In this post we will explore the one of the most famous of all magica materia: The Magic Mirror. Before we delve into the different usages and instructions from the Kabbalah, it's worthwhile to note that some Biblical commentators find reference to magical mirrors in two Biblical verses: Genesis 26:8 and Judges 5:28.
Genesis 26:8 states "And it happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a "chalon", and saw Isaac was playing with Rebecca his wife."
You'll immediately notice I left one key word untranslated from the original Hebrew, the word חלון chalon which means window. Isaac "playing" with Rebecca is a euphemism for intimacy. Basically the verse implies the Philistine king was engaged in voyeurism watching Isaac and Rebecca through a window. However, Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (1876-1970, Poland/England) in his Biblical commentary Lev Eliyahu (Vol. 1 p. 99-102) rejects this notion because it is unthinkable that Isaac and Rebecca would be so intimate in such a visible manner that could be watched directly through an open window. Instead, he puts forward a different explanation of this verse. Rabbi Lopian contends that the word "chalon" means something to look through and that although normally this is understood to be a window, here in the verse the word is referring to a mirror that Abimelech was able to gaze through, scrying, by sorcery and observe Isaac and Rebbeca without their knowledge!
Lets take a look at the second verse. The verse of Judges 5:28 states: Through the "chalon" peered Sisera’s mother, Behind the "eshnav" she whined: “Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why so late the clatter of his wheels?”
Here we find Sisera's mother looking for her son through a chalon and an eshnav, both words seemingly on the surface imply she's looking out a window. But why the change of words and what is the difference between chalon and eshnav?
Rabbi Meir Leibush Wisser (1809-1879, Ukraine), better known as "the Malbim", in his commentary (Malbim) notes the word change and explains the difference. In this verse, chalon means a ordinary regular window while the Eshnav אשנב (usually translated as a lattice) means a magic mirror which he calls it a "chalon hakosem"/ magic mirror (so we find Malbim also using chalon to mean a magic mirror as well). Sisra's mother gazes into the magic mirror to find out what happened to him. Malbim's understanding of the verse is that first she's looking out the window for Sisera. When he's late, she resorts to scrying to discover his whereabouts.
Now we will discuss from the practical Kabbalah tradition different usages for the mirror. This includes using mirrors to provide answers to ones questions, see angels or even communicating with Ashmodai king of Demons!
Rabbi Chaim Vital in Sefer HaPeulot (part 4,4 #196 ) gives the following instructions to adjure the "lord of the mirror" for communication. He states:
This is the adjuration on a new mirror that a woman has not looked at:
hamehor hod hitar titahor shechya shetchaya jihar makdehur haykfa maihekefa the great. YHVH is a great God bemantahor betaitahor dahor dihor is YHVH the great God. Bring down the lord in charge of the mirror with strength, he that spoke that forever shall be and be.
This [angel] is is from the high (or: supernal) ones with pleasant countenance and his body is covered with green peacock feathers and he has wings and his feathers extend down his sole of his feet, yet his legs are like human legs. This is the form he will appear to you.
We find an another method recorded in Rabbi Yosef Tirshom's Sefer Shoshon Yesod Olam. Although normally each entry in this book is given a number, the page this is on isn't but it can be found on folio 587 of the manuscript.
So shall he say three times. You also need to write this adjuration on the mirror; you shall see all what you desire. Some say, only a child who has not had a pollution may gaze in the mirror.
לראות במראה אמור אַאְרָיזַר גַדֶי פוּנְטִפֵיִר לִאוֹרִיאוֹן הִיגַמִאָ טְפִיאֹן לִירִאוֹן משביע אני עליכם שתבואו בזה המראה ותראו לי כך וכך מדבר פלוני: ג"פ וגם לכתוב זאת ההשבעה על המראה ותראה כל חפצך וי"א דוקא תינוק שלא ראה קרי יביט במראה
As in the method from Shoshon Yesod Olam quoted above, it's interesting to note that the concept of using a pure child to perform the operation is a common theme in adjuration of demonic princes. In my opinion, what this most likely suggests is that whatever visions are being shown in the mirror do not take physical appearance. If someone other than the practitioner would take a look at the mirror they wouldn't see anything. The vision takes place in the mind's eye, it is an internal mental construct.
Now, there is one more method to discuss. I have found in a few manuscripts the "operation of the mirror" to contact Ashmoday the king of demons. For example, here are images of the procedure from the National Library of Israel's Ms. YM.011.083 (Bill Gross Ms. 373) folio 1b-2a
To paraphrase, one is to take a shiny bronze mirror and etch the following names around the edge: Gaspari Mirkion Balatsar Rochon Maymon Akiron Toros Adi Ailish [note: I have found slight variations on some names in different manuscripts, for example Caspari (Kaspari) for Gaspari] and in the middle of the mirror to etch the name Ashmoday. [see the image drawn in the mss.] To ask questions from the mirror, bring it out to the sun or near a candle if at night. Using a knife with a black handle, draw round a circle and in the middle the name Ashmoday. On top of the name, place a high couch of three legs. On the couch, place the mirror erect. One then makes a lengthy adjuration to Ashmoday to answer your question while gazing into the mirror. Afterwards when one wishes to take leave out of the circle, another adjuration is said to Ashmoday to dismiss him and his host that they not cause damage to anyone.
Additionally, we will end off with noting the following Jewish custom in a house of mourning. Traditionally, the mirrors in a house of a mourner are to be covered up during the seven days of mourning. Various reasons are ascribed to this, some saying because looking at oneself in a mirror would bring joy to a mourner, while others state the reason is so that those praying with a mourner (a mourner prays at home and a quorum of men pray there with him instead of praying in synagogue) won't pray in front of a mirror (which is forbidden lest it look like one is praying to oneself). However, the most fascinating explanation is recorded in several works of Jewish customs (for example, see Sefer Ginzei Yosef by Rabbi Yosef Schwartz) is that "strict judgment" is in a house of mourning and we are concerned that evil spirits might attack the mourner through the mirror!
