It wasn't just about aesthetics or availability. According to Shemot Rabbah, it was a symbolic statement about history, power, and ultimately, redemption.
We read in (Exodus 25:3), "This is the gift that you shall collect from them: Gold and silver and bronze." But the rabbis in Shemot Rabbah 35 see more than just precious metals. They see empires. Gold, they say, represents Babylon, echoing (Daniel 2:32), "That image, its head was of fine gold." Daniel, of course, was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, where different metals symbolized different kingdoms. Silver? That's Media. Bronze? Greece. But notice something missing: iron.
Why no iron in the Temple or Tabernacle? This is where it gets interesting. Iron, we're told, symbolizes Edom, the nation responsible for destroying the Second Temple. (Daniel 2:40) says, "The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron." The Sages are making a direct connection between the destructive force of iron and the legacy of Edom/Rome.
You might be thinking, "Wait a minute! Babylon destroyed the First Temple!" True. But the text emphasizes that Edom, unlike Babylon, didn't just destroy, it sought complete annihilation. As (Psalm 137:7) says, "Who said: Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!" Even today, remnants of that foundation remain. Thus, iron, and all it represents, is conspicuously absent from the sacred spaces.
But the story doesn't end there. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) envisions a future where all nations bring tribute to the messianic king. Egypt comes first. Initially, the king hesitates. Should he accept gifts from a nation that enslaved Israel for so long? But God reminds him, "They were hosts to My children in Egypt," quoting (Psalm 68:32), "Noblemen will arrive from Egypt; Kush will hasten to extend its hands to God." He accepts their offering.
Kush, seeing this, reasons, "If he accepted from Egypt, who enslaved them, surely he'll accept from us, who didn't!" And so, "Kush will hasten to extend its hands to God." Soon, all the nations follow suit, as (Psalm 68:33) foretells, "Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!"
Now, what about Edom? They too, try to bring tribute. But God says, "Castigate the beast of the reed," (Psalm 68:31). Here, Edom/Rome is likened to a reed, a connection drawn from the Gemara (Shabbat 56b) which says that when Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, an angel planted a reed in the sea, which eventually became Rome.
Another interpretation sees Edom as "the boar from the forest" (Psalm 80:14), or "the herd of cavalry horses" (Psalm 68:31), consuming the wealth of nations while claiming lineage from Abraham. They "grovel for pieces of silver" (Psalm 68:31), easily appeased by money, but also scattering Israel from Torah study and from the world.
So, what's the takeaway? This passage from Shemot Rabbah isn't just a history lesson. It's a profound meditation on destruction, redemption, and the enduring impact of our actions. It reminds us that even empires rise and fall, and that ultimately, justice and compassion will prevail. And it challenges us to consider: What "metals" are we building with today? What kind of legacy are we creating?
Another matter, “You shall craft the boards.” What is written above? “This is the gift that you shall collect from them: Gold and silver and bronze” (Exodus 25:3). Gold, this is Babylon, as it is stated: “That image, its head was of fine gold” (Daniel 2:32).12The context of this verse is Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, in which Nebuchadnezzar saw an image made of different metals. Daniel interpreted it as representing his kingdom and those that would rise afterward (see Daniel 2:38–40). The head of gold represented Babylon (see Daniel 2:38). Silver, this is Media, as it is stated: “Its breast and its arms of silver (Daniel 2:32). Bronze, this is Greece, as it is stated: “Its belly and its thighs of bronze” (Daniel 2:32). But iron is not written here, neither in the Temple nor in the Tabernacle. Why? It is because Edom, which destroyed the Temple, was analogized to it.13“The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron” (Daniel 2:40). This is to teach you that, in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will receive tributes from all the kingdoms other than Edom. But did Babylon not also destroy it?14Babylonians destroyed the first Temple, while the Romans, identified as descendants of Edom, destroyed the second Temple. It is because it did not raze it. But what is written with regard to Edom? “Who said: Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation” (Psalms 137:7). To this day the foundation remains in it. That is why iron, to which Edom is analogized, is not written regarding the Tabernacle and the Temple. Likewise, you find in the future that all the nations are destined to bring a tribute to the messianic king. Egypt brings first, and he will think he should not accept it from them. The Holy One blessed be He will say to him: ‘They were hosts to My children in Egypt.’ As it is stated: “Noblemen will arrive from Egypt; Kush will hasten to extend its hands to God” (Psalms 68:32). Immediately, he will accept it from them. Kush will draw an a fortiori inference: If he accepted [a gift] from Egypt, which enslaved them, all the more so [will he will accept it from] us, who did not enslave them. Immediately, “Kush will hasten to extend its hands to God.” Immediately, all the nations will hear and bring [gifts], as it is stated: “Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God” (Psalms 68:33). Then, the kingdom of Edom will draw an a fortiori inference for itself and say: If these, who are not their brethren, he accepted [gifts] from them, we, all the more so. It, too, will seek to bring a tribute to the messianic king. The Holy One blessed be He will say to him: “Castigate the beast of the reed” (Psalms 68:31).15Rome, which is identified as descending from Edom, is referred to here as a reed, based on the following statement of the Gemara: “Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: When Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter, Gavriel descended and implanted a reed into the sea, and a sandbar grew around it, and upon it the great city of Rome was built” (Shabbat 56b). Another matter, castigate the beast that resides among the reeds, as it is stated: “The boar from the forest gnaws at it” (Psalms 80:14). “The herd of cavalry horses among the calves of the people” (Psalms 68:31); the one that consumes the wealth of the peoples and comes with the authority of Abraham and says: ‘I am one of them, Esau, son of Isaac, son of Abraham.’16Rome is identified as descending from Edom, which descends from Esau. “Who grovel for pieces of silver” (Psalms 68:31); even if a person sins against it,17The kingdom of Edom. and it becomes angry at him, it extends its palm, takes the money, and is reconciled. And what is: “He scatters the peoples who desire battle”? (Psalms 68:31). It is that [Edom] scatters Israel from Torah study and assembles them for what the evil inclination desires. Alternatively, “he scatters the peoples who desire battle,” as they scattered Israel from the world. Alternatively, “he scatters the peoples” – they estranged Israel from Me, and they are bringing offerings?18When they attempt to bring offerings to the messianic king, God will instruct him to reject them because of what they did.
