S.A.L.T. - Monday

The Torah in Parashat Vayakhel (38:8) tells that the kiyor – the sink from which the kohanim were required to wash their hands and feet before entering the Mishkan to serve – was made from mirrors donated by women.

Rav Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye (Toldot Yaakov Yosef) suggests an explanation for the symbolic significance of the use of mirrors for specifically this purpose – to make a sink for cleansing oneself.  The requirement that the kohanim wash themselves before entering the Mishkan to serve, Rav Yaakov Yosef explains, represents the need to “cleanse” ourselves, to whatever extent reasonably possible, of our negative character traits before proceeding to serve God.  In order to properly serve our Creator through Torah study and mitzva performance, we must first try to eliminate character flaws such as arrogance, preoccupation with vain pleasures, and other negative qualities.  Often, however, we are unaware of our faults which need to be corrected.  We might likely have flaws in our character that we do not see.  The kiyor was made from mirrors to instruct that the process of cleansing ourselves must begin by “looking in the mirror,” by scrutinizing ourselves with pure honesty and objectivity to identify our flaws and shortcomings.  People look in a mirror in order to see if there is anything wrong with their appearance, and which improvements need to be made.  And thus the kiyor, the symbol of the need for “cleansing” our characters, was made from mirrors, representing the importance of honest self-assessment and introspection as a necessary prerequisite for self-improvement.

Rav Yaakov Yosef cites in this context a teaching of his mentor, the Ba’al Shem Tov, asserting that very often, the “mirror” that most accurately reflects our true selves is our fellowman.  Many of us are naturally reluctant to acknowledge our faults, or innocently fail to recognize them.  The Ba’al Shem Tov taught that oftentimes, the faults we see and dislike in other people are a reflection of our own faults.  When we observe a deficiency in another person, this might very well indicate that we ourselves have that same deficiency.  Thus, before we look disdainfully upon our fellow in whose character we find a serious flaw, we should honestly think if perhaps we share this fault, if the image of that individual is actually a “mirror” reflecting our own image.  If we react this way, then we can transform negativity and disdain into an opportunity to learn more about ourselves so we can grow and advance.

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