“[On Tu b’Av, the young unmarried women in Jerusalem would don white dresses and go out and dance in the vineyards. The young unmarried men would come and look for a bride].

‘Young man, please lift up your eyes.’ The young women were saying, ‘If you don’t see the beauty in me, it is because there is something wrong with your eyesight.’ If only you would elevate your gaze, you would realize the true value of every single one of us.

…

The lesson is clear: In all relationships, we can be too quick to write people off, because they appear ‘ugly’ to us. Often, we take one quick glance, and if we don’t like what we see, we speedily reject. And yet, beneath the surface lies endless potential, if only we had the patience to look for and nurture it. There is so much goodness and holiness in people; it is our duty to reveal it. Are we looking properly? What we see has a lot to do with what we are looking for. Are our eyes gazing heavenward, or are we staring into the gutter?”