Teruma

The Parsha speaks about the command to build the dwelling place of Hashem amongst us, the Mishkan. The pessukim state that Hashem commanded Moshe Rabeinu to tell the Bnei Yisroel about bringing raw materials for the construction of the Mishkan. Rashi writes that the passuk lists 13 different materials to be brought. The list starts with gold, silver, and copper; continues with different colored wool, linen, hair of goats, different skins, shittim-wood, oil, incense, and lastly the stones for the eifod and choshen.

The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks the following question: why were the stones listed last? Shouldn’t the precious stones be stated first, before gold and silver? The Gemara in Kidushin brings a story about the Chachamim who were willing to buy these stones for an enormous price. If they were so precious, why aren’t they first?

The Ohr HaChaim answers that the order of the materials for building the Mishkon is according to the holiness of the objects. The Gemara states that in certain instances it was permissible to use the clothing of the Kohanim for personal use. From this it seems that me’ila, profaning holy objects, does not apply by the bigdei Kehuna. By the vessels, however, me’ila does apply. Therefore, when the Torah lists the materials in descending order of holiness, the stones, which were only for the bigdei Kehuna, are mentioned last.

The Ohr HaChaim offers another explanation: unlike the other materials, the stones were acquired effortlessly since it states in Parshas Vayakel, “v’hane’si’im – the Clouds of Glory brought them.” Because there was no work or effort put into acquiring these stones, the act of contributing them to the Mishkan wasn’t one of great generosity. Whereas all the other materials, although there were not as special, they were given with greater generosity. For this reason, the stones are mentioned last. HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains this with the Gemara which states, “a person likes one measure of his own more than nine measures of someone else.” Rashi elaborates; by putting effort into something, it becomes part of one’s self.  It was with this generosity, of giving of one’s self, that Hashem wanted His dwelling place to be built.