The effects of a person’s attire have been studied outside the doctor’s office. Clothing have been claimed to have some influence over numerous factors. Most notably, it is clear across a number of contexts, that more formal attire generates an impression of status and power.
This week's Torah portion talks about the clothing that is worn by the Kohen in the Holy Temple during the performance of their duties. These clothing were specific to their service, and not worn at other times.
Different clothing are worn at different occasions and circumstances. From PPE in the hospital to jeans when working in the field. The clothing we wear tells others a lot about us.
One needs to ask themselves:
- What am I wearing?
- What is the message that my clothing is giving off?
- How do my externals affect what’s going on inside?
- How do my externals reveal what’s going on inside?
- Are there times that I need to dress differently to help me act differently?
In the Kabalistic terminology: our thoughts, speech and action are like clothing. They are external and can be changed liked clothing.
- What are we thinking about?
- What are we speaking about?
- What are we doing?
Which of those need to be changed or modified to make sure that they are in line with the person who we are and the person that we want to be?
Looking forward to seeing what you choose to wear this Purim
Have an amazing Shabbos!
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman
Here is a quote from the book Positivity Bias which shows how the words we use shape our internal.
"The Rebbe consistently sought to avoid locutions that expressed attitudes of contempt, derision, or negative judgment. Even more strikingly, he would actively rephrase common words and colloquial phrases that many of us speak or write without a second thought.
For instance, he disliked the word deadline, with its connection to death, preferring due date, with its connotation of birth. He wouldn’t call a spiritual getaway a retreat, because “retreat” connotes regression and surrender; in the Rebbe’s playbook, there was only one direction: onward and upward. He didn’t “undertake” projects, possibly because he saw a connotation to half-heartedness in the prefix under or because he associated the word undertaker with death."
