The SA/TO & Rel/Ed
Connection
Parshat Vayakhel:
And [Betzalel] made the washbasin of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of the women who
performed tasks (ha-tzovot) at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. [Exodus 38:8]
Who are these women, and why are their mirrors used to make a part of the holy tabernacle, the place
that serves as the focal point for the community's worship? The following midrash offers one explanation:
You find that when the Israelites suffered hard labor in Egypt that Pharaoh decreed that they should
not sleep at home or have sexual relations with their wives. Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta said: "What did the
Israelite women do? They would go down to draw water from the river, whereupon the Holy One prepared small
fish for them inside their pitchers. They would sell some of them, cook some of them and buy with them
wine and go out into the work fields to feed their husbands.
After they had eaten, they took their mirrors and looked into them together with their husbands. The
wife would say: "I am better looking than you." The husband would say, "I am better looking!" And in this
way they aroused their sexual desire and became fruitful and multiplied, as it says And the children of
Israel were fruitful and swarmed and multiplied and became exceedingly mighty. (Exodus 1:7)
It was through the merits of these mirrors that the Israelites were able to continue to have children
even under the demands of harsh labor.
When HaShem told Moses to build the tabernacle, all of the men came to contribute. Some brought silver,
some brought gold or brass, onyx and other gems to be set. Everyone brought something and made their
contribution to the holiest of projects as they readily brought whatever they could. The women however
were left out of this and said, "What have we to contribute to the offerings for the tabernacle?" They
came and brought the mirrors and presented them to Moses. When Moses saw the mirrors, it is understood he
was furious with them. He said: "Go and punish whoever brought these mirrors! What possible use could they
have here?!"
HaShem replied: "Moses! You look down on these, but it was these mirrors that raised up all of the
hosts of children born in Egypt. Take them and make from them the washbasin and its base for the priest"
[Midrash Tanhuma, Pekudei #9]
Through this we learn that all the jewels in the world, while still a generous gift, are not much more
valuable than a seemingly vein object, such as a mirror given from the heart. It is not the price of the
offerings but rather the good will of the person that makes these gifts priceless.
Questions:
- Why did Moses reject the mirrors as contributions for the building of the tabernacle?
- Why did HaShem admonish Moses and insist that the mirrors be given a special place in the tabernacle?
- What can we learn from the actions of the Israelite women about strategies for resistance against
oppression?
- How does this reflect upon modern Conservative Egalitarian communities?
- Though the women are considered of a lower class in ancient society, they still fulfill their
obligation of giving to the construction of the tabernacle. How does this parsha portray the Jewish ideal
of giving an equal share no matter your place in society even though the men's gifts were much more
expensive?
B'ahava,
Justin Turnofsky,
2005 SA/TO Int'l General Board
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