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Baby looking in a mirror



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PeanutMama




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 6:37 am
Someone told me that some people hold that a mother shouldn’t put her baby in front of a mirror.
I never knew this
Why do people hold by this and where does this come from?
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s c




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 8:05 am
My Yiddish speaking grandmother from Poland used to hold they shouldn't look into a mirror until they have a tooth/teeth! I thought it was to do with ayin horah but would love to know where this comes from.
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rivkam




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 8:11 am
I've heard that it's a kabala thing that a baby shouldn't see themselves in the mirror until age one. Personally I dont keep to it
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Elfrida




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 9:28 am
When my friend had a baby she asked a very well known Rav about this. (I'm not certain who it was - there is a choice of two, both very reliable, who she normally asks - and I don't want to publicize the wrong name.)

He emphatically pronounced the whole idea to be nonsense (Shtuyos!).

Her baby is now around twenty, and has suffered no visible damage from being free to look in mirrors whenever he wanted.
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PeanutMama




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 11:42 am
This is so Interesting!! Thank you!
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agreer




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 11:51 am
I've heard of it but also know that babies love to look in mirror, and it keeps them entertained for a long time. So I don't avoid mirrors.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 11:52 am
If that's not your minhag don't worry (heck, if that's your minhag, don't WORRY
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 11:59 am
A rebbishe friend told me that a baby shouldn’t look in the mirror until they have a tooth. She also said that they shouldn’t have fish until they could talk.
We are not chassidish, and definitely not Rebbish, so we don’t follow these things.
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just me!!




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 2:00 pm
we also have this "minhag"
what about passing a baby over a table?
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sub




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 2:14 pm
There is a sefer titled טעמי המנהגים, which explains the sources and reasons for these minhagim. Note: they are מנהגים
I grew up with many of them
Don’t walk over a person, don’t climb out of a window, don’t walk under someone’s arm, don’t put babies on tables or in front of mirrors. Don't open umbrellas in the house.
The one about not giving fish is actually very logical- if a bone gets stuck in the throat, the child is not old enough to get someone’s attention.
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imasoftov




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 7:04 pm
sub wrote:
There is a sefer titled טעמי המנהגים, which explains the sources and reasons for these minhagim.

I found an online and searchable copy here and searched for מראה and the word did turn up but not about a baby looking at one. I found a reference to covering mirrors at a shiva in the index. But perhaps there are other books by the same name (this one is by R Abraham Isaac Sperling of Lvov) or I should have searched for some other word.
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Odelyah




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Dec 08 2019, 7:37 pm
yeah I remember being really surprised when a babysitter told me this (I think she shouted in alarm actually-- don't look in the mirror with your baby! I used to do it all the time because it was fun-- he loved it) and my husband asked one of his rebbeim (from Chaim Berlin) and I'm pretty sure he said there was no mekor for it. now I'm curious though and I'm going to ask my husband if he remembers. bottom line is we were never makpid on this.. although I wouldn't do in front of my wonderful babysitter the poor soul! it would really upset her.
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