The Breastpiece: How Others See Us
(א) וְאַתָּ֡ה הַקְרֵ֣ב אֵלֶיךָ֩ אֶת־אַהֲרֹ֨ן אָחִ֜יךָ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו אִתּ֔וֹ מִתּ֛וֹךְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְכַהֲנוֹ־לִ֑י אַהֲרֹ֕ן נָדָ֧ב וַאֲבִיה֛וּא אֶלְעָזָ֥ר וְאִיתָמָ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹֽן׃ (ב) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בִגְדֵי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֑יךָ לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃ (ג) וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּדַבֵּר֙ אֶל־כָּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלֵּאתִ֖יו ר֣וּחַ חָכְמָ֑ה וְעָשׂ֞וּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֧י אַהֲרֹ֛ן לְקַדְּשׁ֖וֹ לְכַהֲנוֹ־לִֽי׃
...(טו) וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ חֹ֤שֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה חֹשֵׁ֔ב כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה אֵפֹ֖ד תַּעֲשֶׂ֑נּוּ זָ֠הָב תְּכֵ֨לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ן וְתוֹלַ֧עַת שָׁנִ֛י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָ֖ר תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃ (טז) רָב֥וּעַ יִֽהְיֶ֖ה כָּפ֑וּל זֶ֥רֶת אָרְכּ֖וֹ וְזֶ֥רֶת רָחְבּֽוֹ׃ (יז) וּמִלֵּאתָ֥ בוֹ֙ מִלֻּ֣אַת אֶ֔בֶן אַרְבָּעָ֖ה טוּרִ֣ים אָ֑בֶן ט֗וּר אֹ֤דֶם פִּטְדָה֙ וּבָרֶ֔קֶת הַטּ֖וּר הָאֶחָֽד׃ (יח) וְהַטּ֖וּר הַשֵּׁנִ֑י נֹ֥פֶךְ סַפִּ֖יר וְיָהֲלֹֽם׃ (יט) וְהַטּ֖וּר הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י לֶ֥שֶׁם שְׁב֖וֹ וְאַחְלָֽמָה׃ (כ) וְהַטּוּר֙ הָרְבִיעִ֔י תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ וְשֹׁ֖הַם וְיָשְׁפֵ֑ה מְשֻׁבָּצִ֥ים זָהָ֛ב יִהְי֖וּ בְּמִלּוּאֹתָֽם׃ (כא) וְ֠הָאֲבָנִים תִּֽהְיֶ֜יןָ עַל־שְׁמֹ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה עַל־שְׁמֹתָ֑ם פִּתּוּחֵ֤י חוֹתָם֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־שְׁמ֔וֹ תִּֽהְיֶ֕יןָ לִשְׁנֵ֥י עָשָׂ֖ר שָֽׁבֶט׃
...(כט) וְנָשָׂ֣א אַ֠הֲרֹן אֶת־שְׁמ֨וֹת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בְּחֹ֧שֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט עַל־לִבּ֖וֹ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְזִכָּרֹ֥ן לִפְנֵֽי־ה' תָּמִֽיד׃ (ל) וְנָתַתָּ֞ אֶל־חֹ֣שֶׁן הַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט אֶת־הָאוּרִים֙ וְאֶת־הַתֻּמִּ֔ים וְהָיוּ֙ עַל־לֵ֣ב אַהֲרֹ֔ן בְּבֹא֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֣י ה' וְנָשָׂ֣א אַ֠הֲרֹן אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֨ט בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל עַל־לִבּ֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י ה' תָּמִֽיד׃ (ס)
(1) You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. (2) Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. (3) Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest...
(15) You shall make a breastpiece of decision, worked into a design; make it in the style of the ephod: make it of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen. (16) It shall be square and doubled, a span in length and a span in width. (17) Set in it mounted stones, in four rows of stones. The first row shall be a row of carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald; (18) the second row: a turquoise, a sapphire, and an amethyst; (19) the third row: a jacinth, an agate, and a crystal; (20) and the fourth row: a beryl, a lapis lazuli, and a jasper. They shall be framed with gold in their mountings. (21) The stones shall correspond [in number] to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, corresponding to their names. They shall be engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes...
(29) Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, for remembrance before the Eternal at all times. (30) Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the Urim and Tummim, so that they are over Aaron’s heart when he comes before the Eternal. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before the Eternal at all times.
4QShirShabbat: Song XIII (4Q405)
1. ...the beauty of the engravings of [
2. they approach the King when they minister be[fore
3. King and he inscribed his Glory [
4. holiness, the sanctuary of all [
5. their ephodim; they will spread out [
6. holy ones, good will […] spirits of the ho[ly ones
7. their holy places. In their wonderful positions are spirits, many colored as the work of a weaver, engravings of figures of splendor
8. in the midst of the Glory an appearance of scarlet, colors of the light of the spirit of the holy of holies standing firm in their holy place before [...
9. the King. The spirits of the solors of […] in the midst of the appearance of splendor and the likeness of the Spirit of Glory as works of fine gold shedding
10. lig[ht]. And all their crafted things are blended purely; the woven band as the woven work. These are the chiefs of those wonderfully dressed for service.
Letter of Aristeas 96-97
It was an occasion of great amazement to us when we saw Eleazar engaged on his ministry, and all the glorious vestments, including the wearing of the garment with precious stones upon it in which he is vested; golden bells surround the hem and make a very special sound. Alongside each of them are tassels adorned with flowers, and of marvelous colours… On his breast he wears what is called the "oracle," to which are attached twelve stones of different kinds, set in gold, giving the names of the patriarchs in what was the original order, each stone flashing its own natural distinctive colour - quite indescribable.
Ma'ayanah Shel Torah on Ex. 28:30
Many have had difficulty in understanding how the Urim and Tummim worked, and how they were used. Ramban gives a very good explanation. According to him, the Urim and Tummim were the holy names of God, engraved on the breastplate by Moses. Some of these holy names were known as Urim and others as Tummim. When the high priest came to consult with the Urim and Tummim, he would fix his thoughts on the Urim, and certain letters would light up. But this was insufficient, because the letters were in a haphazard order, and different messages could be spelled out with those same letters. The high priest then fixed his thoughts on the Tummim, and this directed his thoughts in how to arrange the letters correctly. This involved Divine Inspiration.
The Gaon of Vilna uses Ramban's explanation to explain the dispute (I Sam. 1:13-15) between the high priest Eli and Hannah, who would become the prophet Samuel's mother. We are told that Eli saw her lips moving but heard no sound, and he thought that Hannah was drunk. Hannah, though, answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit." On this, the Talmud (Berakhot 31) comments: "She told him: 'You are not a master of this matter, and you have no Divine Inspiration concerning it, seeing that you suspected me of this.'"
The explanation of this is as follows: Eli sensed that there was something unusual about Hannah's prayer. He therefore consulted with the Urim and Tummim, and four letters lit up: heh, kaf, resh, shin. He assumed that this spelled shikorah - shin, kaf, resh, heh - "drunk" - but she answered him, "No, my lord" - you have no Divine Inspiration - "I am a woman of sorrowful spirit." What the letters spelled out was kesherah - kaf, shin, resh, heh - "worthy" - just as our mother Sarah, who had difficulty in conceiving and having a child.
"When the Fabulous is Holy," Marla Brettschneider, Torah Queeries, ed. Gregg Drinkwater et al (New York, 2009), pp.106-8.
How many times have I heard queers sneer some version of "those texts just don't speak to me" or "there is nothing recognizable" or "there isn't anything in the Bible that relates to the world as I know it." Yet Parashat Tetzaveh, in its exquisite attention to detail and ritualizing of the beautiful, is a queer text that speaks to me. One might say that its resonance to queer life for me is based on stereotype, given the text's flamboyance. Yet the flamboyant is a slice of queer life that is real to me, and much beloved. Though flamboyance is commonly associated with excess and negatively valenced, in Tetzaveh we find an alternative framing of flamboyance as the site that brings G-d nearer to us as (a) people.
...There is a breastpiece deemed an "instrument of decision" far more awesome than powdered wigs and the flowing robes of Supreme Court justices. It is mounted in elaborate design with sapphire, turquoise, amethyst, emerald, and other richly colored precious stones.
...Preparing stunning attire is therefore a prayer. Wearing a magnificent frock is an aspect of one's love for G-d. A pleasing sight is a divine offering. These clothes and fabulous accoutrements are ordered for no other reason than "dignity and adornment" (28:40). Yves St. Laurent would be proud...
...Why were the events and people in this textual moment so flamboyant, and how does this flamboyance connect to queerness - in a contemporary sensibility - and the public presentation of self?... Often it is through clothes and related components of affect that we push boundaries... Frequently it is through pushing boundaries that we connect to the present and the holiness of what is before us and how we are situated... It is often in the extreme that we encounter ecstasy, bits of the divine.
The extravagant clothes, rituals, meals, sacrifices, and anointings are central to the creation of the priesthood. Reading Tetzaveh from within a contemporary culture that associates queers with flamboyance and flamboyance with ruin, the parsha offers up a sigh of relief and a moment of validation. By providing a glimpse into a world that creates flamboyance and then marks it as holy, Tetzaveh opens up an opportunity to appreciate the fabulousness of contemporary queer culture. In the text, this space of excess is named not as some hedonistic den but as the Tent of Meeting - the dwelling place of the divine. Queers have heard endless rants about the godlessness of our most prized sites and practices of pleasure, meaning, and relationship. As a counterpoint, in Tetzaveh it is here - in this place of lavish beauty - that G-d will meet with the Israelites, speak to us, and abide among us.
"My Tourette Syndrome and I Are Not Your Mitzvah Project," Pamela Rae Schuller, ReformJudaism.org
Many times throughout my life, I have felt like I was the mitzvah project of the week, like the community didn't really want me there, but knew including me was what they were supposed to do. I always felt like we were one step away from my face being on the community bulletin with a story reading something like, "We did it! We included somebody with special needs! Be proud everyone. Be real proud." OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But feeling like my presence was another's mitzvah made me feel even more like an outsider.
People keep telling me their community is really working on their "tolerance" of those of us with disabilities. I tolerate the weather in the winter. I tolerate the neighbor who is learning the drums. I tolerate going to the dentist. But none of these are things I like; they are things I know I have to deal with. But every person - whatever their unique gifts, whatever their limitations - has value, and no one wants just to be tolerated.
Laver and Mirrors: How We See Ourselves
(ח) וַיַּ֗עַשׂ אֵ֚ת הַכִּיּ֣וֹר נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְאֵ֖ת כַּנּ֣וֹ נְחֹ֑שֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת֙ הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽבְא֔וּ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
The mirrors of the women who performed tasks... [this] may refer to the women who came regularly to pray at the tent, and to study the commandments. They had abandoned all the vanities of the world; hence they gave up their mirrors, which they no longer needed. For ordinarily women have no occupation other than to beautify their faces every morning in copper or glass mirrors, and to arrange their hats (see Is. 3:20). For the customs of Israel were the same as those preserved to this day in Islamic countries. The verb does not mean "to perform tasks," but "to show up in armies," for there were so many of them.
(יד) וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מַיִם קְדוֹשִׁים (במדבר ה, יז), אֵין מַיִם קְדוֹשִׁים אֶלָא שֶׁנִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ בַּכְּלִי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן מֵי כִּיּוֹר. וְלָמָּה הָיוּ הַמַּיִם מִן הַכִּיּוֹר, לְפִי שֶׁהַכִּיּוֹר לֹא נַעֲשָׂה אֶלָּא מִן מַרְאוֹת הַנָּשִׁים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לח, ח): וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת הַכִּיּוֹר נְחשֶׁת וגו', אוֹתָן נָשִׁים שֶׁאָמְרוּ הָאֱלֹקִים מֵעִיד עָלֵינוּ שֶׁיָּצָאנוּ טְהוֹרוֹת מִמִּצְרַיִם, כְּשֶׁבָּא משֶׁה לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּיּוֹר, אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹקִים בְּאוֹתָן הַמַּרְאוֹת עֲשֵׂה אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁלֹא נַעֲשׂוּ לְשֵׁם זְנוּת, וְהֵימֶנּוּ תִּהְיֶנָה בְּנוֹתֵיהֶן נִבְדָקוֹת אִם טְהוֹרוֹת הֵם כְּאִמּוֹתֵיהֶן.
..."And the priest took the holy water" (Num. 5:17). There is no holy water except what is made holy by being put in a vessel, and that is the water of the laver. And why is that the water from the laver? Because the laver was made from the mirrors of the women, as it is written, "And he made the laver from copper [and its stand from copper, from the mirrors of the women who served (tzavu) at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting]" (Ex. 38:8). The same women who said, "God bears witness for us that we left pure from Egypt." When Moses came to make the laver God said to him, "From those [their] mirrors make it, for they did not act for the sake of unchastity, and from it [the laver] their daughters will be tested for whether they are as pure as their foremothers."
(א) אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְגוֹ', וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה (שמות לח, כט) וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַכַּלּוֹת, שֶׁכֵּן בִּלְשׁוֹן יָוָן קוֹרִין לַכַּלָה נִינְפֵי. אַתָּה מוֹצֵא, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ בְּמִצְרַיִם, גָּזַר עֲלֵיהֶם פַּרְעֹה שֶׁלֹּא יְהִיוּ יְשֵׁנִים בְּבָתֵּיהֶן, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מְשַׁמְּשִׁין מִטּוֹתֵיהֶן. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא, מֶה הָיוּ בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשׂוֹת. יוֹרְדוֹת לִשְׁאֹב מַיִם מִן הַיְאוֹר, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה מַזְמִין לָהֶם דָּגִים קְטַנִּים בְּתוֹךְ כַּדֵּיהֶן, וְהֵן מוֹכְרוֹת וּמְבַשְּׁלוֹת מֵהֵן וְלוֹקְחוֹת מֵהֶן יַיִן וְהוֹלְכוֹת לַשָּׂדֶה וּמַאֲכִילוֹת אֶת בַעְלֵיהֶן שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבְכָל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה (שמות א, יד). מִשֶּׁהָיוּ אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין, נוֹטְלוֹת הַמַּרְאוֹת וּמַבִּיטוֹת בָּהֶן עִם בַּעְלֵיהֶן, זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת אֲנִי נָאָה מִמְּךָ, וְזֶה אוֹמֵר אֲנִי נָאֶה מִמֵּךְ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ הָיוּ מַרְגִּילִין עַצְמָן לִידֵי תַאֲוָה וּפָרִין וְרָבִין, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פּוֹקְדָן לְאַלְתָּר.
(ב) רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אוֹמְרִין, יֵשׁ מֵהֶן יוֹלְדוֹת שְׁנַיִם בְּבַת אֶחָת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: שִׁשָּׁה בְּכֶרֶס אֶחָד, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר בְּכֶרֶס אֶחָד, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא. מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שְׁנַיִם, דּוֹרֵשׁ פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ (שמות א, ז). מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שִׁשָּׁה פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד הֲרֵי שִׁשָּׁה. מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, פָּרוּ שְׁנַיִם, וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ שְׁנַיִם כוּ', הֲרֵי שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. וּמִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא, שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּדָּגִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם (בראשית א, כ), וְכָאן כָּתוּב וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ. וְכָל הַמִּנְיָן הָאֵלּוּ, מִן הַמַּרְאוֹת,
(ג) וְכָתוּב בָּהֶן וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם (שמות א, ז). וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ (שמות א, יב). בִּזְכוּת אוֹתָן הַמַּרְאוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מַרְאוֹת לְבַעְלֵיהֶן וּמַרְגִּילוֹת אוֹתָן לִידֵי תַאֲוָה מִתּוֹךְ הַפֶּרֶךְ, הֶעֱמִידוּ כָּל הַצְּבָאוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יָצְאוּ כָּל צִבְאוֹת ה' מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (שמות יב, מא). וְאוֹמֵר: הוֹצִיא ה' אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַל צִבְאֹתָם.
(ד) כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, עָמְדוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִתְנַדְּבוּ, מִי שֶׁהֵבִיא כֶסֶף וּמִי שֶׁהֵבִיא זָהָב אוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת וְאַבְנֵי שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים, הֵבִיאוּ בִּזְרִיזוּת הַכֹּל. אָמְרוּ הַנָּשִׁים, מַה יֵּשׁ לָנוּ לִתֵּן בְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. עָמְדוּ וְהֵבִיאוּ אֶת הַמַּרְאוֹת וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶן אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה. כְּשֶׁרָאָה מֹשֶׁה אוֹתָן הַמַּרְאוֹת, זָעַף בָּהֶן. אָמַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, טְלוּ מַקְלוֹת וְשַׁבְּרוּ שׁוֹקֵיהֶן שֶׁל אֵלּוּ. הַמַּרְאוֹת לְמָה הֵן צְרִיכִין. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, מֹשֶׁה, עַל אֵלּוּ אַתָּה מְבַזֶּה. הַמַּרְאוֹת הָאֵלּוּ הֵן הֶעֱמִידוּ כָּל הַצְּבָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם. טֹל מֵהֶן וַעֲשֵׂה מֵהֶן כִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וְכַנּוֹ לַכֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ יִהְיוּ מִתְקַדְּשִׁין הַכֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּעַשׂ אֵת הַכִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וְאֵת כַּנּוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת בְּמַרְאֹת הַצֹּבְאֹת אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ (שמות לח, ח), בְּאוֹתָן הַמַּרְאוֹת שֶׁהֶעֱמִידוּ אֶת כָּל הַצְּבָאוֹת הָאֵלֶּה. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: וּנְחֹשֶׁת הַתְּנוּפָה שִׁבְעִים כִּכָּר, נְחֹשֶׁת הַכַּלּוֹת.
(ה) אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִתְנַדַּבְתֶּם לַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁהָיָה מִתְכַּפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם. וְלֶעָתִיד לָבֹא אֲנִי אֲכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם וְאֹהַב אֶתְכֶם נְדָבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֶרְפָּא מְשׁוּבָתָם אֹהֲבֵם נְדָבָה (הושע יד, ה). אָמְרוּ, אֵין לָנוּ לֹא מִשְׁכָּן לֹא מִקְדָּשׁ, תְּהֵא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלַּת פִּינוּ כְּנִדְבַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. אָמַר דָּוִד, נִדְבוֹת פִּי רְצֵה נָא ה' (תהלים קיט, קח).
(1) These are the accounts of the tabernacle … and the bronze of the offering (Exod. 38:21, 29). The bronze of the offering (tenufah) refers to the bronze vessels given to a bride, for in Greek they call a bride nymphé.14A play on words: tenufah (“offering”) and nymphé, a Greek bride. You find that while the Israelites were making bricks in Egypt, Pharaoh decreed that they were not to sleep at home so that they would not have intercourse with their wives. R. Simeon the son of Halafta said: What did the Israelite women do? They would go to the Nile to draw water, and the Holy One, blessed be God, would fill their jugs with little fishes. Small fishes arouse sexual desire (Berakhot 40a). They would (sell some), cook and prepare (the fish), and buy some wine (with the proceeds of the sale), and then bring it to their husbands in the fields, as it is said: In all manner of service in the field (Exod. 1:14). While the men were eating and drinking, the women would take out their mirrors and glance into them with their husbands. They would say: “I am more attractive than you,” and the men would reply: “I am more attractive than you.” In that way they would arose their sexual desires and become fruitful and multiply. The Holy One, blessed be God, caused them to conceive on the spot.
(2) Our sages said: They bore twins. Others say: Six were formed in a single womb. Others say: twelve were born from one womb. And still other contend six hundred thousand. Those who believed that twins were born explained it by the words: Were fruitful and increased abundantly (Exod. 1:7). Those who contended that six were born based it on the words: Were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty (ibid.), that is, six. Those who say that twelve were born argue that the words in this verse are in plural form, thus making twelve in all. Those who said six hundred thousand did so because it is written about fishes: Let the waters swarm abundantly (Gen. 1:20), and here it is written: Increased abundantly. And all these were from the mirrors.
(3) It is also written concerning them: And the land was filled with them (Exod. 1:7). That is to say, that even while they were suffering hardship, they increased and multiplied, by means of the mirrors in which they preened themselves before their husbands. They aroused their sexual desires despite the arduous labors they performed. They reared all the hosts that were to depart, as it is said: All the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt (ibid. 12:41), and also: The Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts (ibid.,v. 51).
(4) When the Holy One, blessed be God, told Moses to build the Tabernacle, all the Israelites brought their contributions. Some brought silver, others brought gold or copper or onyx stones or unset stones. They brought everything eagerly. The women asked themselves: What contribution can we make to the Sanctuary? They arose, took their mirrors, and brought them to Moses. When Moses saw them he became angry with them. He said to the Israelites: Take your canes and beat them on their shoulders. What purpose do these mirrors serve? The Holy One, blessed be God, called out to Moses: Moses, do you mistreat them because of these? These very mirrors produced the hosts in Egypt. Take them and make a basin of brass and its base for the priests, that they may sanctify the priests from it, as it is said: And he made the laver of brass, and base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service (ibid. 38:8), for they had produced all the hosts. Therefore it is written: And the brass of the offering was seventy talents (ibid., v. 29), that is, the offering of the wives amounted to seventy talents.
(5) The Holy One, blessed be God, said: In this world you shall offer gifts to the Temple that it might atone for you, but in the future I shall atone for you and love you freely, as it is said: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely (Hos. 14:5). They replied: When we have neither Tabernacle nor Temple, let the prayers of our lips be our offerings. David exclaimed: Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will offering of my mouth, O Lord (Ps. 119:108).
"The Life of Torah,"Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, I'm God, You're Not (Woodstock, VT, 2010), pp.84-5.
One of the happier parts of my job as the rabbi of a congregation was making guest appearances in the preschool. Being a conscientious teacher, I would initially prepare short lesson plans. But then it dawned on me: I could tell them anything and they had never heard it! "Abraham was the first Jew," and they'd say, "Wow! What's a Jew?" They were, in other words, a fairly easy group to teach.
A few years ago... the preschool teacher asked me, instead of visiting their classroom, to give the children a tour of the prayer hall... Initially, things went as planned, but before I realized it, the time must have got away from me... Not wanting to rush through removing the Torah scrolls from the ark, I decided, instead, to postpone this for a later session. "Next week, boys and girls, when we meet again, I'll open these curtains and show you something very special inside." They all said, "Shalom, Rabbi," and, like little ducklings, followed their teacher back to the classroom.
The next morning, their teacher showed up in my office with the following story. Apparently the preceding day's hastily concluded lesson had generated a heated debate among the little people as to what exactly was behind the curtain. No one knew for sure! The teacher swears the following four answers were given. (I now suspect they may exhaust most, if not all, of the available meanings of sacred text.)
One kid, doubtless a budding nihilist, thought it would be empty. Another, with a more traditional bent, guessed that it held a Jewish holy book or something. A third, apparently a devotee of American television consumer culture, opined that "behind that curtain was a brand-new car!" But one child, the teacher recounted, explained to the rest of the class, "You're all wrong. Next week, when that rabbi man opens the curtain, there will be a giant mirror!"
Somehow, the little one already intuited the great mystery of every sacred text: it is holy because, within its words, we meet ourselves. The idea is so elegant and yet elusive that it must be rediscovered anew by each generation.
Rachel Desjourdy, "Red Lipstick"
This Passover, I was invited to a friend's seder where we were assigned homework. Her email said, "Since Passover is the festival of freedom, I am asking you to think about freedom... Bring a symbol of your own enslavement or of your sense of freedom... Be prepared to share."
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to rock the bright-red lipstick look. In 2012 I did a photo biography for a school project and wrote, "If I could change one thing, it would be my lips. I just want to be able to wear crimson-red lipstick; Marilyn Monroe-style." I am not a makeup wearing girl, but red lipstick, to me, was the epitome of self-confidence. My own lips embarrassed me - scarring, jagged - I feared that red lipstick, on me, would be reminiscent of the Joker.
But as I have aged I have worked to repair a lifetime's worth of self-esteem. That Passover my symbol of freedom was this picture: taken the day I completed my MA. It was the first time I had ever word red lipstick in public. It only took me a year to get my Master's degree, but a lifetime to gain the courage to wear red lipstick. In some little way, that small tube of crimson-coloured chemicals has become a symbol of freedom. I'm a teeny bit freer from a childhood's worth of bullying that taught me I wasn't worthy to wear red lipstick. #ableism #disability #eecsyndrome #selfesteem #selflove #passover2017
