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Why did Moshe refuse the women's mirrors when he accepted all other Mishkan donations? The shiur argues that the women gathered as a collective to demand representation—a memorial to their role creating Klal Yisrael in Egypt. Unlike other gifts given with nesivas halev, this was a statement on behalf of womanhood itself, which Moshe initially rejected until Hashem (ה׳) overruled him.
The shiur addresses a classical question raised by the Daas Zekeinim: the Torah (תורה) records that women donated personal jewelry items for the Mishkan which were readily accepted, yet when they brought mirrors (mara'os) for the Kiyor (washstand), Rashi (רש"י) tells us Moshe was mo'is (disgusted) and initially refused them. Only after Hashem (ה׳) told Moshe these items were more precious than all others did he accept them. The Daas Zekeinim offer technical answers, but Rabbi Zweig proposes that once the pshat is understood correctly, the question doesn't begin. The deeper question is: how does Rashi know Moshe rejected the mirrors? The pasuk simply states the women brought them and the Kiyor was made from them. Rashi doesn't bring Midrashim without textual basis. The answer lies in carefully reading the language of the pesukim. The Torah says "vayakhilu"—the women gathered together en masse. This is completely different from the earlier donations where individuals came with uplifted hearts (nesivas halev, nediv leiv). Why would all 600,000 women need to gather as a group? The word vayakhilu indicates this was a rally, a protest, or as the Targum says, a prayer gathering. This shows there was resistance from Moshe, and the women came collectively to demand their contribution be accepted.
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Parshas Vayakhel (Shemos 38:8)
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