Tetzaveh 2
I was in
Kindergarten, sitting on the floor Indian Style, listening to my teacher
Rocheil tell the story of a poor man in shabby clothes who goes to a fancy
dinner party and is thrown out as soon as they see his appearance. I vividly
recall Rocheil describing how weeks later after having found a job and saved
cash the man returns well groomed and finely dressed. He’s presented with a
great meal. He proceeds to pour the soup, meat, potatoes, etc. all over his
head and body. He explains that as he was not given the food when sloppily
groomed, and the only difference now was in that department, he figured the
food was for the clothes. So he gave it to them.
I’d like to try to
balance the equation with the following true anecdote from the book
Masterplan by Rabbi Aryeh Carmel. There was a London woman who married a man with an
African heritage. He inherited the kingdom and they moved back to his country
where he ruled as the new king. His wife took to the role but it pained her to
find that the town’s women were depressed and listless. She presented them with
colorful clothing made from fabric that was aesthetically alive. In a very
short span of time the women became vibrant, full of a newfound energy.
There is truth to
both sides of clothing. On the one hand clothing cannot make the man.
Ultimately it is up to a man to make himself. The fanciest of suits can’t do
that job for him. On the other hand there is a place in life for uniforms that
are appropriate for people in specific contexts.
The Ibn Ezra comments
on the words “lekavod u’letifaret” that “they can be glorified by them because no one else in Israel wears
clothing like this”. He’s fine tuning the point that how we dress is important.
If everyone dresses like a Kohein then what is special might be lost.
The way that we dress
is one of those personal things that include multiple messages that we may not
think about as much as we should. Our clothing can lift us up or pull us down.
Our clothing can pull others in or push them away. Our clothing can state that
we feel like an image of G-d, or that we feel that we are something else. May
this parshah inspire us to dress and live in a wholesome and holy way.
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