Which task was more difficult - the creation
of the world or the building of the mishkan –tabernacle? The Talmud –Ketuvot 5 makes a comparison between them and says that the deeds of the righteous,
the building of the mishkan are greater than the act of creation of the world which was
done with one hand ,"my hand established
the land "- "אף ידי יסדה
ארץ but the building of the tabernacle , was the work of both hands –" "מקדש ה′ כוננו ידיך- your hands have
established God's sanctuary .The source of holiness and purity is from Hashem-God
, but its manifestation in this world depends of acts of the people and
especially righteous ones who themselves
are described as the sanctuary of Hashem. The task of building the mishkan and
its keilim-utensils was given to Betzalel. It involved more than just producing
and manufacturing the utensils. The primary task was to use חכמה ומלכת מחשבת , wisdom, thoughtful
design and craft. It meant injecting all the utensils- keilim with holiness and
purity – kedushah and ta'harah so that they would be the conduit to channel God's abundance in the form of wisdom, Torah, prosperity, forgiveness and atonement to the people. Betzalel
would thus relate to the utensils on the deepest level of understanding and
intentions in order to inject them with kedusha - holiness.
With regard to the Kiyor- washbasin –laver , it is written that Betzalel made the copper
washbasin and its copper base out of the
mirrors of the dedicated women [ha-tzove'ot]
who congregated at the entrance of the Communion Tent. (Ex. 38:8). The Midrash
commentary gives the background. Moses rejected these copper mirrors because mirrors,
although they are important for the husband –wife relationship, they are
perceived as objects that promote lust, vanity and self-centeredness. God told
Moses to accept them, because they are more precious than anything else because
through them a new generation, legions of people was born. The women, by their faith, courage and ingenuity,
secured Jewish survival. The Egyptians not only had a policy of
infanticide towards the boys, but decided to destroy desire with back-breaking slave
labor and interrupt family life by preventing men from returning home and being
with their wives. The righteous women used the mirrors to make themselves up
and adorn themselves. They then went into the fields to tend to their weary and
tired husbands and seduce them using the mirrors. Together they
would look at each other in the mirror and the wife would say to the husband '
I am more beautiful than you ' and this would arouse the husband and lead to
intimacy.
The
women's dedication to their husbands and the future of the nation of Israel , injected
kedusha- holiness and sanctity into the mirrors which made them fitting for the
kiyor – the washbasin. The water from the kiyor was used by the Priests-Kohanim
to sanctify and purify their hands and feet as they entered the Mishkan to do
the daily service, a reminder that kedusha depends on a person's intentions,
actions, thoughts and motivations. The water from the' kiyor ' was also used in
the process to restore marital harmony and trust when a wife was suspected of
being unfaithful and misusing her passions.
The
Midrash said that the mirrors were not only used to help the woman put on their
makeup, but she also wanted her husband to look in the mirror and see how
beautiful she was. The question is asked, why didn't the wife simply say to the
husband,' look at me '– without using the mirror - , 'I am more beautiful than
you'. The answer is that people tend to 'project' their feelings and state of
mind onto the people they are interacting with. This is even more so when
people are stressed out, over-worked and depressed. They don't see the other
person and here ' a wife ' as an independent entity outside of themselves. They
see them as extensions of themselves. It takes a photograph or seeing the
person in a mirror in order to see the other person as somebody separate from them
and see their real beauty, depth and many levels.
As
parents and educators we need to regularly look at photos of children. We,
especially parents see children as extensions of ourselves or there just to do
what they are told, be compliant and don't make trouble. When children are
viewed only in terms of meeting our expectations, then any inappropriate
behavior is seen as an attempt to avoid tasks, attention seeking or attempting
to get something. But if we see kids as separate from ourselves, as independent
entities with a neshama and soul, we can start to see the world through their
eyes and acknowledge that they too have legitimate concerns, perspectives and
needs. We all seek attention, avoid tasks that we don't find appealing or try
to get what we want. The difference is that some kids don't have the skills to
do that in an appropriate way. When there are unsolved problems or infractions
we may try to motivate a kid to behave better using rewards, punishments,
consequences or non-verbal rewards like praise. When we do this, we first are
only concerned about our unmet expectations of kids and getting them to be
compliant. We totally ignore their concerns or any of their unmet needs. But if
we use collaborative problem solving we first explore their concerns and help
them put them on the table so they feel understood, we then share our concerns
and then try to solve the problem by finding a mutually satisfying solution
that addresses both concerns.
When
it comes to learning, academics or even sports we focus on achievement and kids
meeting our goals and expectations. We are not concerned whether the kids enjoy
or can relate to what they are learning and doing and whether they find the
activity interesting and enjoyable. We are only concerned with success and
failure. We need to take heed of the words of Jerome Bruner – those kids should
experience success and failure only as information so we can help them focus on
what they are doing, connect to what they are doing and not focus on how they
are doing. It is only when we see them as separate entities with their own
wishes and personalities that we can respect their autonomy and respects their
choices.
Sanctity
and kedushah means that we relate to people and the world with depth and on a
higher level. Just as we try to elevate the material world and inject
spirituality with our thoughts, intentions, and motives and how we use the
world also trying to benefit others and the community, we need to relate to
people and especially our spouses, children and students, not as projections of
ourselves but as separate people with souls. We need to connect to children etc
on this higher level, and connect to their souls so we can help them to help
themselves to elevate themselves and the world around them.
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