Forging copper and iron entails a thorough transformation of the raw materials of nature – an act that only human beings are capable of undertaking.
The process of refining iron and copper entails many stages, and once this is accomplished, one can then progress further, to steel and aluminum.
This creativity is not limited to practical, technical areas such as mining, cutting, or chiseling.
In spiritual areas as well, man acts within the world, advancing it toward perfection.
Any man can sing with his own voice, but a man “who plays the harp and flute” uses the world’s resources to develop aspects of humanity that extend beyond his basic existence.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
From Talks on the Parasha