I’ve been nearsighted for so many years that seeing through glass seems natural to me. Glasses or contacts – the bottom line is that without them I wouldn’t function nearly as well.
There is another type of glass that we sometimes look at, but not through. That is, of course, a mirror. When coated, the glass projects a reflection instead of a clear view.
In this week’s parsha Pekudei we read of the kiyor, the laver, which was placed outside the Mishkan. This wash basin served as a necessary preparation for the priests entering to officiate in the Tabernacle. They were not permitted to enter without first washing their hands and feet. It was constructed of copper. In those times, copper was often used as a mirror. Indeed, the copper donated by the Jewish women functioned as their mirrors prior to its newly adapted role at G-d’s Sanctuary.
Initially, Moshe refused to accept these mirrors for use in the Sanctuary. He figured that they were unfit, due to their prior role as vehicles for vanity. He was overruled by G-d and they were installed as part of the wash basin.
The Zohar provides a more mystical approach to Moshe’s refusal. We know that Moshe was the greatest prophet. Other prophets experienced G-d in a vision, or trance. Moshe, however, spoke with the Almighty casually, “face to face” – just as humans would interact with each other.
While prophecy is a mystical experience that we may struggle to explain with mere words, the Zohar offers an analogy.
Moshe’s degree of prophecy is compared to seeing something through a magnifying glass. The item is vivid. In fact, it is more real than in real life.
The divination of other prophets is similar to viewing an object through a mirror. When viewed through a mirror, it is a solid image, but it’s technically just a reflection. The image is clear, but it’s not the real item. In fact, the item is behind you, yet you are looking straight ahead. It’s almost like a photograph, a duplicate. Due to this, some disorientation may occur (i.e. exchanging right for left or reading backwards).
There is, however, an advantage to viewing something in a mirror. You are now privileged to see objects that are otherwise out of view. You can see things behind you. As real as a magnifying glass is, it cannot provide a rearview.
This explains Moshe’s reluctance at accepting a donation that was previously used for vanity. He was an exceptional soul and could not settle for something that was a substitute for the real thing. To him, G-d’s home demanded nothing but pure, direct holiness. The mirrors represented material effects that are not directly related to G-d. Yes, you can find G-d in them. But that’s not the natural view. It’s a roundabout connection.
So, he rejected them.
G-d, however, felt otherwise. Hashem wants everything to have a connection to Him. The mirrors may not reflect a natural bond with G-d. But, they too could be consecrated for holiness. They were transformed into a sacred vessel of G-dly light.
The lesson for all of us is that everyday objects can serve a holy purpose. Their relationship with G-d may not seem obvious. But, once upgraded to a sacred mission, they bring more into the G-dly picture than that which is naturally amenable to holiness.