Do the Precious Metals of the Tabernacle Have Healing Properties?

Parashat Vaykhel/Pekudei

My Penchant for Pure Metals

I’ve always detested anything fake. This includes imitation pearls, fake gold, and simulated silver. I’d rather have genuine, inexpensive, semiprecious crystals, than faux diamonds. I love my pure, iron skillet and have been searching for a pure copper kettle, but they seem to all come with a coating. When their interior is stainless steel, the precious healing properties of copper, which I will discuss further on, are lost. If you know of where to get hold of a kettle, made completely of copper inside and out, let me know!

I try to live my life in an honest, genuine way, never pretending to be more or less than who I am. I adhere to the principle that our inside must match our outside. Only such a person is worthy to learn Torah. We learn this from Rabbi Gamliel, who would place a guard to the door to the study hall, and only allow entrance to those whose inside matched his outside (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 28a). Furthermore, it states, “Any scholar, whose inside and outside are not the same, is not a scholar (BT, Yoma 72b). In principle, there should be nothing wrong with gold-covered, silver earrings. Also, the ark in the tabernacle consisted of gold-plated wood. The difference is that the silver earrings have a gold façade to pretend to be gold, whereas, the wood of the ark had its own importance, reflecting that the Torah must be a tree of life, alive and dynamic, rather than a frozen static material. Trees grow, they bear fruit, and they bend in the wind. Metal is unyielding, unchanging, without potential. Therefore, all the wooden gold-covered Temple vessels must be regarded halachically as being made of wood, and not gold, even though their golden surface appears on the outside. In addition to wood, the Tabernacle and its vessels were mainly constructed from the pure metals of gold, silver, and copper. Knowing that the Tabernacle and Temple were spiritual-healing structures, let’s explore the healing properties of these precious materials.

Gold for Atonement

Gold is associated with atonement, since the gold of the mishkan served as atonement for the sin of the golden calf (Midrash Tanchuma, Teruma 8). Yet, on Yom Kippur, we are not supposed to wear gold, just as the Kohen Gadol was prohibited from wearing gold then, in order not to recall the sin of the golden calf (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashana 26a). However, the greatest atonement takes place by using the same tools of sin for a mitzvah. Thus, Hashem commanded us to use gold in the construction of the tabernacle, to give us the opportunity to elevate our misdeeds. “For the tzaddikim find favor to the extent of the tools of their sinning” (Shemot Rabbah 33:3). Therefore, we atone with gold – “This is the gift that you must take from them – gold…” And the Holy One Blessed be He said: “For I will bring healing to you, and I will use (the material of) your wounds to heal you” (Yirmeyahu 30:17); (Midrash Tanchuma, Teruma 8). Since pure gold is so expensive, donating precious gold is a more efficient atonement, than offering a lesser gift to G-d. As there is no greater healing than atonement, it makes perfect sense that gold is considered “the master healer,” in new age terminology. It is an excellent metal for the purification of the physical body.

Gold Engenders Purity

Gold symbolizes purity, spirituality, and character development. It also lessens past trauma and assists us to actualize the intrinsic potential of the self. Gold balances energy helps eliminate ego conflicts and feelings of futility. It can also help to assuage the overburden of responsibility and combat feelings of depression and inferiority. It has been said to attract honors, wealth, and happiness; to provide composure, to stabilize the emotional system, to alleviate tension and stress, and to amplify positive feelings. It also assists us in attuning to nature and its healing forces. When in proximity to another metal, gold provides a stabilizing influence to the energies of that metal. Much research indicates that gold has wound healing properties. In addition, gold nanoparticles can be functionalized with antibodies to specifically target cancer stem cells. Preclinical studies using photo-thermal therapy have demonstrated the feasibility of targeting chemo-resistant cancer cells to reverse clinical chemoresistance.

Protective Silver

Silver has been used for its antibacterial properties for thousands of years. Some bandages use silver to help reduce wound bacteria count. Silver is so good at providing bacterial protection that many clinics and hospitals use silver-based surgical tools as well as furniture to help limit the spread of any disease. According to the Silver Institute, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a deadly staph germ that is resistant to many other hospital-grade antibiotics, can often be wiped out through silver-based dressings. Due to its intrinsic therapeutic properties and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, silver nanoparticles have opened new horizons towards novel approaches in the control of infections in wound healing. The silver-infused dressing provides the silver-based bacterial protection while also absorbing wound discharge. Silver was used in the foundational sockets of the tabernacle, built from the half-shekel donation of each Jew, in order to act as a foundational protection from spiritual bacteria, such as the energy of Amalek. The specific measure of a half-shekel teaches us that in order to harness this spiritual protection, we must become whole, by unifying with each other.

Copper – The Energy Balancer and Multi Healer

It is not by chance that the serpent that the Israelites gazed at – in order to be healed from the bite of the serpent (Bamidbar 21:9) – was made of copper, as copper is the universal symbol of healing. After researching the many health benefits of wearing a copper bracelet, I hope my husband will remember and get me one for my next birthday! Wearing copper jewelry may protect from negative energy and emanate healing energies. It’s reported that copper bracelets alleviate stiffness of the joints and arthritis, lower cholesterol, strengthen the immune system, slow down the aging process and facilitate iron and zinc absorption through the skin. According to medical research, copper has two key properties: 1. Copper has potent pesticide and fungicide properties. 2. Copper is involved in numerous physiological and metabolic processes critical for the appropriate functioning of almost all tissues in the human body. Clinical studies show that medical device products, embedded with microscopic copper oxide particles, improve the well-being of the skin. These include a) a cure for athlete’s foot and improvement in skin elasticity; b) improving skin well-being and reducing facial lines and wrinkles, and c) enhancing wound healing; by copper oxide embedded socks, pillowcases, and wound dressings, respectively.

Perhaps, due to the purifying quality of copper, the washbasin for the kohanim to wash their hands and feet in preparation for their holy service was made completely out of copper. In Hebrew, copper is called ְנחשֶׁת/nechoshet, a word that shares the root with the wordנַחַשׁ /nashash – ‘serpent.’ I believe this is because copper can overcome the negative energy of the serpent. It is also possible that the energy balancing quality of copper reminds us that ultimate healing is only from Hashem, as it states, “does the [living] snake cause death or the [copper] snake give life? But, rather, when Israel focuses upwards towards Heaven and subjugates its heart to its Father in Heaven, they would be healed, and if not, they would be destroyed…” (Rosh HaShana 3:8; Rashi, Bamidbar 21:8).

Correspondence between the Three Metals and the Three Ways of Serving Hashem

ספר שמות פרק לה פסוק ה קְחוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם תְּרוּמָה לַהָשֵׁם כֹּל נְדִיב לִבּוֹ יְבִיאֶהָ אֵת תְּרוּמַת הָשֵׁם זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחשֶׁת:

“Take from yourselves an offering for Hashem; every generous hearted person shall bring it, [namely] Hashem’s offering: gold, silver, and copper” (Shemot 35:5).

According to the Rebbe of Lubavitch, the three kinds of metals correspond to three types of Jews, with their respective ways of serving Hashem. Gold, the most valuable material, corresponds to the speech of the ba’alei teshuva (returnee to Judaism), who can reach a greater closeness to Hashem than even the greatest tzaddikim (BT, Berachot 34b). They went through the hardest struggle and therefore deserve to be crowned in gold. Silver כֶּסֶף/kesef, shares the root of the word כִּסּוּפִים/kisufim– ‘yearning,’ and corresponds to thoughts of the FFB (A Jew born to a religious family), tzaddikim, who are constantly yearning to be close to Hashem. Yet, since their lives were more shielded and with fewer obstacles and temptations, they are compared to the less valuable silver. Copper, a coarser material, which easily becomes tarnished corresponds to the actions of the sinners of Israel, who can still be polished and become shiny again.

The Three Precious Metals and the Three Primal Fears

According to Rav Ginsburgh, the origins of disease can be traced to three core traumas in the human psyche. In the collective consciousness of the Jewish people, the main fear is fear of exile – the communal state of disease. The Talmud likens the three major exiles of the Jewish people – Egyptian, Babylonian, and the present exile (of Edom) – to being attacked by a wolf, a lion, and a serpent, respectively (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 13a). These three beasts can be overcome by the three Temple materials. Gold, linked to יִרְאַת הַשֵּׁם/yirat Hashem – ‘awe of G-d,’ rectifies the fear of the wolf זְאֵב/ze’ev – etymologically linked to the word זָהָב/zahav – ‘gold. Silver, כֶּסֶף/kesef cognate to the word כִּסּוּפִים/kisufim– ‘yearning,’ engenders love. Connected to אַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם/ahavat Hashem – ‘love of G-d,’ it rectifies fear of the lion, through the holy yearnings of a strong heart.Copper, which encompasses both the awe and fear of G-d, rectifies fear of the serpent, as understood from the connection between ְנחשֶׁת/nechoshet – ‘copper; and נַחַשׁ /nashash – 'serpent'.

Metal	Gold – זָהָב/zahav	Silver – כֶּסֶף/kesef	Copper – נְחשֶׁת/nechoshet
Temple part	The Holy of Holiest	The Tent of Meeting	The Outer Courtyard
Archetypal Animal	Wolf – זְאֵב/Ze’ev	Lion – אַרְיֵה/Arieh	Serpent – נָחָש/Nachash
Exile	Egypt	Babylon	Current (Edom/Rome)

For further insights on the meaning of the Temple metals: http://rebbetzinchanabracha.blogspot.com/2019/02/what-is-spiritual-meaning-of-metals.html