Weekly Dvar Torah: Mirrors That Make Hashem a Home
The day in the Mishkan started with the use of the washbasin that was made from the shining mirrors donated by the Jewish women.
Rashi describes an exchange between Moshe and G-d.
When the women brought the mirrors as a donation for the construction of the Mishkan, Moshe refused to accept them. “These mirrors were used by the women to beautify themselves for their husbands, this is not an appropriate item to incorporate in the holy house of G-d,” argued Moshe.
But Hashem said otherwise. “The mirrors are the most precious gift that I have received. These mirrors were used when Pharaoh decreed that all newborns should be killed, that no new Jewish children would survive. The men gave up in despair, but the holy women used the mirrors to entice their husbands to have more children. Thanks to these mirrors I have an army of Jewish children.”
Hashem says; I need to dwell amongst the Jewish people in a physical world, that’s what counts most. All spiritual service of G-d, has to manifest in the physical. And the mirrors reflect the physical.
That is why the first thing in the daily service was the use of the washbasin by the Kohanim. This served as the entry to the daily service of Hashem.
In Hayom Yom of the 17th of Adar 1, there is a saying from the Alter Rebbe; that in the high lofty worlds, they appreciate a Jew serving G-d down in the physical world. The greatest angels would give away everything, just for one Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba of a Jew said with passion down in the physical world.
The Frierdiker Rebbe explains; this is all about G-d’s love to His children, the Jewish people.
The Baal Shem Tov in his early years would come to a village where he gathered the villagers in the public square to speak to them about Ahavas Yisroel, the love of a fellow Jew. He taught that we must love our fellow, just as Hashem loves us. He explained that just like the great scholar of town Reb Yaacov, when he was engrossed in the deep study of a juicy Tosfos, and his little child came over and said something cute, he interrupted his learning to enjoy the child.
This is exactly what Hashem does every day. For the first three hours of the day G-d is engrossed in the study of Torah, but when Jews get up in the morning to pray, Hashem stops his learning and pays attention to His children’s prayers. This is how much G-d loves His children, like a father loves his little cute child. We must learn from this how to love our fellow Jew.
When a Jew goes to Shul to Daven early in the morning, and later in the afternoon he interrupts all his business to go to Shul for Mincha, Hashem tells the angels, look at the Jews, they are My pride!
When I created mankind, you challenged Me by asking why I am creating a valueless man. Now, look at you and look at him. You angels have no wives, no children, you don’t have a family to feed. You have no worries of getting a job, earning a living, paying taxes, you are just free angels. Whereas my children have all the worries to feed a family, go to work, they have to pay bills, taxes and fines. And in addition to that they suffer in a painful exile for so long. Yet they drop everything just to come and talk to Me every day, morning and evening. They are My ultimate pride.
Imagine the envy of all the exalted angels after hearing how G-d values the prayer of a Jew. They would give all that they have just for one Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba said with passion by a Jew down in the physical world.
This is the true service that G-d desires. A simple Jew, a physical human being in a physical world, who in the middle of the day, while hard at work to earn his keep to pay his bills, drops everything and runs to Shul to daven Mincha and say a hearty Amen.
This is the dwelling place that Hashem desired to be built for Him. The women did it by using the mirrors to have children in a dangerous world, and G-d loved it most. And a Jew drops all his problems and finds time to talk to G-d.
Any wonder why G-d loves us?
Have a loving prayerful Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
