Parshat Acharei Mot–Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1-20:27) contains many laws related to holy behaviors—some morally troublesome, some timelessly true, and some seemingly random or contradictory. In Torah Queeries, we will explore the prohibition against mixing linen and wool (shatnez) in relation to the instruction for priests to wear garments made of mixed linen and wool. How are fabrics like queer identity? How do various strands of queer identities mix?
Blessing for Torah Study
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la'asok b’divrei Torah.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, charging us to engage with words of Torah.
Beginning With Our Own Torah
1) Why might mixed fabrics be prohibited in the Torah?
2) How are fabrics like queer identity? How do various threads of queer identities mix?
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Forbidden Shatnez
Questions to consider: What is shatnez? Why might it be forbidden?
(יט) אֶֽת־חֻקֹּתַי֮ תִּשְׁמֹ֒רוּ֒ בְּהֶמְתְּךָ֙ לֹא־תַרְבִּ֣יעַ כִּלְאַ֔יִם שָׂדְךָ֖ לֹא־תִזְרַ֣ע כִּלְאָ֑יִם וּבֶ֤גֶד כִּלְאַ֙יִם֙ שַֽׁעַטְנֵ֔ז לֹ֥א יַעֲלֶ֖ה עָלֶֽיךָ׃
(19) You shall observe My laws. You shall not let your cattle mate with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; you shall not put on cloth from a mixture of two kinds of material (shatnez).
(כב) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־כׇּל־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־תָקִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֜י מֵבִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֛ם שָׁ֖מָּה לָשֶׁ֥בֶת בָּֽהּ׃ (כג) וְלֹ֤א תֵֽלְכוּ֙ בְּחֻקֹּ֣ת הַגּ֔וֹי אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֤י אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ עָשׂ֔וּ וָאָקֻ֖ץ בָּֽם׃ (כד) וָאֹמַ֣ר לָכֶ֗ם אַתֶּם֮ תִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אַדְמָתָם֒ וַאֲנִ֞י אֶתְּנֶ֤נָּה לָכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֹתָ֔הּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֲנִי֙ ה׳ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּֽים... (כו) וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י ה׳ וָאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים לִהְי֥וֹת לִֽי׃
(22) You shall faithfully observe all My laws and all My regulations, lest the land to which I bring you to settle in spew you out. (23) You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you. For it is because they did all these things that I abhorred them (24) and said to you: You shall possess their land, for I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I YHVH am your God who has set you apart from other peoples.... (26) You shall be holy to Me, for I YHVH am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be Mine.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Holy Shatnez
Question to consider: Why might shatnez be permitted for the tabernacle and priests?
(א) וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עֶ֣שֶׂר יְרִיעֹ֑ת שֵׁ֣שׁ מׇשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י כְּרֻבִ֛ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֖ב תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם... (ד) וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ לֻֽלְאֹ֣ת תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָאֶחָ֔ת מִקָּצָ֖ה בַּחֹבָ֑רֶת וְכֵ֤ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה בַּמַּחְבֶּ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃ (ה) חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּעֲשֶׂה֮ בַּיְרִיעָ֣ה הָאֶחָת֒ וַחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַיְרִיעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּמַּחְבֶּ֣רֶת הַשֵּׁנִ֑ית מַקְבִּילֹת֙ הַלֻּ֣לָאֹ֔ת אִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָֽהּ׃
(1) As for the tabernacle, make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them... (4) Make loops of blue wool on the edge of the outermost cloth of the one set; and do likewise on the edge of the outermost cloth of the other set: (5) make fifty loops on the one cloth, and fifty loops on the edge of the end cloth of the other set, the loops to be opposite one another.
(א) וּמִן־הַתְּכֵ֤לֶת וְהָֽאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת הַשָּׁנִ֔י עָשׂ֥וּ בִגְדֵי־שְׂרָ֖ד לְשָׁרֵ֣ת בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֞וּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֤י הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יהוה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ} (ב) וַיַּ֖עַשׂ אֶת־הָאֵפֹ֑ד זָהָ֗ב תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מׇשְׁזָֽר׃
(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 YHVH had commanded Moses. (2) The ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen.
(ח) וַיַּ֧עַשׂ אֶת־הַחֹ֛שֶׁן מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֖ב כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֵפֹ֑ד זָהָ֗ב תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מׇשְׁזָֽר׃
(8) The breastpiece was made in the style of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen.
(כז) וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֛וּ אֶת־הַכׇּתְנֹ֥ת שֵׁ֖שׁ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֹרֵ֑ג לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָֽיו׃ (כח) וְאֵת֙ הַמִּצְנֶ֣פֶת שֵׁ֔שׁ וְאֶת־פַּאֲרֵ֥י הַמִּגְבָּעֹ֖ת שֵׁ֑שׁ וְאֶת־מִכְנְסֵ֥י הַבָּ֖ד שֵׁ֥שׁ מׇשְׁזָֽר׃ (כט) וְֽאֶת־הָאַבְנֵ֞ט שֵׁ֣שׁ מׇשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה רֹקֵ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {ס}
(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 YHVH had commanded Moses.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
What is Shatnez?
אֵין אָסוּר מִשּׁוּם כִּלְאַיִם אֶלָּא טָווּי וְאָרוּג, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב) לֹא תִלְבַּשׁ שַׁעַטְנֵז, דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא שׁוּעַ טָווּי וָנוּז. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, נָלוֹז וּמֵלִּיז הוּא אֶת אָבִיו שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם עָלָיו:
Only that which is spun or woven is forbidden under the law of kilayim, as it says, “You shall not wear shatnez” (Deuteronomy 22:1, that which is shua (combed) tavui (spun) and nuz (woven).
Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky, qtd. by Marjorie Ingall, "Shatnez Shock: Pondering one of the Torah’s woolliest rules," Tablet (2010)
No one entirely knows why we have shatnez... but it’s obviously related to purity being the ideal. The world is created in order, and order reflects the divine will and the divine universe. Mixtures are chaotic—they introduce unholiness in some way. But the interesting thing is that the high priests wore shatnez, and the curtain in the mishkan, the Tabernacle, was made with wool and linen. In those cases you could say that shatnez was the opposite of unholy; it was indicative of holiness. Only the sanctified people and spaces are holy enough to be draped in it.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Queer Shatnez
Questions to consider: How are queer people like priests? How are queer people like shatnez?
When [the High Priest] enters the Temple, the place where there is perfection, where all the services of perfection are, though there is found jointly wool and flax, we should not fear, this just as we said regarding the Tzitzit (lit. 'fringes'). There are found and joined all these species of above (heaven), all the vessels (capacities to receive divine light) of the Temple including many kinds differing from one another. All are included there, similar to those above (heaven).
"What’s the Deal with Shatnez? Sometimes in Jewish Sewing Wool and Linen Don’t Mix," Sew Jewish (2014)
The use of wool and linen in the priests’ Temple garments sets them apart from most Jewish garments and provides the ultimate reason, many commentators suggest, that the combination is forbidden in ordinary clothing. Kabbalists see deep spiritual meaning in the structure of the High Priest’s belt. In Kabbalistic thought, materials that embody different creative forces, like linen and wool, need to be kept apart in the physical world. But when the High Priest carries out holy duties in the Temple, the service puts the High Priest in God’s presence, and before the unity of God’s presence the differences among the forces disappear.
Jay Michaelson, "Shatnez and Civilization: The Queer Path of the Boundary Crosser," Tikkun, Volume 21, Number 5, pg. 64 (2006)
One reason that eros is so carefully patrolled by law is that, blessed by the simplicity of love, it is easy to forget distinctions. Labels, binarisms, genders, and transgressions matter little when my partner is in my arms and love is the most natural thing in the world. Yet while such moments of innocence are delightful, they are also infantile. Shatnez, the Biblically-proscribed blending of wooly and linen, which was prohibited precisely because it was sacred to the Egyptians (possibly like forbidden sexual unions), also looks, from a distance, to be cloth like any other. Only on closer inspection do its transgressed distinctions become apparent––whether as a path to God or to chaos.