Clothing in Judaism, an introduction

Aranza Gleason – One of the most surprising things about Judaism is the importance given to the details of everyday life. Eating, cooking, waking up, going to bed and even entering your house take on a different meaning due to the ritual world that surrounds them. There are blessings that are said, objects that are used and rules for each of these actions, which produces a constant state of consciousness in the person. Things take on a new meaning each time one encounters them, as they are no longer merely material to bring spiritual teachings about life that are reinforced day by day with practice. Together they end up helping the person to cultivate a stable relationship with the world around him and with God. One of the most important aspects is clothing. The clothing with which we cover our body actually symbolizes the barrier we put on the outside; It is a way not only to protect our body and not expose it to public judgment, but also to preserve our intimacy and interiority. Clothes in many ways represent the way we see ourselves and want to be seen. That is why there are a series of norms and customs that regulate and ritualize clothing in different aspects. These cover areas as varied as the material used to create the garment, to the colors used on certain occasions. Below we will present some of these customs, we hope you like them.

Blessings Concerning Dress

When one is observant, the first spiritual encounter that he has with his clothes when he wakes up occurs when he says the Morning Blessings. These are a group of prayers that every Jew says when he wakes up and in which he thanks God for the things that have happened to us. gives every day. He is grateful for having vision, for hearing the rooster, for being able to get up, for being able to walk and of course for the clothing. Each of these blessings works metaphorically, not only is the thing itself appreciated but also certain special characteristics of man, for example, the power to make decisions or the power to distinguish between goodness and evil. There are four blessings regarding clothing:

Baruch atá Ado-nay Elo-henu melech haolam malbish arumim.Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe who gives clothing to those who are naked.

Baruj atá Ado-nay Elo-henu melech haolam sheasá li kol tzorkí. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe who provides all my needs.

Baruch ata Ado-nay Elo-henu melech haolam ozer Israel bigburá.Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe who girds Israel with strength.

Baruch atá Ado-nay Elo-henu melech haolam oter Israel betifará.Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe who crowns Israel with glory.

The first refers to clothing in general, we are grateful to be able to cover our body and protect it from the elements, however it also implies all the metaphorical ways in which we are naked and God dresses us. It implies the tools we have to defend ourselves and function in daily life, the qualities that God has given us and the protection towards the outside world. Also in a certain sense it alludes to the moment in which Adam and Eve were naked and God clothed them. For which it can also involve the skin that covers us, since that was the clothing that he gave them.

The second refers to footwear, as traditionally taught, while the third refers to the belt that was traditionally used to separate the upper part of the body from the lower part. Traditionally it was taught that we can say God's name or pray without there being a belt, cord or separation of any kind between the two parts of the human body. As most of the garments were previously long, the use of pants was not yet common, a belt was used. There are still groups that respect this custom, for example the Hasidics still wear it today, sometimes inside their clothes, sometimes outside their trench coats, while the Orthodox consider that the separation of current clothing between the shirt and the edge the pant is enough clearance.

The fourth blessing finally refers to the garment with which men and women cover their heads. In Jewish tradition there is a custom for married women to cover their heads while men must do so when praying. This has generated different ways of doing it and diverse traditions in terms of the garments that are worn. Men usually cover their heads all the time with hats and kipot that each one represents the group they belong to. While women do it with fabrics, wigs or hats.

Shatnez. The ban on mixing wool and linen

Apart from the symbolism that clothing acquires either through blessings or customs that the groups themselves give it, there are a series of rules that surround clothing. The most important perhaps is that regarding the making of the garment. In the Torah it is forbidden to mix wool and linen when making a garment, this involves the threads with which the fabric is made, the interlining, the padding and the parts of the garment itself. As not everyone is a specialist in tailoring, Orthodox communities usually attend the office of a specialized person who carefully checks the garments and charges for his service. This is called Shatnez.

dress codes

One of the most important rules of clothing are those related to modesty. Men and women comply with certain parameters stipulated by Jewish law, which include the length of the garments and their shape (the Jewish dress). Besides, there is the obligation to dress according to the traditions of the group to which one belongs, and over time each group has generated its own dress code that ranges from colors to the garments that are worn. For example, the Hasidic change the shape of their trench coats and hats depending on the branch they belong to, while the Orthodox decide to wear black for a certain ritual symbolism. Some women prefer to refrain from bright colors such as red and among a certain group they tend to dress only in black, white or gray. It is also common that special colors are used for special occasions, for example on Yom Kippur it is usual for people to dress in white to remember the garments of the High Priest, judgment and purity.

ritual garments

There are certain garments that the Torah itself requires wearing or that have been implemented into Jewish tradition through custom. These are, for example, the tzizit, which are woven threads that are used in the corners of clothing. The Torah asks us to put them in the corners of our garments. Originally the mandate only existed for rectangular or square garments, however, in order to comply with the mandate it became customary to wear a square rectangular cloak below the clothes from which these strips hang. Depending on each group, men wear it outside their clothes or inside them, they are a reminder of divine mandates. The tallit, on the other hand, is another example of a ritual garment, this is a blue and white cloak with which men cover themselves to pray. And there are groups that use a kittel or special outfit to pray.