My experience reading the news these days is the opposite of looking at my friend’s mirror. I struggle to find a sense of hope, joy, and beauty. I see the world moving further away from caring for the most vulnerable of society – the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan. I do not see myself or my values reflected in the new world order that is forming.

This week’s Torah portion, , reminds me of my friend’s mirror. Buried within a detailed record of every item donated to construct the Mishkan and the high priest’s clothing is a description of a reflective plate on the high priest’s diadem (). The plate was made of the purest gold and had incised upon it, “Holy to Adonai.”

The Zohar says that this gold plate was actually a mirror that reflected the character of anyone who looked at it. Rather than seeing the gold plate as an ancient Near-Eastern fashion item, the Zohar recognizes that the plate does not just label the high priest as holy. Instead, everyone who sees themselves reflected in the plate also sees that they are holy.

Mirrors have long been an important metaphor in Jewish mystical traditions. Earliest traditions may go all the way back to : God speaks to most prophets in dreams, riddles, and ˛ú˛ąłľłľ˛ą°ů’ałó – this could be translated as either in a vision or in a mirror (cf. ). However, God speaks with Moses mouth-to-mouth (directly) and ˛ú˛ąłľłľ˛ą°ů’ełó, which means clearly or in a clear vision.

Jewish tradition holds that everyone except Moses sees the world in a distorted, incomplete fashion – through a mirror. We all have our own biases, filters, and preconceived notions of the world. We also perceive others as distorted reflections of ourselves, a phenomenon we now call psychological projection.

One of the main goals of Jewish mysticism is to polish our mirror. Through prayer, contemplation, and introspection (), we can come to perceive reality more clearly.

Like my friend’s affirmation mirror, adds a wrinkle to how we might understand the metaphor of mirrors. The mirror-plate does not just reflect our character, but it also adds the written affirmation that we are holy. This affirmation corrects any potential distortion an onlooker may have had about their worthiness – they, too, are holy to God.

Nowadays, the construction of our sacred communities looks different than in Biblical times. For starters, rabbis do not go around wearing reflective gold plates on their heads. However, rabbis and lay leaders alike are still constructing communities in which all who participate can see themselves as holy, valuable, and belonging.

For many of us, it can be challenging to see ourselves reflected in the news today. If a person only determines their self-worth by the media they consume, they will have a distorted sense of self. When societies do not care for the vulnerable or let everyone know that they have inherent worth as human beings, it becomes even more important that communities of faith do so.

It is upon us to build and strengthen communities that reflect our values. We must find ways to continue to affirm to each other and to reassure the vulnerable: “You are loved” and “You are holy.”

Views expressed in this column are the author’s own and not necessarily those of ľĂľĂČČ. The original article appears in .

Social Health is a person’s ability to interact and develop relationships with others. Social Health is an important dimension of wellness because human connection improves overall health. Isolation takes a toll on both our physical and mental health.

Why are Supportive Friendships Crucial for College ľĂľĂČČ?

1. Supportive friends ease the difficult transition from high school to college. Finding supportive friends can assist students in coping with these drastic life changes.
2. Positive relationships can lead to academic success. According to NPREd, a close group of friends can act as academic motivation and support.
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4. A healthy social life can act as a stress relieving outlet. Spending time with with friends is a positive way to relieve stress and take a break from academic obligations.
5. Friends can act as a resource on a college campus. The more relationships you build, the more likely you will be involved in campus activities.