Wake Up, My People
So the navi says, ןֹויƒˆ¿ך≈ּזֻﬠ יƒׁ ̆¿בƒל – Put on your strength, O’ Tzion, י≈„¿‚ƒּב יƒׁ ̆¿בƒל¿ך≈ּ ̇¿רַ‡¿פƒ ̇ – put on the garments of your splendor. The navi is saying we have to put on clothing the way Hashem intended. You have to know who you are. First of all, you’re a human being. A human being is very great! Appreciate the greatness of a man. Tzelem Elokim! Your garments remind you!
But then keep on thinking more. “Wake up you sleepyhead! Because for the Am Yisroel, our clothing means even more than the rest of Mankind.” Our clothing must remind us who we are. We put on garments in order not only to protect our bodies from the heat and cold. We wear clothing to protect our minds from the outside world that comes into our minds; from all the foolishness that makes us forget our purpose in this world as kohanei Hashem.
And therefore we have to remind ourselves at all times, that whatever we wear, these are garments of glory for us. We are wearing garments of splendor, garments of self awareness. When we put on a shirt and pants, a dress, a sheitel, whatever it is, we do it with the pride and awareness that these clothes should elicit from us a greatness of the mind, of character. And that’s ך≈ּ ̇¿רַ‡¿פƒ ̇ י≈„¿‚ƒּב יƒׁ ̆¿בƒל – that’s how we wear the garments of our glory.
Have a Wonderful Shabbos
