a Gemara (Taanis 20a) that says: "לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז". A person should strive to be soft and flexible (in his mannerisms) like reeds and not tough or obdurate like cedar. Hence, says the Medrash, the world generally isn’t supposed to utilize the middah of cedar. The only appropriate time is when building the Mishkan. To ensure the everlasting השראת השכינה, one has to be strong, unbending and unyielding, sans compromise. The Gemara (Yoma 72b) says, "עצי שיטים עומדים" - they stand לעולמי עולמים - for all eternity. In order to ensure that all our institutions are bastions of כבוד שמים for all the world to recognize, they must be fortified with these עצי שיטים, literally and metaphorically. Thus, the world is now permitted to have cedar.
Perhaps we can add the following machshava. Our homes, sanctuaries, and even one’s own גוף are called a מקדש מעט - a mini model of the Bais HaMikdash. To build a Torah’dike edifice, one must be extremely vigilant to shut out all the harmful and pervasive, negative influences, by building a strong מחיצה. There exists no better material to use than these עצי שיטים which need to be עומדים - resolutely standing guard, forever and ever, to continue building Klal Yisroel, and perpetuating the mesorah and dream of ושכנתי בתוכם.