Clothing

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The Laws of Shatnez and Tzitzit

TANAKH

The Torah commands us to avoid wearing garments made of a mixture of wool and linen, while also instructing us to make tassels on the four corners of our garments. In Deuteronomy, Moses reviews and introduces laws, including those related to clothing, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness to God.

You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen. You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.

Deuteronomy 22:11-12

The Commandment of Tzitzit

LITURGY

The commandment to wear tzitzit serves as a tangible reminder to observe all of God's commandments and maintain holiness. This passage from the Book of Numbers is included here in the Shema, a central prayer in Jewish liturgy, which emphasizes the importance of wearing fringes on garments, including a thread of blue wool.

And the L·rd spoke unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel & say to them to make for themselves a fringe on the borders of their garments, throughout their generations. And they shall place upon the fringe of the border, a thread of blue wool. And it shall be to you a fringe that you may look upon, & remember all the commandments of the L·rd & to do them. Then shall you not stray after your heart & your eyes whereafter you are wont to stray. So may you remember & do all My commandments & be holy for your G·d…

Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Shabbat Arvit, The Shema 9

The Divine Garments of the High Priest

KABBALAH

The High Priest's breastplate and ephod were not just garments but mystical tools that connected the High Priest directly to the Divine Presence. The Zohar, a central text of Jewish mysticism, explains how the engraved stones on the High Priest's breastplate would illuminate to provide divine guidance.

Observe that when the High Priest was wearing the twelve stones fixed on the breastplate and the ephod, the Shekinah hovered over him. These twelve stones had engraved on them the names of the twelve tribes, each stone bearing the name of one of them. The letters were sunk, but when the stones shone they stood out and became luminous, spelling out what was required.

Zohar, Pekudei 21:179

The Blue Robe of the Ephod

TANAKH

The robe of the ephod, a key garment in the ancient Israelite priesthood, was made of a specific material and color, highlighting its unique and sacred nature. The book of Exodus describes the robe of the ephod as being made of woven work and pure blue wool threads.

The robe for the ephod was made of woven work, of pure blue.

Exodus 39:22

Priestly Vestments and Ritual Purity

MISHNAH

The Mishnah provides a meticulous account of the procedures and regulations for handling and storing priestly vestments, highlighting the importance of ritual purity and readiness for service. Tractate Tamid of the Mishnah details the daily Temple service, including the specific garments worn by priests and the process of changing from sacred to non-sacred clothing.

The priests who did not win a lottery were still dressed in the priestly vestments that they were required to don when entering the lottery, so that if they won they would be prepared for immediate service. The appointed priest handed over these priests to the care of the attendants [laḥazanim]. The attendants would undress these priests and remove their garments, and they would leave only their trousers on them. After the priests donned their non-sacred garments, they would remove the priestly trousers and don their non-sacred trousers…

Mishnah Tamid 5:3

Aaron's Sacred Vestments

JEWISH THOUGHT

Aaron's priestly garments symbolized his divine role and public leadership. The Torah details Aaron’s priestly garments in Exodus 28, highlighting their significance in his duties as High Priest.

Aaron was the natural choice to be a representative of the people. In this public capacity, clothing was particularly significant. An entire chapter of Exodus (28) is devoted to the creation of the priestly vestments: “And thou shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for honor and for beauty” (Ex. 28:2). The priest had to be properly clothed to serve his holy task, to garner respect for his position as the divine emissary. Rather than view this as a concession to human aesthetics and materialism, the Bible views such dress as an important means to enhance the divine image…

Leadership in the Wilderness; Authority and Anarchy in the Book of Numbers, Part III, Chapter 15; Losing a Leader 15

The Craftsmanship of Priestly Vestments

SECOND TEMPLE

The priestly vestments were not only religiously significant but also masterpieces of ancient craftsmanship. Josephus provides a detailed account of the materials, construction, and practical use of these garments during the Second Temple period.

2. Over this he wore a linen vestment, made of fine flax doubled: it is called Chethone, and denotes linen, for we call linen by the name of Chethone. This vestment reaches down to the feet, and sits close to the body; and has sleeves that are tied fast to the arms: it is girded to the breast a little above the elbows, by a girdle often going round, four fingers broad, but so loosely woven, that you would think it were the skin of a serpent. It is embroidered with flowers of scarlet, and purple, and blue, and fine twined linen, but the warp was nothing but fine linen…

The Antiquities of the Jews 3:7:2

Symbolic Yom Kippur Attire

GUIDES

The high priest's white linen garments on Yom Kippur symbolize purity and humility, reflecting the solemnity and sanctity of the day. Adin Steinsaltz, a renowned 20th-century scholar, elaborates on the significance of these special garments in the context of the Babylonian Talmud's tractate Yoma.

Although the priestly vestments unique to Yom Kippur were white linen garments, the Sages sought an especially high quality material in deference to the Sanctuary and in deference to the priest.

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Yoma, Summary of Perek III 4

Adam and Eve's Attire

MIDRASH

Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient midrash on the Book of Genesis, describes the garments that God made for Adam and Eve, highlighting various interpretations of their material and appearance. It emphasizes the lesson of proper conduct regarding clothing: one should wear less than their means, reflecting humility and moderation in life choices.

“The Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of hide [or], and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). In Rabbi Meir’s Torah, they found that “garments of or” was written. These are the garments of Adam the first man, that were similar to the common rue, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top.
Rabbi Yitzḥak Ravya says: They were as smooth as a fingernail and as pretty as jewels. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It was like the thin linen garments that come from Beit She’an. [And they were called] garments of hide because they adhered to the skin…

Bereshit Rabbah 20:12

Prohibition of Cross-Dressing

HALAKHAH

The Torah prohibits cross-dressing, and this text details the specific garments and adornments that are forbidden for men and women. The 19th-century Kitzur Shulchan Arukh by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried provides practical guidance on daily Jewish life, including the prohibition against cross-dressing.

A man is forbidden to wear even one garment worn by women, even though he can be recognized as a male by his other garments. Likewise a woman is forbidden to wear even one garment worn by men. Not only are feminine garments forbidden to men, but also every ornament and all toiletries and cosmetics that are used exclusively by women, of that region, are forbidden to a man for purposes of adornment or enhancement. Likewise, everything used exclusively by men, is forbidden for use by a woman.

Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 171:1

The Coat of Many Colors

MUSAR

Jacob's favoritism towards Joseph, symbolized by the special coat, led to jealousy and ultimately the exile to Egypt. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the consequences of parental favoritism and its impact on family dynamics.

ויעש לו כתונת פסים . The Talmud in Shabbat 10b tells us that one must not treat any of one's children differently, since, on account of the extra two silver-coins-worth of money spent on Joseph's colored coat his brothers became jealous of him and this in turn led to the exile in Egypt.

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayeshev, Miketz, Vayigash, Derekh Chayim, Vayeshev 7

The Scholar's Attire

REFERENCE

Scholars are expected to maintain a pristine and attractive exterior appearance, as well as exemplary manners, to set a positive example for others. Gershom Bader’s early 20th-century work emphasizes the high standards of conduct and appearance expected of Torah scholars in Jewish tradition.

Such “Talmide Chachomim” (scholars) must always endeavor to set an example for others with their behavior as well as by their exterior appearance. A scholar must not allow his clothes to be spotted and must keep himself as attractive as a girl. He must also maintain better manners than others while eating, sitting down, standing up and walking about the street.

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, Introduction 47

Mourning Through Clothing

TANAKH

The act of tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth as a sign of mourning is a powerful expression of grief and respect. In the biblical narrative of Samuel II, King David and his troops mourn the death of Abner by tearing their clothes and wearing sackcloth, with David personally walking behind Abner's bier.

David then ordered Joab and all the troops with him to rend their clothes, gird on sackcloth, and make lament before Abner; and King David himself walked behind the bier.

II Samuel 3:31

The Importance of Conforming to Local Customs

CHASIDUT

Conforming to local customs and appearances can be crucial for safety and avoiding suspicion. In the early 19th-century collection of stories about Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Shivchei HaRan, we learn about the challenges and cultural interactions he faced during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The Rebbe and his attendant were brought to the city. As they walked through the streets, some Turks remarked that they looked like spies. The members of the community were highly alarmed. They immediately brought their guests their style of clothing and had them dress like the other Jews of Rhodes.

Shivchei HaRan, An Account of His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 25:1

Gladdening the Household on Festivals

TALMUD

Gladdening one's household during a Festival is a nuanced aspect of Jewish observance, with specific customs for men and women. The Talmudic tractate Pesachim discusses the importance of providing items that please one's family during a Festival, such as wine for men and new clothes for women, tailored to local customs.

The Sages taught: A man is obligated to gladden his children and the members of his household on a Festival, as it is stated: “And you shall rejoice on your Festival, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow that are within your gates” (Deuteronomy 16:14). With what should one make them rejoice? With wine. Rabbi Yehuda says: One should enable each member of his household to rejoice with an item that pleases them…

Pesachim 109a:3-4

The First Clothing

TARGUM

The moment Adam and Eve realize their nakedness and create makeshift clothing marks a profound shift in human consciousness and morality. The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Torah, provides additional context and elaboration on this pivotal moment in the Genesis narrative.

And the eyes of both were enlightened, and they knew that they were naked, divested of the purple robe in which they had been created. And they saw the sight of their shame, and sewed to themselves the leaves of figs, and made to them cinctures.

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 3:7

Tailor, Yehuda (Yuri) Pen. 1926 Poland

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