It’s Elul, the month of mirror. Unlike Purim’s mirrors of disingenuous dazzle that lead us deeper by opening up our periphery, the Elul mirror is direct.
We’ve grown used to cheap precise mirrors now, using them to cite our litanies of perceived flaw. But ancient mirrors were softer rarer things, the light more gently refracted, harsh lines faded, a metallic shimmer off our highlights.
Elul is a mirror; it’s an ancient one. Soften your eye towards the surface view of more modern mirrors. Do not let their harshness enter your vision. We are all flawed and yet every day we pray “The soul you have given me is pure.”
Elul invites us to gaze at ourself with the eye of the beloved.
Elul reflects that the only flaw in the mirror is one that disconnects us from love.
eish zarah 