As part of the healing korban of the person with tzaraat, “the priest shall order two live pure birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop to be brought for the one to be purified (verse 4: וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזוֹב׃). The unique piece of this korban is the cedar wood. No other korban contains a piece of cedar wood. Why is this included here? Each part of this korban connects to the idea that tzaraat was a result of gossiping. The two birds reference the chirping between two individuals that started the gossip. The cedar was one of the tallest and strongest trees in the near east. So the cedar wood symbolizes the strong staying power of gossip and rumor. The crimson stuff is red, symbolizing blood and harm that gossip can cause. The hyssop is a lowly bush and symbolizes the lowly state of the victim of gossip. Rashi focuses on the height of the cedar tree alone. One who sins in a way that results in tzaraat believes that they are higher and mightier than everyone else. Siftai Chachamim adds that the cedar wood is even used for the offering for the houses based on the opinion of Rashi that a house got tzaraat as a way for the Israelites to find hidden treasures in the walls. These hidden treasures were left there by the previous Canaanite inhabitants. The previous inhabitants were haughty because of this wealth and felt they were indestructible like the cedar tree. They did not believe that they could be expelled from the land. This is also a lesson for the Israelites who find this treasure. Besides the tzaraat, the cedar tree appears most often in relation to the building of the Temple. The cedar wood provided the foundation of the structure of the Temple. The wood was chosen because of its strength. Perhaps God is also sending a message to the person that sins in a way that causes tzaraat that they are responsible for the destruction of one small piece of the Temple. Ultimately the Temple was destroyed because of the proliferation of hatred amongst the people, the very thing that is said to cause tzaraat.