“It is a land where you will not eat rationed bread, and you will not lack anything - a land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you will quarry copper.” -Deuteronomy 8:9
We are invited this week to examine the sui generis qualities of the Land of Israel. Iron is the sought out quality in the stones of the land. Of particular curiosity is the placement of the iron quality sandwiched between the consumption of bread and the following grace. Why is the element of iron jutting in-between bread and blessing? What is so unique about iron that G-d chose to bless the land with its bounty?
Let us visit the region of Haryana, India to understand the solution to this dilemma. The Iron Pillar of Delhi (also known as Ashoka Iron Pillar) belonging to the 'Chandragupta 11 -Vikramaditya' (between 3rd and 4the century CE) period, remains as a riddle even to the modern metallurgists who rack their brains to figure out the secret behind the eternal youth of this wrought iron pillar. One thousand and six hundred years old, made of pure wrought iron, weighing six tons, 7.375 meters high, standing bare for all these years in the scorching climate of Delhi, no fungus, no rust, no corrosion, nothing could scar even the inscriptions made on it; this pillar literally stands tall as a wonder for the modern man to ponder. How can a simple iron pillar stand the test of time?
The Talmud (Taanis 4a) homiletically interprets the Hebrew word for stone “avaneha” as being phonetically similar to the word “builders”, meaning the builders of Torah, i.e. Torah scholars who support the world with their Torah study. Therefore the Talmud reinterprets the verse to mean “a land whose Torah scholars are iron,” as opposed to the literal meaning of a land whose stones are iron.
The great Rabbi and poet, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550–1619) in his commentary Keli Yakar explains that the ideal quality in a Torah scholar is similar to that of iron. A true Torah scholar will be enthralled and satiated with mere bread, and the bread alone will give him the strengths of iron. He will not desire anything in excess of the minimum, despite his being blessed with abundance.
Nachmanides adds that just as iron is a basic necessity for construction, so too the core ingredient for the world’s foundation is Torah study and Torah Scholars. The Torah is sending us a clear message. We can eat and we can recite the grace after meals, but we first must ensure that our values and priorities are in place. We eat in order to serve G-d. We eat in order to make a blessing, not the other way around (well at least that is the ideal!). The Talmud understands that iron has no place in between a discussion about bread and its blessing. It therefore must be referring to Torah Scholars who only require the bare minimum on which to survive.
So what do we learn from the iron pillar of Delhi? How did it survive without corrosion?
After years of scientific research, it has been concluded that the corrosion resistance property of the Delhi Pillar is primarily due to: the purity of its iron, absence of any other metal, better forge welding, and drier and uncontaminated atmospheric condition. These are the qualities sought out in a Torah Scholar and a seeker of The Higher Power. Our striving is to engage in the purification process that will allow our true self to shine through. The contamination of foreign elements in society has succeeded in corroding our values and our essence. If we wish to pass on the pillar to our grandchildren, let us purify ourselves and ensure that we have a timeless message and heritage that will withstand the corrosive powers of contemporary society.
We are invited this week to examine the sui generis qualities of the Land of Israel. Iron is the sought out quality in the stones of the land. Of particular curiosity is the placement of the iron quality sandwiched between the consumption of bread and the following grace. Why is the element of iron jutting in-between bread and blessing? What is so unique about iron that G-d chose to bless the land with its bounty?
Let us visit the region of Haryana, India to understand the solution to this dilemma. The Iron Pillar of Delhi (also known as Ashoka Iron Pillar) belonging to the 'Chandragupta 11 -Vikramaditya' (between 3rd and 4the century CE) period, remains as a riddle even to the modern metallurgists who rack their brains to figure out the secret behind the eternal youth of this wrought iron pillar. One thousand and six hundred years old, made of pure wrought iron, weighing six tons, 7.375 meters high, standing bare for all these years in the scorching climate of Delhi, no fungus, no rust, no corrosion, nothing could scar even the inscriptions made on it; this pillar literally stands tall as a wonder for the modern man to ponder. How can a simple iron pillar stand the test of time?
The Talmud (Taanis 4a) homiletically interprets the Hebrew word for stone “avaneha” as being phonetically similar to the word “builders”, meaning the builders of Torah, i.e. Torah scholars who support the world with their Torah study. Therefore the Talmud reinterprets the verse to mean “a land whose Torah scholars are iron,” as opposed to the literal meaning of a land whose stones are iron.
The great Rabbi and poet, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550–1619) in his commentary Keli Yakar explains that the ideal quality in a Torah scholar is similar to that of iron. A true Torah scholar will be enthralled and satiated with mere bread, and the bread alone will give him the strengths of iron. He will not desire anything in excess of the minimum, despite his being blessed with abundance.
Nachmanides adds that just as iron is a basic necessity for construction, so too the core ingredient for the world’s foundation is Torah study and Torah Scholars. The Torah is sending us a clear message. We can eat and we can recite the grace after meals, but we first must ensure that our values and priorities are in place. We eat in order to serve G-d. We eat in order to make a blessing, not the other way around (well at least that is the ideal!). The Talmud understands that iron has no place in between a discussion about bread and its blessing. It therefore must be referring to Torah Scholars who only require the bare minimum on which to survive.
So what do we learn from the iron pillar of Delhi? How did it survive without corrosion?
After years of scientific research, it has been concluded that the corrosion resistance property of the Delhi Pillar is primarily due to: the purity of its iron, absence of any other metal, better forge welding, and drier and uncontaminated atmospheric condition. These are the qualities sought out in a Torah Scholar and a seeker of The Higher Power. Our striving is to engage in the purification process that will allow our true self to shine through. The contamination of foreign elements in society has succeeded in corroding our values and our essence. If we wish to pass on the pillar to our grandchildren, let us purify ourselves and ensure that we have a timeless message and heritage that will withstand the corrosive powers of contemporary society.
Let us learn from the iron pillar. Let us become like iron. Let those of us with the patronymic of iron, live up to its designation. May the true iron shine forth, and let the historical antecedent of the name Eisenstein and Glatstein (my paternal grandparents’ original surnames), form the new iron that is both pure and strong in Torah and values. Amen.
