How are gemstones related to maple syrup?
This week’s parsha discusses the bigdei kehuna, including the twelve jewels of the choshen. There are many types of gemstones, each with unique properties. Diamonds, the hardest natural substance on Earth, are made entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal lattice. Other gems, such as rubies and sapphires, are made of aluminum oxide with trace amounts of other elements that give them their unique colors. But there are gems that are made of other, more unexpected things. Opals are iridescent stones that contain up to 20% water, while amber is not even a mineral but a form of tree sap, like maple syrup. Gemstones are precious for many reasons, such as their beauty and rarity, but their greatest value is their use in fulfilling Hashem’s command.
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