(א) וּמִן־הַתְּכֵ֤לֶת וְהָֽאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת הַשָּׁנִ֔י עָשׂ֥וּ בִגְדֵי־שְׂרָ֖ד לְשָׁרֵ֣ת בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֞וּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֤י הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ) (ב) וַיַּ֖עַשׂ אֶת־הָאֵפֹ֑ד זָהָ֗ב תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָֽר׃ (ג) וַֽיְרַקְּע֞וּ אֶת־פַּחֵ֣י הַזָּהָב֮ וְקִצֵּ֣ץ פְּתִילִם֒ לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת בְּת֤וֹךְ הַתְּכֵ֙לֶת֙ וּבְת֣וֹךְ הָֽאַרְגָּמָ֔ן וּבְת֛וֹךְ תּוֹלַ֥עַת הַשָּׁנִ֖י וּבְת֣וֹךְ הַשֵּׁ֑שׁ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה חֹשֵֽׁב׃ (ד) כְּתֵפֹ֥ת עָֽשׂוּ־ל֖וֹ חֹבְרֹ֑ת עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קצוותו [קְצוֹתָ֖יו] חֻבָּֽר׃ (ה) וְחֵ֨שֶׁב אֲפֻדָּת֜וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלָ֗יו מִמֶּ֣נּוּ הוּא֮ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ֒ זָהָ֗ב תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
(1) Of the blue, purple, and crimson yarns they also made the service vestments for officiating in the sanctuary; they made Aaron’s sacral vestments—as the LORD had commanded Moses. (2) The ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen. (3) They hammered out sheets of gold and cut threads to be worked into designs among the blue, the purple, and the crimson yarns, and the fine linen. (4) They made for it attaching shoulder-pieces; they were attached at its two ends. (5) The decorated band that was upon it was made like it, of one piece with it; of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen—as the LORD had commanded Moses.
(כז) וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֛וּ אֶת־הַכָּתְנֹ֥ת שֵׁ֖שׁ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֹרֵ֑ג לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָֽיו׃ (כח) וְאֵת֙ הַמִּצְנֶ֣פֶת שֵׁ֔שׁ וְאֶת־פַּאֲרֵ֥י הַמִּגְבָּעֹ֖ת שֵׁ֑שׁ וְאֶת־מִכְנְסֵ֥י הַבָּ֖ד שֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָֽר׃ (כט) וְֽאֶת־הָאַבְנֵ֞ט שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה רֹקֵ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ס) (ל) וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֛וּ אֶת־צִ֥יץ נֵֽזֶר־הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וַיִּכְתְּב֣וּ עָלָ֗יו מִכְתַּב֙ פִּתּוּחֵ֣י חוֹתָ֔ם קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַיהוָֽה׃
(27) They made the tunics of fine linen, of woven work, for Aaron and his sons; (28) and the headdress of fine linen, and the decorated turbans of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen; (29) and sashes of fine twisted linen, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, done in embroidery—as the LORD had commanded Moses. (30) They made the frontlet for the holy diadem of pure gold, and incised upon it the seal inscription: “Holy to the LORD.”
Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson: The fact that they (kohanim) wore intricate and expensive clothing amidst general simplicity, that they wore elaborate jewelry when no one else did so, indicates that biblical Judaism stressed the royalty of God. Just as God's servants dressed like royalty, so were we to relate to the entire ritual surrounding God as though God were a grand sovereign (king). In the early parts of this century, many rabbis donned clerical robes and stood on platforms high above their congregant, to emphasize the dignity, majesty, and otherness of God and of sacred service.
In our own day, Jewish worship has been moving away from a primary concern with decorum and dignity. Instead, we seek community, warmth and support... the way rabbis and cantors dress will continue to reflect the developing perspectives of future Jewish communities, suggesting how we perceive our relationships to each other, to our traditions, and to our God. The medium is the message.
In our own day, Jewish worship has been moving away from a primary concern with decorum and dignity. Instead, we seek community, warmth and support... the way rabbis and cantors dress will continue to reflect the developing perspectives of future Jewish communities, suggesting how we perceive our relationships to each other, to our traditions, and to our God. The medium is the message.
Robin Givhan, Washington Post: The sustainability puzzle is the problem that affects every corner of the fashion industry. Fashion’s global production chain pollutes the environment. Its factories, pushed to their limit, too often abuse an overwhelmingly female workforce. Because fashion’s fundamental operating principle rests on planned obsolescence, brands are in a ceaseless cycle of replacement and replenishment. Fashion’s job is to goad you into wanting, needing more.
So what should a conscientious fashion consumer consume?
The simplest answer to a shopper’s dilemma might be a paraphrase of the advice that food writer Michael Pollan offered to those of us perplexed by our mealtime choices: Buy clothes. Not too many. Mostly plant-based.
The most sustainable white shirt may be cut from locally grown, organic cotton. It may tick all the boxes for fair labor practices and a minuscule carbon footprint. But the best white shirt — the perfect shirt — is the one that a shopper buys and wears for years. It’s the singular shirt that stands in lieu of a dozen cheap ones. It is the shirt that hangs, uncrowded, in a room the size of a closet
So what should a conscientious fashion consumer consume?
The simplest answer to a shopper’s dilemma might be a paraphrase of the advice that food writer Michael Pollan offered to those of us perplexed by our mealtime choices: Buy clothes. Not too many. Mostly plant-based.
The most sustainable white shirt may be cut from locally grown, organic cotton. It may tick all the boxes for fair labor practices and a minuscule carbon footprint. But the best white shirt — the perfect shirt — is the one that a shopper buys and wears for years. It’s the singular shirt that stands in lieu of a dozen cheap ones. It is the shirt that hangs, uncrowded, in a room the size of a closet
Questions for Discussion:
1. Why the emphasis on the clothing? Isn't it what's inside that matters?
2. What is the function of clothing?
3. What clothing do you wear that makes a statement about your identity and values?
4. When in your life has changing your clothing been therapeutic?
5. What do you make of the relationship between fashion, values, and sustainability?
1. Why the emphasis on the clothing? Isn't it what's inside that matters?
2. What is the function of clothing?
3. What clothing do you wear that makes a statement about your identity and values?
4. When in your life has changing your clothing been therapeutic?
5. What do you make of the relationship between fashion, values, and sustainability?