Goin' Where The Climate Suits My Clothes ("Going Down The Road Feeling Bad" - Traditonal Folk Song)

With my wife’s birthday around the corner and our 18-year-old daughter in Israel, I came up with the perfect gift. I sent her to Israel to visit our daughter. As excited as she was to go to Israel and to see our daughter; I think she was just as happy to be out of the snowy wintry cold that has gripped Toronto. As her flight date approached, I would have thought that her excitement and anticipation would have increased. Instead the anxiety of “what to pack” replaced some of that excitement. Over the years, when I watched her go through the internal debates on the merits of which skirts, which dresses and what sweaters to bring, I used to grow impatient and aggravated. Perhaps packing clothing is fundamentally easier for me. I focus on the reason for wearing the clothes. I don’t focus upon whether or not I like a particular article of clothing or anticipate a desire to wear a specific article of clothing. So this time as my wife’s anxiety increased, I just attempted to disengage. Amazingly enough, the stress of her packing remained essentially confined to my wife. The stress and the anxiety didn’t spread to me or the kids. If she asked me if something fit, I answered. When she needed me to bring down her suitcase, I did. When she needed me to help with laundry, I did. Because I essentially stayed away from her packing the suitcase, I didn’t have to experience her concerns about what to pack.

 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 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 strives to create 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 can wear our spiritual clothing: prayer, Kashrut, study, and simple acts of kindness (Gemilut Chasadim) and make sure that these spiritual clothes match our external clothes. Sometimes it is very easy to lose sight of what matters. Frequently we focus on the outside.  As my wife was almost finished packing, she asked me about an article of clothing. I smiled before I responded and she answered herself. Her answer stunned me. She explained that she wouldn’t take that particular article of clothing because she was going to Israel to visit her daughter and spend time with her. Nothing else really mattered. With that answer, there was no more anxiety and we all were excited for her birthday journey to Israel.

Peace

Rav Yitz

Going Where The Climate Suits My Clothes ( "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad - sung by Jerry Garcia)

Summer must be coming to an end. Our kids just returned from two months at sleep away camp.  Now the sorting begins. The kids unpack their duffle bags. They sort the clothes into piles. Clothes that no longer fit but are in reasonable condition and no one wants, will be donated. Clothes that fit, get washed, dried folded and are returned to their respective drawers. The last pile is the pile that I find so fascinating. This is the pile that contains clothing, and often time sneakers that have just plain worn out.  This pile is the ultimate in irony. These are clothes and sneakers and shoes that our children liked so much that they wore them all the time. Sometimes they wore them so much and neglected to wash the clothes so were filthy and threadbare. Often these were sneakers and clothes that we bought brand new for camp. That’s right; the kids wore out clothing and sneakers in eight weeks. Well they certainly don’t make clothing and shoes like they used to.

This week we read from Parsha Ki Tavo. The Parsha begins with Moshe explaining the laws that are specific to B'nai Yisroel’s entry into the Land.  He reminds them of the laws of first fruits, and tithing.  Moshe reminds them that there is a powerful link between God, B'nai Yisroel and the Land. Each needs the other.  Moshe then describes the ritual specific to this generation that will symbolize their acceptance of the Torah and the covenant.  As they cross the Jordan River, they would inscribe two stones with Kol Divrei HaTorah HaZot BaEir Heiteiv – You shall inscribe on the stones all the words of this Torah well clarified.” Then the stones would be covered with plaster in order to protect the inscriptions. Moshe then reminds B'nai Yisroel that they are now an Am Yisroel– a Nation and no longer B’nai Yisroel – Children of Yisroel.  With that change of status comes responsibility, and Moshe lists the blessings and the curses that will result depending upon Am Yisroel’s behavior.  Moshe concludes his passionate plea to fulfill the covenant by giving Am Yisroel a brief history lesson. He reminds them that they left Egypt and saw all the signs and wonders (they didn’t, rather their parents and grandparents experience the Exodus and witnessed the plagues). Moshe reminds them that he let them for Forty years, and they didn’t eat bread nor drink wine, rather they experienced the miracle of the Manna. He reminds them of battles they fought and won and finally he reminded them they were ready to begin their new lives in the land.

Certainly the concluding verses are incredibly uplifting as Moshe passionately explains that they are ready to enter the land. However there is one verse in this “pep-talk” that reminds us that Moshe is really an old man, a zeide (a grandfather or great grandfather), who apparently worked in the shmatte business. “V’Oleich Etchem Arbaim Shana BaMidbar – And I led you for forty years in the Wilderness, Lo Valu Salmoteichem Mei’Aleichem V’Na’alcha Lo Valtah Mei’Al Raglecha – your garment did not wear out from on you, and your shoe did not wear out from on your foot.” (Ex. 29:4). Moshe does not explicitly mention the parting of the Yam Suf, nor surreal and miraculous moments at Sinai. Yes he mentions some battles but shoes and clothes? The fact that they didn’t wear out after all those years; that the miracle? Well yes. Besides water and Manna, this was the one miracle that touched them on a daily basis. This is the one miracle that while it happens, they probably didn’t think about it. At least with the Manna they had to go and gather it. At least with the Water they had to go and draw it. However, with clothes and shoes they would just put them on without any thought, nor effort. Now, looking back, Moshe reminds them that even the smallest miracle, the thing most taken for granted was indeed miraculous.

Yes, the kids have made their piles. Yes, it’s amazing how our son wore through a pair of sneakers in a matter of weeks, and our daughters wore through shoes and shirts in a matter of weeks. No miracle here. Maybe the miracle for these kids is that they came home with the majority of their own clothes and are content with what they have!

Peace,

Rav Yitz