Chava Rom
It is impossible to imagine a person without clothing—that is, a Human Being, rather than a Mowgli.
If clothing only protected the body from cold or other weather conditions, why do animals not need an additional covering?
What, then, distinguishes us from an animal? The Divine component—the soul of the Speaking Human Being! The conclusion suggests itself: Clothing is intended more for the human soul. It, too, is a conversation—a Human Being's conversation with G-d, with other people, and with oneself.
But clothing appeared only after the sin, when the first human being ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And discovered that he was naked. Before that—“They were naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis, 2:25)
A human being consists of a soul and a body. In Gan Eden Adam and Chava understood who was in charge and what each organ was meant for.
But after the sin, bodily needs suddenly made themselves heard so loudly that they drowned out the voice of the soul.
The body obscured the soul and began speaking its own language of needs and pleasures. Adam and Chava, discovering this coarse outer covering, decided to cover the parts that aroused selfish desires in a person and made a person forget their purpose in this world.
The loincloths Adam and Chava made for themselves did not help; they only made the problem worse. They became signposts pointing to what had suddenly revealed its power. Instead of concealing, they emphasized and drew attention.
The Almighty showed them the right solution—He Himself gave people tunics of skin that covered the whole body.
They covered the body, gave it wholeness, and put everything in its proper place. Such clothing leaves exposed the organs through which the soul, the power of compassion, is expressed: the face, the eyes, the hands. After all, they can be used to comfort, encourage, support, and help.
And why was the clothing made of skin, rather than linen or wool? Our Sages say: not “tunics of skin,” but “a tunic of light.” In Hebrew, the words “skin” and “light” sound very similar.
It was precisely clothing that made it possible for the soul to shine.
Adam concealed his body to let the soul be the soloist in their duet. Tzniut—one of the functions of clothing—is to conceal the body so that we can see the soul more easily. Clothing can tell others about our physical assets, or it can convey the depth of our personality. We always decide for ourselves where to place the emphasis, what to highlight in our appearance, and where to direct the gaze of those around us.
The clothing of the Speaking Human Being can tell us about a person without words: the people and group they belong to, their status and position in society, their character and habits. Whether they know themselves and pay attention to details. Their mood, preferences, and attitude toward other people. Color, silhouette, style, details, fabric, and trim are a language familiar to a woman's observant eye.
Clothing does not always tell the truth.
It is no coincidence that the Hebrew words for “clothing” and “betrayal” share a root: clothing gives us away completely. Sometimes it blatantly lies about who is standing before us, and sometimes it affects a person's state of mind, sense of self, and self-perception.
And if clothing reveals our inner world, harmonizes with who we are, and expresses the wholeness of our personality, there is no shame: “Levush”—“lo bosh.” It reveals our wholeness—“shleimut.” “Simlah”—a dress—is made up of the letters of “shalem”—“shleimut,” a quality found only in the Almighty and the Divine soul.
It is worth thinking about what I am “broadcasting” to those around me.
Let's ask ourselves a few questions. How well do I know myself? Let's open the closet and see whom this wardrobe belongs to. A busy mother of many children, an office worker, a romantic soul, an exemplary wife, an embodiment of femininity, a trendsetter, a model of a religious woman. Or perhaps I am still searching for my “self.” If my wardrobe is made up of random items, it is probably not practical.
If you say that you have no time to devote to clothing because there is so much to do, I will remind you that King Shlomo describes what the Eshet Chayil wears, and the Torah discusses the clothing of the kohanim in full detail. Let us remember that our home is a small Temple. A person who is not dressed appropriately shows disrespect for the place they are in and the people around them. Like the kohanim, we too should have special clothing.