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Drash
for Shabbat Tetzaveh This week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, from the book of Exodus continues the description of the Mikdash (the portable sanctuary). It also includes commandments to create a ner tamid (a constantly burning light) and to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests to manage sacrifices at the Mikdash. If this were not enough, there are detailed instructions regarding clothing for Aaron and his sons. Now my interest was peaked. Clothing and accessories. There are more than forty verses, an usually high number for a single topic, devoted to garments. This could be the ideal parashah for me even though shoes, my favorite obsession, were not mentioned and it did pertain to ritual garments and not Vogue fashion spreads. Clothes do tend to impress us ... remember the saying "clothes make the man". And those of us with teenagers (when we have the energy) take on the battle of dress and hair. We try to have our teens understand that first impressions are lasting and when someone doesn’t know you your character can be judged solely by appearance. My fiercely independent son, Eli, counters this in his own jargon with the saying "can’t judge a book by its cover ." And to some extent he and our family therapist who we consulted on this topic are correct. We all know some people who present the pretty, polished package of Gucci accessories and Ralph Lauren clothes to have less heart and caring for humanity than a scruffy teenage boy, confirming my son’s insistence of not judging that book by its cover. However, in this portion the Torah does certainly connect clothes to the role in which man is serving. Aaron is doing holy work and so he is dressed in garments that are dignified and add splendor to his work. This is why we ask our children to attend services with thought to their appearance. We ourselves don’t attend shul as if we came from doing yard work. What we do at Temple is sacred and respect should be shown. Research has shown that even schools are healthier and more conducive to learning if teachers are dressed professionally ...respect is given and classroom decorum resides. So it seems that the Torah is letting us know that Moses’ important task of attending to the details of holy garments enhances the glory of God. By adding beauty to our practices in Judaism we add holiness. However, clothes are not meant to replace the inner qualities that Judaism focuses upon... compassion, generosity, fairness, humility. As Rav Sha’ul wrote to the Colossians: "clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion, and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience... above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly." Shabbat Shalom.
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