Tehillim Tools: Psalm 45: Being Beautiful

“So that the King will desire your beauty, for He is your Master, and prostrate yourself before Him.” (45:12) King David is reminding us that when we approach God, whether in prayer or in service, we must approach as beautiful beings so that “the King will desire your beauty.”

This then is the message of the  women’s mirrors that were used to make the Kiyor, the Laver, in the Mishkan: The mirrors reflected the beauty they saw in themselves, and the beauty they saw in their husbands. These mirrors were used at the beginning of each step of the service in the Temple to remind us that when we approach God in service, we have an opportunity to look into the mirror and see the beauty that God sees in us.

When we begin to focus on the beauty God sees in us, we will become more beautiful in our actions, speech, and word. In fact, we will become so beautiful that  King David’s words will come true, “so that the King will desire your beauty.”

This is an excellent verse to sing before beginning prayer or any of our service of God.