This week’s sidrah begins an intricate description of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and its vessels. The first vessel to be mentioned is the ark, which was to hold the tablets and stand in the holy of holies. 

The Torah tells us that the ark shall be made of three boxes: the inner and the outer one coated in gold and the middle one made of wood. And yet, even though the ark looked totally golden, it is referred to as the ark of acacia wood, not the ark of gold.

By contrast, in next week’s parashah, we learn about in Incense altar, also referred to as the mizbeach hazahav, the golden altar that is also coated in gold. 

We can understand why the ark is called the ark of acacia wood when we understand where the wood came from. The midrash tell us: our father Jacob prophetically foresaw that the Israelites were destined to build a Tabernacle in the desert, so he brought seedlings to Egypt and planted them. He commanded his sons to take them along when they left Egypt.

Unlike the gold, which was acquired from the Egyptians shortly before the Jews left Egypt, the wood had been planted many years previously. 

The Torah is referred to as a Etz Chaim, a “Tree of Life”. Trees require foresight. They require planting and planning and lots of patience as they slowly grow. 
Perhaps this is why the ark, which both contained and represented the Torah,  is called the ark of acacia wood. It is a reminder to all those looking to acquire a portion in that Torah that much work and effort is required in order to obtain its rich fruit. 

Interestingly, the word used to command the building of the ark is different from all the other things built in the Mishkan. With the others, the word ve’asita, “and you shall make”, is singular. With the ark, the word ve’asu, “and you [plural] shall make” is used.
 
The message is clear. Even though Torah requires toil, hard work and patience, it is something that every single Jew can access. It is not for the Levites or the scholars. It is accessible to us all.