Torah For Today! This week: National Dress
After Prince William wore a sherwani during a visit to Pakistan, Rabbi Ariel Abel reflects on how Judaism sees respecting culture
Rabbi Ariel Abel is based in Liverpool
On a recent visit to Pakistan, Prince William wore a sherwani, the country’s national dress for men. What does the Torah say about wearing national dress?
At first glance, it may seem Jews do not have a national dress. Yet the tallit is more than a religious article. It is in fact a desert shawl wrap, and the fringes are there to distinguish the wearer as an observer of the Israelite faith.
While the modern custom has not kept up with halachic expectation, women and men are required to affix tzitzit to clothing with four or more corners.
The Turban is another article which merits the recital of a daily blessing each morning. The Turban is referred to as “the glory of Israel”. In modern Jewish communities, devout women wear turbans and other headgear and men now wear the kippah or yarmulke.
In fact, the original Jewish dress was in the reverse. In the Talmud, the daughters of Talmudic scholars wore a kippah-style headdress and the men wore turbans.
As Jews travelled constantly throughout the last several millennia, Jews have adapted to others’ national dress.
If clothing is modest and conforms to the Biblical injunction against twinning wool and linen together, it is permitted to wear.
Dress from hot countries is usually very modest and healthy, as it allows for the proper circulation of air around the body, eliminating the chance of bacteria gathering and soreness.
However, not all modern Jews appreciate the beauty of foreign national dress.
One warm summer Friday night, my wife and I wore comfortable cotton Tuareg and cool Indian dress in north Manchester. Our Jewish neighbours turned their heads in embarrassment and did not wish us Shabbat Shalom.
I wonder what they would have done to avoid Maimonides and his wife in the street!
- Rabbi Abel serves Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation and is padre to Merseyside Army Cadet Force
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
