“Gold was created only so that it should be used for the Mishkan.” What is the source of this quotation?
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2Downvote without comment? Why?– הראלMar 5, 2021 at 1:15
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4It's possible that the question was downvoted because you didn't state where you heard this quote.– Harel13Mar 5, 2021 at 6:33
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2Kinnard, I didn't downvote, I was just offering a suggestion. I recommend you put all of these comments in the body of the question.– Harel13Mar 5, 2021 at 7:41
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2It's hard to imagine in fact why anyone would upvote this. Random text with an expectation to find its source? How do you have it if you're not copying it from somewhere? Why would we think a source exists and you didn't make this up? When I Google the quote (which I assume you did as well before asking) I get a bunch of hits. Are those not the sources you want? Why not? What have you done to identify the source of this quote?– Double AA ♦Mar 5, 2021 at 13:05
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1@DoubleAA, I really appreciate your standard for asking questions. You make me think harder. There are actually only a few real hits (~4) on google search and none of them cite a source.– הראלMar 5, 2021 at 16:50
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1 Answer
It's a Shemos Rabba 35:1
Text:
.וְהֵיכָן גְּנָזוֹ בַּגַּן עֵדֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים צז, יא): אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק, וְהַרְבֵּה בְּרִיּוֹת בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּעוֹלָם, וְלֹא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם רָאוּי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן, וְהָיוּ רְאוּיִין לְהִגָּנֵז וְלֹא נִגְנְזוּ מִפְּנֵי כְּבוֹד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאֵיזֶה זֶה זָהָב, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ טוֹבָה גְדוֹלָה חָלַק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְעוֹלָמוֹ בַּזָּהָב, יֵשׁ אָדָם פּוֹרֵט זָהוּב אֶחָד וְהוּא מוֹצִיא מִמֶנּוּ כַּמָּה יְצִיאוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, יב): וּזֲהַב הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא טוֹב, וּמַהוּ טוֹב טוּבֵיהּ דְּהוּא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ טוּבֵיהּ דְּהוּא בְּלִוְיָיתֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ לֹא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם רָאוּי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בַּזָּהָב, וְלָמָּה נִבְרָא בִּשְׁבִיל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבִשְׁבִיל בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּזֲהַב הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא טוֹב, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (דברים ג, כה): הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנֹן.
Translation:
There are many creations that HaShem created and the world was undeserving to make use of them,and even though they should have been hidden away they were not because of the glory of HaShem. What is an example ,gold,Rabbi Avuah said HaShem did a great great thing for the world with gold. A person changes a piece of gold into many things as the passuk says "and the gold of the land is good" ,why is it good ,because happy is the one who has it in their house, and happy to one who travels with it. Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish says the world was not worthy of using (having) gold ,why was it created then ,for the purpose of the Mishkan and Mikdash like it says " and the gold of the land is good ,and can compare the word "tov" to the passuk that talks about the Mikdash in Devarim 3:25(see Rashi on this passuk which notes that it refers to the Mikdash)
