Why Jews Cover Mirrors in Mourning

The Mirrors Come Down When Mourning Begins

Mirrors are covered during shiva — the seven-day Jewish mourning period — to shift focus from physical appearance to spiritual reflection. The practice ensures that mourners concentrate on grief and memory rather than vanity, and it carries several layers of meaning that have accumulated over centuries.

When someone dies in a Jewish family, one of the first things that happens in the home — often before the mourners even return from the funeral — is that the mirrors are covered. Sheets, towels, cloths, even newspaper: anything that prevents a reflection. It is a striking visual transformation. The house suddenly looks different, feels different. The everyday act of checking your appearance becomes impossible, and that is exactly the point.

The Reasons Behind the Custom

There is no single passage in the Torah or Talmud that says “cover your mirrors when mourning.” The practice developed over centuries, and multiple explanations have been offered — each illuminating a different aspect of how Judaism approaches death and grief.

Vanity Has No Place in Mourning

The most straightforward explanation is also the most intuitive: during shiva, mourners are supposed to look inward, not at their outward appearance. Jewish mourning customs actively discourage concern with physical beauty. Mourners traditionally:

• Do not bathe for pleasure
• Do not wear leather shoes
• Do not apply cosmetics or perfumes
• Sit on low chairs

Covering mirrors fits naturally within this framework. When you cannot see yourself, you stop thinking about how you look. Grief becomes the focus, not appearance.

Tzelem Elohim — The Image of God

A deeper theological explanation connects to the concept of tzelem Elohim — the idea that every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). When a person dies, an expression of the divine image has been diminished from the world. Seeing your own reflection — your own tzelem Elohim — while mourning the loss of another feels inappropriate, even jarring. Covering the mirror acknowledges that the world’s reflection of the divine is now incomplete.

Prayer Concerns

During shiva, prayer services are held in the mourner’s home rather than in the synagogue. Jewish law prohibits praying in front of a mirror because a worshipper might appear to be bowing to their own image — a form of idolatry, however unintentional. Since the home temporarily functions as a house of prayer during shiva, covering the mirrors becomes a practical necessity for proper worship.

Kabbalistic Explanations

Jewish mystical tradition offers its own reasoning. The Kabbalah teaches that the soul of the deceased lingers near the home during the shiva period. Some kabbalistic sources suggest that mirrors can “trap” or confuse the departing soul, or that negative spiritual forces (mazikin) are attracted to reflective surfaces during times of vulnerability. Covering mirrors protects both the living and the soul of the departed.

Another mystical teaching holds that during shiva, the Angel of Death has a heightened presence in the mourning home. Mirrors, which create the illusion of doubling, could symbolically “double” the presence of death. Covering them removes this danger.

The Soul’s Reflection

Some commentators suggest a more philosophical reason: a mirror shows only the body, never the soul. During mourning, when Jews are focused on the eternal neshama (soul) of the departed, a device that shows only the physical body feels wrong — even misleading. Covering mirrors is a statement that what truly matters about a person is invisible to the eye.

When and How Long

The mirrors remain covered for the full seven days of shiva. Here are the practical details:

• Timing: Mirrors are typically covered before the mourners return from the cemetery, often by friends or community members who prepare the shiva house.
• Duration: All seven days of shiva. If shiva is shortened by a Jewish holiday (which can happen), the mirrors are uncovered when shiva ends.
• Which mirrors: All mirrors in the home — bathrooms included. Some people also cover reflective screens, though this is not universally practiced.
• What to use: Any opaque covering works. Sheets, towels, paper, or fabric. There is no special material required.

Do All Jews Cover Mirrors?

The custom is observed across a wide spectrum of Jewish life:

• Orthodox communities observe it virtually without exception.
• Conservative Jews widely follow the practice during shiva.
• Reform and liberal Jews may or may not cover mirrors, depending on family custom and personal preference.
• Sephardi communities generally observe the practice, though some local variations exist.

It is one of those Jewish customs that crosses denominational lines more than most — perhaps because it is so simple to do and so powerful in its effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to cover mirrors if I am visiting a shiva house, not mourning myself?

No — the responsibility falls on the mourning family and those who help prepare the shiva house. As a visitor, you do not need to worry about covering mirrors. However, if you arrive to help set up the shiva home before the mourners return, covering the mirrors is one of the most helpful things you can do.

What about TV screens, phone screens, and computer monitors?

Strictly speaking, the custom applies to mirrors — surfaces designed to show your reflection. Most authorities do not require covering screens, though some very observant mourners choose to avoid screens entirely during shiva for other reasons (focusing on mourning rather than entertainment). The key principle is reducing self-focus and vanity.

Is there a connection between covering mirrors and the custom of washing hands after a funeral?

Both customs are related to the idea that death creates a form of spiritual impurity (tumah) that requires attention. Washing hands upon leaving a cemetery removes this impurity; covering mirrors in the shiva home protects the spiritual environment during the mourning period. They are separate customs but share a common concern for the boundary between life and death.

The Power of Absence

What makes covered mirrors so striking is what they remove. In a world saturated with images — selfies, video calls, constant self-monitoring — the act of covering every reflective surface for a week is almost radical. It strips away a layer of self-consciousness that most people do not even realize they carry.

Mourners who observe this custom often describe a surprising sense of freedom. Without mirrors, they stop performing — stop managing their appearance, stop presenting a face to the world. They simply grieve. And in that raw, unadorned state, the work of mourning can happen more honestly.

The covered mirror says: for these seven days, the only reflection that matters is the one happening inside — the reflection on a life that has ended, a love that endures, and a community that shows up to sit with you in the darkness. That is more than enough to see clearly by.