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Torah portion: Say yes to the dress

Parashat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10)
[additional-authors]
February 17, 2016

This week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, focuses on the Kohen and the ritual service he is commanded to perform at the mishkan, or Tabernacle, in the Sinai wilderness. Most dramatically, the portion is famous for describing in intricate detail the unique vestments the Kohen wears.

From his special golden head plate (Tzitz) bearing the words “Holy to God” to the famous breastplate (Choshen) that bears the 12 precious stones representing the tribes of Israel, the Kohen’s garments set him apart and inspire onlookers with awe. He wears a special tunic (K’tonet) and a unique robe (Me’il) that is hemmed with pomegranate-shaped tassels and small golden bells.

How magnificent it must have been to see the Kohen Gadol (high priest) at the time of his glory, serving in the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem! Indeed, that very image — and the rueful realization that we do not live in an era when the Temple stands in its rightful place atop Mount Moriah — is the source for our memorable recitation every Yom Kippur during the repetition of the Musaf Amidah. The responsive prayer Mareh Kohen evokes the appearance of the Kohen Gadol as he exited the Beit Hamikdash after performing the Temple service on Yom Kippur Day:

How majestic was the Kohen Gadol as he left the Holy of Holies in peace and without injury! Like the [heavenly] canopy stretched out over those dwelling above. Like the lightning emanating from the radiance of the [heavenly figures]. …  Like the image of the rainbow amid the cloud. … Like a rose placed amid a precious garden. … Like the morning star on the eastern border. … Like an angel positioned at the head of a highway. … Like the leaders of hosts at the head of a holy nation. … Like the appearance of sunlight upon the land.

The power of clothing to evoke awe is sometimes subtle, sometimes more blatant, but always powerful. We see, even in other faith systems, that clothes are fashioned to inspire awe and respect: The nun in her habit. The cardinal with his red skullcap. The Dalai Lama in his robes. The Islamic theologian in his turban, specifically rolled with more ells than others’ turbans.

In Judaism, it is not only the high priest who is bidden to dress with dignity. Rather, we laity also accept guidelines for proper dress — for example, upgrading our attire for Shabbat. This is derived from Isaiah 58:13, in which one is told to “call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of the Lord honorable, and honor it, not engaging your usual ways.” Tractate Shabbat 113a in the Talmud teaches that one way to “honor it” is to ensure that “your clothing on Shabbat should not be the same as your weekday clothing.” This value is codified in the Shulchan Aruch, which states, “One should endeavor to have fine clothes for Shabbat.”

Nor should we be surprised that Judaism regards attire as an important element of dignified comportment. Even in secular life, sartorial rules matter.

In sports, players’ uniforms are subject to strict rules. Even minor violations can subject players to steep monetary fines. When I was in college, students’ blue jeans helped define us against “working stiffs” who wore the uniforms of grown-ups. And later, when I began practicing law at Jones Day, the prominent Midwest-based law firm, dress rules were enormously strict. Other law firms had begun loosening up and permitting business-casual wear, but we still were required to suit up daily. 

So clothes do matter. They do make a difference. Shakespeare conveys this amid the life-aphorism litany with which Polonius advises Laertes toward the end of the first act in “Hamlet,” when he says, “The apparel oft proclaims the man.” 

Although one should not judge a book by its cover, publishing houses spend enormously on book jacket design. At a funeral, a grieving family does not want its rabbi coming in blue jeans and a T-shirt. People make critical judgments based on the first impressions they derive from how a person is garbed, and in many settings, clothes reflect a person’s respect for other people around her. 

Clothes make a difference. They reflect values and self-respect. In the worship context, they also convey respect for the sanctity of the synagogue or temple — and indeed honor for and fear of God. No less than wearing a team jersey at the stadium puts one in the mood to cheer, dignified dress at worship sets the tone for somber, yet joyful, prayer. 

A pair of jeans topped by a work shirt is no more appropriate for temple or synagogue on Shabbat than it is for a Michelin top-rated restaurant that requires men to wear sports coats, and that reserves the right to refuse service to anyone contemning the dress code. Unlike the snooty restaurant, we never would ask the sartorially cacophonous to leave shul. But one should dress on Shabbat with greater dignity. Shorts and shul may be alliterative, but otherwise clash.

Clothes matter. Baseball and football leagues know this. The Vatican knows it. Law firms know it. Every doctor wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope knows it. And Judaism knows it, too.

Rabbi Dov Fischer, adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School and at UC Irvine School of Law and a member of the national executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, is rabbi of Young Israel of Orange County. His writings appear at rabbidov.com.

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