The legendary Shamir Worm is famous for its extraordinary ability to effortlessly cut through the toughest materials, such as stone, iron, and diamond. This mystical worm played a crucial role in constructing the Beis Hamikdash. According to the Mishna, the Shamir is one of the ten unique creations created during the twilight of the first Shabbos. Moshe engraved the stones of the priestly breastplate of the Kohen Gadol with this unique tool. Shlomo Hamelech sought the Shamir's assistance, though uncertain of its whereabouts, sparking a quest that led to the discovery of a "grain of Shamir the size of a barleycorn." Described as "stronger than flint" in sefer Yechezkal (3:9), references to the Shamir also appear in the Hebrew text of Yermiyah 17:1, although English translations often interpret it as "flint" or "diamond." It had to be stored within tufts of wool in a lead box filled with barley bran. The legendary accounts in the Talmud, Tractate Gittin (68a), vividly illustrate the miraculous effects of the Shamir - stones parting like the pages of a book at its touch and iron yielding to its mere presence. We hope to call for the Shamir Worms' help to build the third Beis Hamikdash very, very soon.
Sources:
https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13497-shamir
https://blog.nli.org.il/en/shamir-temple/
