We
are in Los Angeles for our niece’s Bat Mitzvah. Even though Toronto’s winter
has been quite mild, I admit, that for a few days at least, it is awfully nice
walking around in a pair of shorts and a light fleece. However getting here was
incredibly stressful. No the stress was not the fault of the airlines, the
baggage handlers, the traffic to and from airports, or our accommodations. No
the stress was watching my wife and daughters pack. Actually it was even more
specific than that. No one seemed to have a problem packing "hanging out"weekday clothing. Actually, that was easy. There is a
show on television that my daughters like to watch: “Say Yes to the Dress”.
Well watching them try to determine what dress was required for the Bat Mitzvah
was worthy of its own television show, perhaps a new show named: “Dad Gets
Stress From The Dress”. Weeks before we even left, my wife and daughters began
looking for dresses for themselves. “Nothing fits me" or "I need a dress,” I was
told. “The weather is supposed to be 75 degrees, all they have is heavy winter
dresses,” my wife explained. “We are only going to look at dresses on sale,”
they informed me. With each successive
trip to a store came the long faces of failure and disappointing pronouncements.
“This didn’t fit quite right.” “This was ridiculously expensive.” “This would
never be worn more than one time.” “We like this one, but couldn’t find shoes
to match it.” There was homework to do, chores to take care of, bedtimes that
were necessary, and yet all they could focus on was dresses for the Bat
Mitzvah. As everyone became more stressed and afraid that they would wear a
jeans skirt, a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers to a fancy L.A. Bat Mitzvah, I
reminded my wife that she is not the hostess of this party. I reminded my daughters
that they already had their own Bat Mitzvah several years ago. I
concluded my comments by reminding them that we are only guests, no one is
looking at us and no one really cares how we look. So the perfect dress really
did not matter. That stress belongs to the Bat Mitzvah, her mother and her
sisters, not us. Soon afterwards, the stress from our home was removed and
dresses were found, agreed upon and everyone walked away reasonably pleased.
This Shabbat, we read from Parshah Tetzaveh,
and in it we learn about the uniform of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. Just
like last week’s Parshah was a series of instructions on the way in which a
physical space becomes beautified and holy, Parshah Tetzaveh offers a series of
instructions on the way in which a certain individual’s physical appearance is
beautified, and glorious. From head to toe, we are told that each item of the
Kohen Gadol’s priestly uniform is made of fine linen, valuable stones, gold,
cotton silk turquoise wool to name just a few of the ingredients. Certainly we
could understand the Parshah from a superficial perspective but to do so would
be to misunderstand a deeper and perhaps more powerful message. We live in a
society where “clothes make the man”, clothes define who and what we are.
However Parshah Tetzaveh is teaches us something radically different. Instead
of clothing making us look sharper, slimmer, better proportioned, what if
clothes could express our intelligence, our emotional health, our sense of
decency, the holiness that exists within our soul and the degree to which that
holiness is expressed. What would such clothes look like? Such clothes would
have to express the degree to which we have permitted God into our lives. Such
clothes would have to express the holy magnificence of God’s presence within
our lives.
The Torah is very clear as to the reason for such highly
decorative, highly ornate clothing. V’Kidashti
et Ohel Mo’Ed v’Et Ha’Mizbeach V’Et Aharon v’Et Banav Akadesh L’Chahen Li –
I shall sanctify the Tent of Meeting and
the Altar; and Aaron and his sons shall I sanctify to minister to Me V’Shachanti B’Toch Bnai Yisroel V’Hayiti
Lahem L’Elohim I shall rest My
Presence among the Children of Israel , and I shall be their God (Ex.
29:44-45). God’s presence will make the Tent of the Meeting holy. In other
words, God’s presence will make a particular space holy. Rabbi
Ovadiah Sforno (15/16th Century Italy) explains that God rests among
us in order to accept with favor our prayers and service. However, God resting
his Presence is not enough. The Kohanim and ultimately the rest of us need to
recognize that this is our God and we need to act appropriately. We can never
take God’s proximity for granted. Therefore Aaron and his son’s, serving on
behalf of the people, must achieve a higher degree of holiness compared to the
rest of the people. This higher level of holiness must exist both inside and
outside. Any inconsistency renders the Kohen Gadol impure. If the clothes
become physically dirty, then he is momentarily impure. If his heart wanders,
if his mind is elsewhere, or if he has not completely given of himself to the
service to God on our behalf, then he is momentarily impure as well.
Judaism is about creating opportunities where the
physical world seamlessly connects to the spiritual world. In the realm of
time; Shabbat is a designated day when the physical seamlessly knits together
with the spiritual world. However, even
in the course of a regular day, we have the opportunity through prayer,
Kashrut, study, and Gemilut Chasadim for our internal “clothing” to match our
external clothing. Sometimes it is very easy to lose sight of what matters.
Frequently we focus on the outside. Frequently we forget that we are not the
center of attention, and as a result we are not constrained in the same way as
those who are the center of attention. My wife and daughters’ dresses merely
needed to be appropriate for their age, needed to be appropriate for their own
sense of modesty and comfortable. No the dresses were not colorfully “loud” and
did not scream “look at me because I need attention”. Sure everyone looked beautiful, and just like
we cover ourselves in nice clothing, we cover our souls in the very beautiful
and ornate vestments of prayer and study. Maybe if we explain that to children,
then they will learn that clothes don’t make the person, but the person makes
the clothes. Meanwhile I have three more nieces and a nephew, so we will have
several more chances to not get stress from the dress!
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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