by Rabbi Joyce Newmark
February 14, 2008

Ever since God made the first garments for Adam and Eve, human beings have used clothing not only for warmth, protection from the elements, and modesty, but also to make statements. A quick look at how people are dressed will most likely tell you their gender, class, occupation, and often the occasion — whether they’re on their way to a bar mitzva or to paint the spare bedroom. Clothing may also indicate religion, nationality, marital status, and membership in all sorts of groups — from street gangs to sports teams, from prisoners’ orange jumpsuits to Shriners’ red fezes.

The message of clothing is most obvious when people wear uniforms — police officers, members of the military, employees of various businesses, monks, and nuns. And within uniformed groups, clothing often includes symbols and variations that insiders use to determine rank, special functions, geographic location, and more. Someone in the know can look at the individuals dressed for a university commencement and discern each one’s highest degree, academic specialty, and often the school where that degree was earned.

We see it as well in our own Jewish community. Particularly in Israel, a man’s head covering — kipa s’ruga or hat, its size, color, even angle — provides specific information on his religious affiliation and political outlook. Orthodox women are easily recognized by their long skirts and sleeves. The only bare heads at a meeting of rabbis belong to the Reform. And some people can pick out which hasidic sect a person belongs to by the style of his coat and the design of his shtreimel.

Our parsha devotes so much space to the garments to be worn by Aaron and his sons because it was these garments that indicated that the priests were acting in their official capacity. Thus, these clothes were to be worn whenever the priests entered the sanctuary and they could not be worn elsewhere. Simply put, what we wear is one of the ways we announce to the world who we are and what we do.

But clothing does more than that. What we wear also affects how we see ourselves and how we behave. When I went to school, girls were required to wear dresses or skirts and blouses and boys had to wear nice pants and shirts with collars. Every kid had school clothes and play clothes, and the first thing you did when you got home was to change out of your school clothes. If you got your school clothes dirty or tore them messing around after school, you knew you were in trouble. School clothes were not for messing around. But once kids began to wear the same jeans and T-shirts for school and for play, there was no reason not to mess around in school.

And it’s not just kids. Some companies that adopted “business casual” dress have returned to more traditional dress codes to combat falling productivity and an increase in complaints about inappropriate language and behavior that seemed to arrive when the khakis and polo shirts did.

How we dress affects our attitudes and our behavior. The Talmud tells us that Aaron’s vestments were more than symbols of his priestly office and were intended to fill those who saw him with reverence. They were intended to protect the high priest from sins that would invalidate his service by reminding him of those sins to which human beings are prone. The breastpiece, called hoshen mishpat, the breastpiece of judgment, was meant to prevent miscarriages of justice. The jacket (m’il, similar to the word for betrayal) would discourage gossip. The ephod, a coat also used to decorate idols, would protect him against succumbing to idolatry. The tunic (k’tonet, the same word used for Joseph’s coat of many colors) would protect against bloodshed. The robe, covering the entire body, would protect against sins of unchastity. The headdress would protect against prideful, arrogant thoughts.

When Aaron was dressed in his priestly vestments he was reminded that he was to teach and exemplify key Jewish values — justice, respect, loyalty to God, reverence for life, modest behavior, and humility. Not a bad list for any of us, but without priestly garments, where can we look for our reminders?

Three weeks ago, in parshat Yitro, God says, “If you keep my covenant you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” We may not be kohanim, we may not wear special garments like those made for Aaron, but, ultimately, it’s not the clothes that make the mensch. Aaron’s vestments were a reminder of the values taught in Torah. We don’t have the vestments, but we do have the Torah, and when we, as it were, adorn ourselves in its teachings, we can become a holy nation.

Rabbi Joyce Newmark, a resident of Teaneck, is a former religious leader of congregations in Leonia and Lancaster, Pa.

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