"He made the Kiyyur (wash-basin for the Kohanim) and its pedestal of copper, with the mirrors of the women who congregated at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting"
Rashi comments on the above pasuk that the mirrors mentioned are those that the Jewish women would use when beautifying themselves. He states that, initially, Moshe rejected the mirrors because he felt it was inappropriate to use an item meant for such purposes in as holy a place as the Mishkan. Nonetheless, Hashem instructed Moshe to accept the mirrors saying they were "dearest to Him of all." But why were they so dear to Him and, if they were, why specifically use them for this basin?
The midrash explains that one reason the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish men with such difficult labor was in an attempt to prevent them from procreating. They had hoped that when the men got home they would be too exhausted to lay with their wives, thereby resulting in the ultimate extermination of the Jewish people.
The women, however, realized this and so - as Rashi explains - they would go out to the fields where the men were working and feed and wash their husbands. They would then take out these copper mirrors and use them to entice their husbands by standing next to them and looking in the mirror saying "I am handsomer than you." The men would become aroused and cohabit with their wives in that very place. In essence, these mirrors helped save Klal Yisrael from extermination - that is why the are so dear to Hashem.
Rashi goes on to explain that the Kiyyur would also be used to provide the water that a woman accused of adultery by her husband (Sotah) would drink. The reason it was made from these mirrors because the basin is meant to provide reassurance to the husband that his wife did not cheat on him - thereby resulting in a reaffirmed shalom bayit.
I must admit, Rashi's explanation of why the mirrors were used in the Kiyyur did not sit well with me. Initially, I did not see the connection between the use of the mirrors in Egypt and the message they are supposed to carry in the Mishkan. After giving it some thought, I came up with the following explanation:
When I teach Sotah to my students, I explain that - usually - a marriage that is "happy" doesn't result in an affair. Rather, when a couple loses their flame is when one begins looking into other options. That said, the Kiyyur is meant as a sign on how to not reach the point of adultery. It is made with the mirrors to remind us of how they were used - in enticement and flirtation between the husband and wife. The Kiyyur is telling us that as busy and exhausted as we may become, it is necessary to take the time to enjoy our spouses and their company or - Heaven Forbid - we may find ourselves needing to use its water for negative purposes instead.
Shabbat Shalom!
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