Rashi tells us that the shittim wood had been set aside for quite awhile for this unique purpose. Yaakov Avinu planted these cedar trees in Egypt because he anticipated that the wood eventually would be needed. Prior to his death, he instructed his children to take them along with them when they left the Egyptian exile. Hashem would one day command Klal Yisrael to erect a Mishkan, Tabernacle, in the desert – specifically from shittim wood, and these would serve that purpose. These shittim trees had a history. They were originally planted by Avraham Avinu in Be’er Sheva. When Yaakov left…
