In perek 25 pusukim 3-7 the torah lists the 13 keilim that were donated to build the mishkan. A few of the keilim donated were gold, spices, red dyed ram skins, and shoham stones. Shoham stones were listed second to last which seems strange because they were one of the most important items. So why were they listed second to last?
A Gemara in Yoma explains that since the jews worked hard to get the other materials they became more special in a way. The shoham stones were carried by a cloud and even though they have more significance to building the mikdash does not mean they were more important.
ReplyDeleteThe Ohr HaChaim gives an explanation for why the Shoham stones were listed almost last even though they are considered the most valuable. He says that the list of things was not in order of monetary value. They were arranged according to the most precious to Hashem. Even though these stones have high value in the Mishkan, Hashem doesnt view them comparable to the other things on the list.
According to Rav Yissacher Frand, he quotes a Midrash who says that the Shoham stones were not donated by human effort. And rather the stones were brought to the Camp on heavenly clouds (ענני הכבוד) Therefore, they were in a completely separate category than the other donations and were mentioned last.
ReplyDeleteThe Ohr Hachaim gives two answers. The first one is that everything else on the list was not able to be used for secular purposes. But the Shoham stones were able to be used for secular purposes. In fact, they were on the priestly garments. Since they were not as sanctified as the other materials they wound up at the end of the list. The second answer is that the shoham stones were not donated by human effort. They were brought to the camping site by clouds. Therefore they were put in a different section than the other materials.
ReplyDelete-Gabrielle Posner
According to Rashi, the shoham stones were made for the episode and choshen, to be decoration. They're listed second to last because they are only decoration.
ReplyDeleteIn the Mishnah, it was written, "L'fum Tzara Agra", meaning “the reward is in proportion to the action” (this was quoted from Avos). This relates to our question, despite thinking that performing a kind action without being commanded by Hashem would make you receive the largest award, actually, listening to G-d’s commandments, increases our reward for following them in “proportion” with the to the struggle and energy put into accomplishing the mitzvah itself. If one does a mitzvah with the right mind-set and right reasons all the effort that they had put in to completing the mitzvah, the reward they would receive for doing so would be in proportion to the action. The Talmud states that it was actually the Anany Hacavod that had brought the Shoham stones, not Bnie Yisroel. Since the Shoham stones were not brought by Bnie Yisroel, obviously they did not put in such effort or used a lot of energy to do this mitzvah because they didn’t. Therefore the Shoham stones are stated at the end of the pasuk as opposed to the supplies that were brought by Bnie Yisroel through determination and difficulty. Thus these supplies were considered more important despite having a lesser value than the Shoham stones because they were brought through hard work. (nshahs.org)
ReplyDeleteChabad.org says the reason they were listen last even though they were considered very important because the order the Torah lists it in which were most special and precious to HaShem rather then the monetary value. I think this is an important lesson because something does not need to be expensive to be beautiful and important to you. It's the significance it has
ReplyDeleteparsha.net tells us a really beautiful lessen with their answer to this question. They say that the Hashem doesn't have values on things based on their monetary values rather he values things by what is most special to him and most precious. So he says they were written last even though they were very expensive because their price doesn't matter it's just their use and value to Hashem. This teaches us that how expensive things are in life is not what makes them important, it's how happy those things make us, and how much value we can get out of them.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Doniel Staum says that the stones were mentioned at the end because they were of lower value due to the minimal effort required which he says also correlates to the ranking that these stones hold as the least spiritual of the other stones.
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