Rabbi Gordon - Terumah: 1st Portion
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Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon directed Chabad of the Valley in Tarzana, CA until his passing in 2016.
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Cedar wood Thank you for continuing to provide this enriching study program.
In 25:5...is it possible that, rather than a vision by Jacob (that caused him to bring cedar) as explained by Rashi, that a more practical explanation may be considered? Could it be that cedar was likely brought to Egypt as normal 'packing material' for travel (at that time) given it's insecticidal quality? A vision, perhaps...but why ignore potentially pragmatic explanations at the same time?
My apologies for continually picking at these small items...Chumash to me is rich in many ways that remain unexplored, but then again, I lack familiarity with the many commentaries.
A Christian fellow once remarked to me, "If it is not practical, it is not Scriptural."
Disdain for remark and unstudied gent alike gave way after some years to a wonderment beheld as applied practicality granted entrance and initiation even to those professed of little interest.
And so, too, the best of conversations.
Blessings, pragmatist!