DRESSING FOR THE YAMIM NORA’IM

In Judaism, dress matters.  The Torah forbids the combination of wool and linen, known as sha'atnez (pronounced:  sha-at-NEZ;  see Deuteronomy 22:11).  More problematic than the illegally dressed is the thoughtlessly dressed.  As sure as an elegant evening dinner demands something more than sneakers and shorts, a synagogue service demands its own fashion protocol, but what is it?

Over the Yamim Nora’im, we visit God in synagogue in order to cleanse ourselves of sin.  Our dress must reflect that task.  Our dress should thus reflect a sense of penance and solemnity, so simplicity is key.  We need to focus for long periods of time so our clothing must be comfortable.  Above all, our dress should reflect tzeniut (pronounced:  tzi-nee-OOT)  or modesty, expressed by clothing that is unrevealing and plain.  We don’t mean to suggest coming dressed in armor, but…tzi-nee-oot really is about covering more and revealing less.  In addition, covering of the head for women, particularly those who are married, is regarded as respectful.  For those women ascending the bimah, both married and single, it is essential to wear a head covering.

Color matters as well.  The white kittel worn by the cantor was once everyone's garb over the holidays.  Because the Yamim Nora’im compels us to face our own mortality, the kittel—which is also a burial shroud—was worn as a dramatic reminder of that.  And because the hope was always to cleanse ourselves of sin, the “clean color” white was worn.  In wearing white, we wear the color of tradition.

Non-leather shoes on Yom Kippur are becoming increasingly popular.  This foot-wear is actually of a legal status equivalent to fasting; in other words, non-leather shoes on Yom Kippur is not a minhag (pronounced:  meen-HAG) or custom, but a law.  Non-leather shoes, a traditional sign of sorrow, is a good symbol on a day of atonement. 

The synagogue provides everyone with a kosher, no-frills kippah and tallit.  It would be better, however, for the men to bring their own.  Just as most of us prefer our own clothes to those which are borrowed, so too ritual items as important as kippah and tallit should be personal rather than communal property.