Tetzaveh: The Clothes Make the Man(ner)

One thing people sometimes know about me is that I like fashionable clothing. I'm not the most stylish person in the world, by any stretch, but I enjoy wearing suits, I look for opportunities to dress UP rather than dress DOWN, and I especially relish
opportunities to match clothing. When possible, I try to make sure my socks match my shirt, match my tie, and (ideally) match my kippah. :-) Unfortunately, as my weight has fluctuated greatly over the years, it has been hard to create a comprehensive wardrobe, because I have six or eight different sizes of things all mixed together. But that's not the point I wanted to make. What I really like about focusing on clothing is not (I hope) the vanity of it, or trying to "dress the part," meaning to pretend to be something I am not. Instead, I emphasize the intentionality of it. Being deliberate about our appearance, our behavior, how we present to other people; all of these things can really have a powerful effect on the individual AND on the community.

The High Priest in the ancient Temple knew what I am talking about. Back then, they may not have had three-piece suits or fancy, colorful socks, but each item of the priest's clothing was imbued with meaning and symbolism.

This week, our Torah portion focuses almost exclusively on the wardrobe of the High Priest. In naming all the mindful intentions of his garments, the text urges us to think about how to use our own clothes in a similarly purposeful way. Aaron was instructed to wear a headdress (Ex. 28:37) with a sign hanging on the front of it that stated "Kodesh Ladonai," "Holy [or consecrated] for Adonai." And God also told Moses to make Aaron's robe with golden bells all along the hem, "so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before Adonai, and when he goes out" (35). But perhaps the most interesting of all the ritual garments was Aaron's breastplate, which contained the names of all twelve tribes.

What I really love about the breastplate - which the text deliberately describes as being worn "over his heart... for remembrance before Adonai at all times" (29) -  is
the notion of Aaron's accountability to his fellow Israelites. In his role as High Priest, he might be at risk of starting to think of himself as "better" than everyone else, as omnipotent, above scrutiny, and infallible. The Torah therefore has him *literally* weighed down by a constant reminder of who he represents. He is the servant of the people, and they are trusting him to atone for their sins, intercede on their behalf to God, and generally keep them on God's good side. Everything about his ritual garb directs the High Priest to remember his responsibilities, to be humble and grateful for this task, and to not become self-aggrandizing or egomaniacal.

This year, we're reading the final third of the parashah, and it begins with a curious ritual. Sometimes, if we imagine what Aaron and the other priests looked like, we picture them in pure, unstained, freshly-laundered

white vestments. Well, our reading begins with God instructing Moses to dash blood all over the priests AND their clothing, which thus makes them holy (!!!) (29:21). So much for lily-white... And certainly a good example of creating a permanent stain-like reminder of the life-and-death implications of the priestly responsibilities. Imagine if we had even a tiny fraction of that intention with our dress today! Knowing that it showcased our priorities, our values, and our obligations. Almost as if we were wearing our hearts on our sleeves... We're not likely to ever go to the extremes of Aaron's "threads," but I wonder if it can impact how we see ourselves nonetheless. What kind of an impression do we make? How do others perceive us? How might our intentions guide our clothing - and how can our choices of clothing help serve as a reminder of the things we care about? A little extra dose of mindfulness is always a good thing... and a pinch of extra style never hurt anyone either! :-)