Parshat Tetzaveh
“Do not judge by the flask, but rather by what it contains” (Pirkei Avot 4:20).
This week's Torah portion, Parshat Tetzaveh, teaches us about the appointment of Aaron as High Priest and of his descendants as priests forever. The priests were called kohanim. If you know someone with the last name of Cohen or Coen, Kahan or Kaplan it is likely that distance descendants from Aaron and his family.
In our parsha this week, the priests who serve in the sanctuary dress for "beauty and dignity". Both those reasons are crucial. Fulfilling their role with dignity is reflected in the elaborate clothes they wear, complete with sashes, breastpiece and headdress. But the priests' clothes are not only about dignity; beauty very much characterizes the kind of clothes they wear. The priests' clothes are clothes of bright color -- clear blue, purple and crimson -- clothes with golden bells and pomegranates, clothes made out of linen and embroidered work.
In the Talmud we are taught how powerful these priestly clothes are: “When wearing their garments, they are invested with their priesthood; when not wearing their garments, they are not invested with their priesthood. (Zevachim 17b)"
Yet we are taught from a young age not to “judge a book by its cover” and to look deeper than just at the clothes someone is wearing. Are we to believe that clothes actually do make the person? Or are we to focus on the words of the Mishnah above and not judge by the outer flask but on what it contains?
The key is to recognize that our outer garments should always be “bigdei kodesh” (sacred clothing) and that what makes our outer layers sacred is when they are true reflections of what is inside us. This portion teaches us that our exterior persona and the spirit deep within us should always reflect each other.
Some restaurants still insist on a dress code in order to help people recognize that they are about to have a special evening, and this type of practice is familiar to all of us. Robert Bly, the great author and professor from Minnesota, has made it a point to often lecture on the importance of wearing that “little red scarf” if it makes you feel more special, no matter what anyone else thinks of it, and many people have their favorite clothing that helps them feel stronger. Mourners wear a ripped piece of fabric so the tear their souls is reflected on their outside during the first week of losing a loved one. While it is true that we should be judged on who we are by our "insides"; nevertheless, the outer layer can help us develop what is inside more fully and completely.
Have a family discussion about how we sometimes judge others by their external appearance. Has this ever happened to you, or have you done this to someone else? How do you feel when you are judged only by your "outsides" and not your "insides". Why do we do this? What do your clothes say, or not say, about you? How do you feel about getting dressed up to go to a special event? Is it important to get dressed up for special events? Why?
This week's Torah portion, Parshat Tetzaveh, teaches us about the appointment of Aaron as High Priest and of his descendants as priests forever. The priests were called kohanim. If you know someone with the last name of Cohen or Coen, Kahan or Kaplan it is likely that distance descendants from Aaron and his family.
In our parsha this week, the priests who serve in the sanctuary dress for "beauty and dignity". Both those reasons are crucial. Fulfilling their role with dignity is reflected in the elaborate clothes they wear, complete with sashes, breastpiece and headdress. But the priests' clothes are not only about dignity; beauty very much characterizes the kind of clothes they wear. The priests' clothes are clothes of bright color -- clear blue, purple and crimson -- clothes with golden bells and pomegranates, clothes made out of linen and embroidered work.
In the Talmud we are taught how powerful these priestly clothes are: “When wearing their garments, they are invested with their priesthood; when not wearing their garments, they are not invested with their priesthood. (Zevachim 17b)"
Yet we are taught from a young age not to “judge a book by its cover” and to look deeper than just at the clothes someone is wearing. Are we to believe that clothes actually do make the person? Or are we to focus on the words of the Mishnah above and not judge by the outer flask but on what it contains?
The key is to recognize that our outer garments should always be “bigdei kodesh” (sacred clothing) and that what makes our outer layers sacred is when they are true reflections of what is inside us. This portion teaches us that our exterior persona and the spirit deep within us should always reflect each other.
Some restaurants still insist on a dress code in order to help people recognize that they are about to have a special evening, and this type of practice is familiar to all of us. Robert Bly, the great author and professor from Minnesota, has made it a point to often lecture on the importance of wearing that “little red scarf” if it makes you feel more special, no matter what anyone else thinks of it, and many people have their favorite clothing that helps them feel stronger. Mourners wear a ripped piece of fabric so the tear their souls is reflected on their outside during the first week of losing a loved one. While it is true that we should be judged on who we are by our "insides"; nevertheless, the outer layer can help us develop what is inside more fully and completely.
Have a family discussion about how we sometimes judge others by their external appearance. Has this ever happened to you, or have you done this to someone else? How do you feel when you are judged only by your "outsides" and not your "insides". Why do we do this? What do your clothes say, or not say, about you? How do you feel about getting dressed up to go to a special event? Is it important to get dressed up for special events? Why?