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<font size=3>At 07:34 AM 6/19/2011, R. Micha wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">In any case, I find this thread
interesting... RYL raised the question of<br>
why so much more attention is paid to hilkhos tzeni'us WRT women, and
the<br>
thread takes a detour -- to pay attention to hilkhos tzeni'us WRT
women!<br>
</blockquote><br>
Micha's point is well taken. and I am one of those who veered the
discussion from tznius for men to hilchos tznius WRT women.<br><br>
In an attempt to get back on track a bit I would like to bring attention
to what RSRH writes in part in his commentary on the last few pesukim in
Shalach that deal with Tzitzis (Bamidbar 15: 37 - 41). His approach
to garments applies both to men and women and perhaps this is a
"gender free" way to view tznius<br><br>
To find the meaning of the tzitzis on our garments, we must first
investigate<br>
the significance of garments themselves. This is especially
necessary<br>
since the name of the tzitzis describes not only its external appearance
—<br>
threads “sprouting” from the garment — but also its symbolic purpose,
as<br>
Scripture explicitly says: <i>v'haya </i> <i>Lochem l'tzitzis</i> (v. 39;
). The implication, then, is clear: <br>
Through the tzitzis the human garment should “sprout,” that is, blossom
forth and bear the fruit for which<br>
it is intended. <i>Tzitzis hak'nof</i> tells us: Your garment
should not be something<br>
barren; do not clothe yourselves vainly and thoughtlessly in human
garments;<br>
let the garment fulfill the purpose for which it was given to
you!<br><br>
There is a close relation between our clothing and our moral calling<br>
as human beings. This is evident from the historical origin of
clothing<br>
(Bereshis 3:7 and 3:21; see Commentary there). The sin that preceded<br>
[the giving of the first garments to Adam and Chavah] — against
which<br>
the garment is meant to protect — mirrors the sin mentioned above in<br>
verse 39. Indeed, these two sins are not only related and similar, but
are<br>
virtually identical. It appears, then, that the conceptual connection
could<br>
hardly be more obvious. We need only consider what is stated there —<br>
<i>When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and tempting<br>
to the sight, and that the tree was a delight to
contemplate,</i>(Bereshis 3:6)<br>
— to understand that man transgressed God’s command because he<br>
strayed after his heart and eyes, and regarded as<br>
“good,” anything that, in the judgment of his greedy eye and
his<br>
sensual-gratification-seeking mind, would provide him with
satisfaction.<br>
By thus following the dictates of his eyes and heart, he sank to the
level<br>
of intelligence of the animal, which, in choosing what to pursue and
what<br>
to avoid, is guided solely by the inclination of its heart and the
perception<br>
of its eyes. Thereupon came the sense of shame, which is the Divine
voice<br>
within man. This voice instructed man to cover his animal nakedness,<br>
and the instruction was confirmed by God when He provided man with<br>
garments. With a garment God banished man from Paradise, and with<br>
a garment He warns man at all times that his destiny is higher than
that<br>
of an animal; he must submit his power of judgment to the dictates of
a<br>
higher Authority, and learn from Him what is “good” and what is
“evil.”<br><br>
This, then, is the admonition — translated into words — inherent in<br>
man’s clothing: <i>so that you may see them and remember all the
commandments of<br>
God and carry them out, and not go exploring after your own heart<br>
and after your own eyes [and], following them, become unfaithful to<br>
Me.</i>That is also the message of the tzitzis “sprouting<br>
from the garment”: it demands of man to obey the admonishment
inherent<br>
in human clothing.<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Man’s clothing has dual
significance. It is
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>beged</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>; by covering the animal<br>
aspect of the human body, it reveals that man has been endowed with
a<br>
moral character. At the same time, it is also
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>k'sus</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>; it covers the body and<br>
protects it against the elements of the physical world.<br><br>
When man’s moral weakness became apparent, he needed clothing<br>
to remind him of his moral clothing. At the same time, he also
needed<br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>k'sus</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>. For God’s educative love drove him
out of the pleasant harmony of<br>
paradisaic nature. Thereupon the earth’s nature became hostile to
him,<br>
the earth producing for him only thorns and thistles. He now needed<br>
protective clothing, for he had to carry out the mission common to
all<br>
mankind under the most diverse climatic conditions.<br><br>
<br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Yitzchok Levine</body>
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