Hidden Treasures - Modesty Is a Jewel
In our generation, may the Almighty have mercy, licentiousness reigns in the streets. It is simply astonishing that people are not ashamed to appear in public looking like that. I think the reason is…
Modesty
Explore Modesty at Neshama Sheli: articles and reading collections about Jewish life. Discover the section and related topics for further reading.
Hidden Treasures - Covered Hair
And not only a woman's body must be covered, but her hair as well. Why? If we examine hair under a microscope, we will see that it is hollow. A hair is a kind of channel leading to the human brain. H…
Hidden Treasures - “Three Take Part in the Creation of a Person”
A Jewish home is a Temple. “If husband and wife are worthy, the Almighty dwells among them” (Sotah, 17a). A couple needs a home; the bond between them is so precious that no one else can be there. A…
Hidden Treasures - The Essence of Modesty
Put simply, the essence of modesty is protection. In the material world, a person puts on warm clothing in winter to protect against the cold. Likewise, in the spiritual world, everything needs prote…
Hidden Treasures - Two Views of Clothing
The Maharal writes: “The highest praise for a woman is recognition of her modesty. The highest level she can reach is modesty” (“Gevurot Hashem,” chapter 60). The Vilna Gaon, of blessed memory, in hi…
Jewish Modesty - A Contemporary Perspective
A villager had a “Yerushalmi” siddur that explained which kavanot were needed for each prayer; lofty words and thoughts that one was meant to absorb were printed in small type. This man had to turn p…
The Purpose of Clothing – Protecting a Person's Inner Essence
“Make sacred garments for Aaron your brother, for honor and splendor” (Exodus, 28:2). In these verses, the Torah describes in detail the special, magnificent, and sacred garments that the kohanim wor…
What a Woman’s Clothing Reflects
Men’s and women’s clothing speak different languages. The Torah prohibits women from wearing men’s clothing and vice versa. Unlike a man’s wardrobe, a woman’s closet contains all the colors of the ra…
Clothing That Speaks
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…
Every Woman’s “Built-In” Modesty
The weekly Torah portion of Ki Teitzei contains an important prohibition: “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the congregation of the Almighty. Even their tenth generation shall not enter the congreg…
Women's Perfume
A pleasant scent is a source of great pleasure. Scents play an enormous role in the non-Jewish world—one need only look at how developed the perfume industry is around the world. Scent also has an im…
What Does “Made from a Rib” Mean?
The Hebrew word for “rib” is tzela. Oral tradition tells us that Woman was created specifically from a rib, rather than from any other part of the body. A rib is a part of the human body that is cons…