From your Torah portion:
(22) The robe for the ephod was made of woven work, of pure blue. (23) The opening of the robe, in the middle of it, was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening, so that it would not tear. (24) On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, twisted. (25) They also made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates: (26) a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for officiating in—as Adonai had commanded Moses. (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 Adonai had commanded Moses.
We can think about this in relation to conscious consumerism
[The Mishneh Torah (“Repetition of the Torah”) is a monumental legal code written by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam, also know as Maimonides) in Egypt in the late 12th century.]
(י) וְלֹא הָאִילָנוֹת בִּלְבַד. אֶלָּא כָּל הַמְשַׁבֵּר כֵּלִים. וְקוֹרֵעַ בְּגָדִים. וְהוֹרֵס בִּנְיָן. וְסוֹתֵם מַעְיָן. וּמְאַבֵּד מַאֲכָלוֹת דֶּרֶךְ הַשְׁחָתָה. עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַשְׁחִית. וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֶלָּא מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם:
(10) This prohibition does not apply to trees alone. Rather, anyone who breaks utensils, tears garments, destroys buildings, stops up a spring, or ruins food with a destructive intent transgresses the command 'Do not destroy.' However, he is not lashed. Instead, he receives stripes for rebellious conducts instituted by the Sages.
- Bal tashchit is the Hebrew term for “do not destroy” and prohibits unnecessarily destroying or disposing of useful things. If avoiding needless waste is a Jewish value, how can we reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill (and the wasted water and fossil fuels imbedded in the production of our clothing)?
- Your Torah portion describes the sacred garments which the Priests and High Priest wore for “glory and splendor” when they served in the Tabernacle, made with fine fabrics, gold and jewels, and were visually quite beautiful. This is in tension with the idea of Bal tashchit.
- Why do you think they were still considered “sacred garments”?
- What do you think is meant by clothing to be worn “for glory and splendor”?
- Who are they ultimately being worn for? What do they represent?
- In what ways can clothing create an atmosphere for others, or particular feelings in the person wearing them?
- Have you experienced this in your own life? Where?
We can also think about this in relation to the messages clothes send
(1) Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, [that Haman was planning on destroying the Jews,] so Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; (2) and he came even before the king’s gate; for none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. (3) And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
(ו) וַיָּבוֹא֮ הָמָן֒ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מַה־לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת בָּאִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֣ץ בִּיקָר֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָמָן֙ בְּלִבּ֔וֹ לְמִ֞י יַחְפֹּ֥ץ הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת יְקָ֖ר יוֹתֵ֥ר מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָמָ֖ן אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֥ץ בִּיקָרֽוֹ׃ (ח) יָבִ֙יאוּ֙ לְב֣וּשׁ מַלְכ֔וּת אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָֽבַשׁ־בּ֖וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְס֗וּס אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָכַ֤ב עָלָיו֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִתַּ֛ן כֶּ֥תֶר מַלְכ֖וּת בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (ט) וְנָת֨וֹן הַלְּב֜וּשׁ וְהַסּ֗וּס עַל־יַד־אִ֞ישׁ מִשָּׂרֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֔ים וְהִלְבִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֣ץ בִּֽיקָר֑וֹ וְהִרְכִּיבֻ֤הוּ עַל־הַסּוּס֙ בִּרְח֣וֹב הָעִ֔יר וְקָרְא֣וּ לְפָנָ֔יו כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֥ץ בִּיקָרֽוֹ׃ (י) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לְהָמָ֗ן מַ֠הֵר קַ֣ח אֶת־הַלְּב֤וּשׁ וְאֶת־הַסּוּס֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבַּ֔רְתָּ וַֽעֲשֵׂה־כֵן֙ לְמָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֔י הַיּוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ אַל־תַּפֵּ֣ל דָּבָ֔ר מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃ (יא) וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָמָן֙ אֶת־הַלְּב֣וּשׁ וְאֶת־הַסּ֔וּס וַיַּלְבֵּ֖שׁ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיַּרְכִּיבֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּרְח֣וֹב הָעִ֔יר וַיִּקְרָ֣א לְפָנָ֔יו כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֥ץ בִּיקָרֽוֹ׃
(6) So Haman came in. And the king said unto him: ‘What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?’—Now Haman said in his heart: ‘Whom would the king delight to honour besides myself?’— (7) And Haman said unto the king: ‘For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, (8) let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on whose head a crown royal is set; (9) and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delighteth to honour, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him: Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.’ (10) Then the king said to Haman: ‘Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate; let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.’ (11) Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him: ‘Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.’
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 the Purim story, when Mordechai learns about Haman's plot, he tears his clothes and puts on dirty rags (sackcloth and ashes). But when he is being honored by the king, he wears fine clothes and jewels.
- Your Torah portion describes the sacred garments which the Priests and High Priest wore for “glory and splendor” when they served in the Tabernacle, made with fine fabrics, gold and jewels, and were visually quite beautiful (as in the illustration).
- Why the emphasis on the clothing? Isn't what's inside that matters?
- What is the function of clothing?
- What clothing or apparel do you wear that makes a statement about your identity?