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ith

'Di-vestment' Of Clergy

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JEWISH SENIOR LIFE

44

February 10 2011

TORAH PORTION

° fa

Jewish

Federation

EE PART THE TEAM

Parshat Tetzaveh: Exodus 27:20-
30:10; Ezekiel 43:10-27.

he practices of Israel's ancie nt by their robes, our judges shed their
priesthood were shrouded in
personalities and assume the identity
mystery, but not its clothes.
of the law. The gown further challenges
Aaron's eight-piece costume with its
the unworthy wearer to live up to the
crimson, scarlet and gold
expectation of the office.
embroidery was revealed
With the destruction of
daily to all, as was the less
the Holy Temple the Jews
fabulous four-piece outfit
lost both the House of God
worn by the lower priests.
and its servants, the vested
Not only was the garb itself
clergy. When the Temple fell,
exposed, Parshat Tetzaveh
the rabbis, as the society of
also lays bare the rationale
scholars, assumed the lead-
behind the apparel:
ership of the Jewish people,
"You shall make holy
— but they did not presume
garments for Aaron ... for
to usurp the role of the
prestige and beauty" These
priests by adopting distinc-
dual functions of fashion
tive clothing.
are forever true; when we
Being academics rather
size others up, their clothes
than clergymen, rabbis
become for us the most immediate
never officially assumed ecclesiastical
indicator of status; couture makes
dress. Today, Judaism remains virtu-
attractive those who would otherwise
ally the only faith with a non-vested
escape our attention. We notice first
clergy, the lone Men of the Cloth with-
the cut and quality of the cloth, then
out a hallowed wardrobe.
move quickly to conclusions about
In the 19th century, Jewish worship-
rank and importance. The clothes
pers again gained a glimpse of the
make the man.
glory of their erstwhile clergy when
Woven into the story of the Garden
hazzanim began to don formal vest-
of Eden is the biblical explanation
ments. The cantor's robe recalls the
of how clothing became a uniquely
solemnity of the cohen's ancient habit,
human practice: God sewed for Adam
and the cantor's hat — the mitre
and Eve the first garments after they
— bears the same English name as
became aware of their nakedness.
Aaron's ancient headpiece.
Though its origins were in sin, in
Contemporary tastes are forcing
Paradise the instinct to assess our fel-
these vestments to vanish from the
lows by their fabrics was knit into the
synagogue, depriving us again of the
human psyche. We became the sole
opportunity to experience the rever-
species to judge a book by its cover
ence in our religious representatives
when we became the only creatures to that the Torah commands this week.
sport a dust jacket.
What remains is the word for the ordi-
Given this reality, it became impera- nation of the modern cantor,"inves-
tive that God's representatives on
titure reminding us of the essential
earth be outfitted in attire that evoked
role that vestments play in the ritual
His eminence in both aesthetics and
of our religious experience.
authority. The priest's very presence
must arouse such awe and wonder in
Rabbi Eric Grossman is Head of School
the Divine that we proclaim, "If this
at Frankel Jewish Academy in West
be the appearance of the servant, how
Bloomfield.
glorious must be the Master!"
The explicit rationale given for the
Conversations
priestly garments disguises another
Does your clergy wear
function, namely to cloak the identity
vestments? If so, how does
of the cleric. When the vestments are
it affect your experience in
donned, the wearer loses his individu-
services?
ality and takes on the character of the
Should we fight the urge to
costume. In our parshah, Moses' broth-
judge people by what they wear?
er ceases to be Aaron and becomes
How does what we wear to
the high priest. From police officers
synagogue affect our experience
to pastry chefs, this, too, is the func-
as congregants?
tion of modern uniforms. Enveloped