When G-d asked Moshe to build the Mishkan, he requested that three metals be gathered from Bnei Yisrael: gold, silver, and copper. The best of these metals was gold, then silver, and—the most plentiful—copper. Although the gold was the most valuable of the metals, all the metals were necessary components of the mishkan. They were each dependent on one another in the work of the mishkan. For example, the Ark was composed of gold. But it needed a courtyard to protect it, so the courtyard was made of copper. The least valuable metal, copper, was working with the most valuable metal, gold, to protect the Ark.
This seemingly insignificant point is relevant to our everyday lives. To some degree, we all want to do something that matters with our lives. Every person’s role matters when completing a project. For example, in a school project, one partner might labor over the project and be the reason the project gets done. However, if that person’s printer doesn’t work, then she must ask her partner to print the project. If it weren’t for the other partner printing the project, the project would not have been able to be turned in.
No matter how small our roles in situations may seem, our actions add up and are significant. Just like our actions not seeming valuable, the “invaluable” copper is the reason the ark was protected.
By: Aliza Posner
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