In the midst of the Jews wandering the desert on their way to the promised land of Israel, God commanded Moses to build an interim dwelling place called the Mishkan– a portable sanctuary where God could connect with His people. Moses relayed the message and directed the Jews to bring materials for its construction. The men brought wools, fabrics, wood and precious metals.

The women lined up too, bringing their copper mirrors, the very ones that they used to beautify themselves for their husbands. They also brought gold ornaments and jewelry to melt: nose rings, earrings, and something called a “chumaz.”

The “chumaz” is translated to mean, “pudendal ornament”- in other words, a genital/pubic accessory. Like the mirrors, the women would use them to adorn themselves and seduce their husbands.

Nachmanides, one of the great commentators the on Torah explains that due to the location of where these ornaments were worn, Moses “was reluctant to accept them because they were made to arouse sensual desires.” In Moses’ mind these ornaments were tools of temptation and lust, undesirable for the construction of such a holy structure.

But to God, these were the holiest of all. God was moved by the women’s gesture and found their contributions “dearer to Me than all other donations.” Not only did the women line up to donate their most precious possessions but the items were used to enhance intimacy between husband and wife, which is paramount to God.

The gold and mirrors would be used to form the Kiyor, a wash basin used to clean the hands of the kohanim- priests before they served in the Tabernacle/Temple. Interestingly, the water of the Kiyor was also given to drink to a Sotah- the biblical wayward wife, in an attempt to bring peace between husband and wife.