parsha bit: T'rumah

[cellio]

In this week's parsha God commands Israel to build the mishkan, a rather large sanctuary in which God will dwell. I've long wondered where the Israelites found all the needed wood (and other materials) in the desert. One midrash says that the trees used for this wood were planted by Yaakov, who foresaw that wood would be needed by his descendants later. He instructed his sons to plant the trees, and when Israel came out of Mitzrayim the full-grown trees waited, ready to be used. (Tanhuma, T'rumah 9)

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[vonstrassburg.livejournal.com]

Historically, all of the land between southern Israel across north Africa to the Morroccan coast was not all desert in pre-CE times. Much of it was relatively fertile grasslands, there were lightly wooded areas as well. However it has since been over-farmed and is now mostly desert. Where the Israelites found all the needed wood? They cut down trees.