What was the shamir, and why was it used in building the Temple?
The shamir is one of the things created at sundown on the sixth day of
Creation (Mishnah Avos 5:6). The Talmud (Pesachim 59a) tells about its
power to cleave stone, but doesn't describe the process in detail; the
commentators (Rashi on Pesachim, Rambam on Avos) explain that it was a
worm that could cleave stone by looking at it. Solomon used it to
build the Temple because using metal implements was forbidden (Ex. 20:22;
Deut. 27:5); see Tosefta Sotah 15:1 and Talmud Sotah 48b. For more details
about the shamir see Ginsburg, Legends of the Jews, Vol.1 pp.33-4; Vol.4 pp.166,168; Vol.5 pp.53,109;
Vol.6 pp.282,299.
Ask a follow-up question
