Mark Twain is attributed to have said, “Clothes make a man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” What we wear has an impact on how other people see us and how we see ourselves. That is one of the reasons we have dress codes for professional attire and a different set of expectations for casual clothing.
I remember as a boy, when my family went to San Francisco, my father and I would wear jackets and ties and my mother wore a dress and gloves. It was a special occasion and one of the ways we marked it was our clothing. These standards have all but collapsed today, with most people wearing sweatshirts and jeans all the time, and I don’t know if that is for good or ill.
But I do know that when I put on a suit I feel different then when I wear sweats. I dress in the business-casual style when I teach, to show respect to my students and to my subject. I always put on something special on Shabbat, a beautiful shirt, slacks, and nice shoes. This is my way of showing respect for Shabbat and marking it as something special.
One of our congregants tells me that when he comes to synagogue he dresses at least as nicely as when he dresses for court. There is even a term for this, hiddur mitzvah, beautifying a commandment.
This week’s Torah portion describes the vestments of the High Priest, the Kohen Gadol. Before it describes them in great detail, we read this, “Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment.” (Exodus 28:2). Commenting on this verse, Sforno (15th C. Italy) wrote, “dignity means to render honor and glory to the Almighty, and adornment means the Priest should inspire awe among the Israelites.”
Thus the sacred garments of the priest both reminded them of their service as intermediaries between God and Israel while at the same time serving as a visual reminder to the people of the priest’s elevated task. It impacted how they saw themselves and how others saw them.
How do you want to be seen? How do you want others to see you? Think about it next time you are standing in front of your closet or picking the clothes you will wear to synagogue.
Tetzaveh, Exodus 27:20-30:10, Parshat Ha Shavua for Shabbat, Saturday, February 12, 2022
February 11, 2022 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
Mark Twain is attributed to have said, “Clothes make a man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” What we wear has an impact on how other people see us and how we see ourselves. That is one of the reasons we have dress codes for professional attire and a different set of expectations for casual clothing.
I remember as a boy, when my family went to San Francisco, my father and I would wear jackets and ties and my mother wore a dress and gloves. It was a special occasion and one of the ways we marked it was our clothing. These standards have all but collapsed today, with most people wearing sweatshirts and jeans all the time, and I don’t know if that is for good or ill.
But I do know that when I put on a suit I feel different then when I wear sweats. I dress in the business-casual style when I teach, to show respect to my students and to my subject. I always put on something special on Shabbat, a beautiful shirt, slacks, and nice shoes. This is my way of showing respect for Shabbat and marking it as something special.
One of our congregants tells me that when he comes to synagogue he dresses at least as nicely as when he dresses for court. There is even a term for this, hiddur mitzvah, beautifying a commandment.
This week’s Torah portion describes the vestments of the High Priest, the Kohen Gadol. Before it describes them in great detail, we read this, “Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment.” (Exodus 28:2). Commenting on this verse, Sforno (15th C. Italy) wrote, “dignity means to render honor and glory to the Almighty, and adornment means the Priest should inspire awe among the Israelites.”
Thus the sacred garments of the priest both reminded them of their service as intermediaries between God and Israel while at the same time serving as a visual reminder to the people of the priest’s elevated task. It impacted how they saw themselves and how others saw them.
How do you want to be seen? How do you want others to see you? Think about it next time you are standing in front of your closet or picking the clothes you will wear to synagogue.
~Rabbi Dean Kertesz