>> To rill' pojition

Our
Obsession

Clothing

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

I

've been approached many times
tion. It represents who we are and
with the question, "Why do
makes a first impression. Clothes are
Chassidim always wear black?" or what separate men from beasts. By
"What's the significance of the long
dressing Adam in clothing, God was,
coats?"
in effect, teaching us that dressing is
Jewish law explains that everything not optional. Rather, it is like an addi-
is in some way connected to the
tion to the created man, like a second
more noble skin. For this
clothing you wear.
This week's Torah por-
reason, clothing is human
dignity while bareness is
tion is largely dedicated
to clothing: the garments
for the beasts!
of the kohen — the priest.
Clothing also has a very
Among these clothes are
strong influence on us. The
three basic types: the regu-
better we dress the more
lar kohen's outfit, made of
mentshlach we tend to act.
four garments; the high
Therefore, in Judaism,
priest's outfit of eight gar-
the holier the occasion
ments; and on Yom Kippur,
the more we dress up. On
Ra bbi
the high priest would alter-
Shabbat we dress nicely
Sch neor
nate between his regular
and on holidays we dress
G ree nberg
even nicer. On Yom Kippur,
outfit and a purely white
outfit in which he would
the holiest day of the year
enter the Holy of Holies.
we wear a white kittel over our regu-
Rashi explains that it was actually
lar holiday clothes and for prayers we
the priestly uniform that made the
wear a tallit over everything else.
priests fit to serve in the Temple, and
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righ-
the Talmud adds that so long as the
teous memory, taught us that we
kohen was in uniform he was a priest; must never be satisfied with our
once he removed his clothes he was
existence and constantly strive to rise
no longer fit for priestly service.
above the physical and to elevate our
So why this hang-up on clothing?
lives. Excuses such as "This is how
Does it really make a difference what
God made me" or "This is my nature"
a person wears? Doesn't Judaism teach just won't do for us humans. Nature
that being a mentsh "internally" is the
is naked; instinct is unrefined. Just
main thing? One's external appearance
as we need nice clothing to cover our
should not really matter at all.
bodily nakedness we need a refined
At the beginning of Genesis we find cover for our natural instincts.
that the very first garment ever worn
We need to clothe our souls in
by man was created by the hand of
addition to clothing our bodies.
God. This is surprising because when Mitzvot are the clothing for the soul,
man was created he had to discover
and it's our responsibility to make
everything he might need to settle
sure that our souls are all properly
and inhabit the Earth, such as how
dressed, by adding another mitzvah.
to light a fire, plow a field or build a
More than that, when we see other
house. None of these was given to us
people that are "not dressed for the
as a ready gift from God. But when it
weather:' let's offer them spiritual gar-
came to clothing, not only did Adam
ments by teaching them how to do
not make his own clothes, he also
mitzvot.
didn't even have to put them on. God
Schneor Greenberg is rabbi of the Chabad
dressed him in them!
Clothing is not simply protection
Jewish Center of Commerce; rabbi@
jewishcommerce.org.
from the polar vortex or for decora-

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February 6 • 2014

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