A Soulful Journey

When the stone altar was constructed in Jerusalem for the Holy Temple, we are told that no iron could be used in its construction.  Each stone had to be quarried by hand using no metal implements.  As the Mishnah directs, "... iron is used to shorten lives while the altar extends life."   Middot 3:4 We use metals to destroy.  Our deepest hopes, aspirations, learning and prayers must be used to allay our worst impulses.  We must never confuse to the two. Our task to bring Godliness into the world, not introduce more chaos and  destruction.

"Iron abridges life, While the altar prolongs it. Iron causes destruction, And it causes misery and suffering and sadness. But the altar? The holy altar leads to reconciliation between the Almighty Lord God and man.”   -Michael J. Katz Anything can be used to tear down or build up.  Anything.

Midrash relates that when the trees of the forest first heard the clanging of iron implements they trembled with fear. “Woe is us,” they moaned in distress. “They are preparing to cut off our young loves,” one tree called out. “If it is only the iron we hear,” another tree said, “we have nothing to fear.   After all, they cannot chop down a tree with a piece of iron.   It only is dangerous when the iron is attached to something which comes from our own kind – a wooden handle.” Moral: If we Jews are only concerned with the prayer, “Deliver us from the hands of Esau,” our tragedy would not be so great.   The misfortune lies is a handle of our own kind being held by the hands of Esau.   Often we find one of our own kind being used by the enemy’s hands.