what colors should you wear to a jewish
Clothing has long played a meaning part in Judaism, reflecting religious identification, social status, emotional country and even the Jews' relation with the exterior world. The ancient rabbis taught that maintaining their distinctive apparel in Egypt was one of the reasons the Jews were worthy of existence rescued from servitude.
Distinctive Jewish Garments Today
During synagogue services, Jewish men traditionally don prayer shawls and cover their heads with kippot, practices that some liberal Jewish women accept adopted as well.
While near Jews dress similarly to non-Jews when outside synagogue, many Orthodox Jews are recognizable by their distinctive garments worn for reasons of ritual, tradition or modesty. In particular, Orthodox (and some non-Orthodox) men cover their heads with kippot, and some encompass these with blackness hats or a shtreimel, a type of fur hat. More than stringently Orthodox men frequently habiliment black suits, and many Hasidic men clothing suits that are reminiscent of the fashion Polish nobility wore in the 18th century, when Hasidic Judaism began. Many Orthodox men also wear a tzitzit, a iv-pointed garment with fringes on the corners, underneath their shirt — sometimes the fringes hang out from the shirt, just sometimes they are not visible.
Many Orthodox women eschew pants and instead stick to dresses and skirts. In addition, Orthodox women by and large wear minor wearing apparel that cover much of their bodies, although how much is covered varies dramatically from customs to community.
READ: Cartel to Bare Those Ankles
In some ultra-Orthodox communities, women are discouraged from wearing bright, attending-getting colors. Once married, virtually Orthodox women encompass their hair, whether with a hat, wig or scarf.
What the Torah Says Near Clothing
The Torah says little well-nigh habiliment, either descriptively or prescriptively. Without explanation, it prohibits blending wool and linen in a garment (such garments are known every bit shatnez), in the aforementioned verse forbidding "mixing" different seeds and species of cattle (Leviticus 19:19). It forbids men from wearing women's wearing apparel and vice versa (Deuteronomy 22:five), without specifying the characteristics of either. It also requires Jews to put fringes on the corners of a iv-pointed garment (Numbers 15:37-41), both as a way of identifying the Jew and reminder reminding the Jew to observe the mitzvot.
On the other mitt, the Torah provides extensive item regarding the clothing of the priests, and specially the High Priest, for their duties in the Tabernacle in the desert (Exodus 28), later adopted for the Temple in Jerusalem. Yet while the High Priest's garb was elaborate, colorful and full of symbolism, for Yom Kippur, the i twenty-four hour period a year he would enter the nearly holy portion of the sanctuary, he was to wear only white linen (Leviticus 16:4), a sign of humility. White clothing became the symbol of purity, and black a sign of mourning. Nowadays mourning is indicated by the tearing of a garment.
Jewish Wearing apparel in Ancient and Medieval Times
When the Jews were sovereign in their land in ancient times, the standard of dress of those who were wealthy, such every bit successful landowners, reflected their status. The nobility and upper classes dressed more elegantly. The styles of the neighboring peoples as well had their influence. Merely when the Jews were exiled (70 C.Due east.) and lived under strange control, the impoverishment of many Jews became evident in their dress.
In some cases, over fourth dimension the Jews adopted distinctive dress voluntarily, to split themselves from the prevailing culture. In others, they were required by law to apparel in a particular way, e.1000., special hats and badges in medieval Spain and 13th-century Poland. Jews of Eastern Europe came to adopt fashions of the early mod Smoothen nobility, such as the black robe (caftan) and the fur hat (shtreimel), which are still worn by various groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The origins of men covering their heads with a chapeau or yarmulke (skullcap) are not clear. The Talmud relates several incidents where covering the head is considered a sign of submission to divine authority. Some attribute information technology to the Jews' need or desire to differentiate themselves from Christians, for whom removal of the hat was a sign of respect. By the 16th century, it had become common enough to be codification as normative behavior among the more observant, who still cover their heads all twenty-four hours or at least during prayer and written report.
For women, the uncovered head was from earliest times considered immodest, if not worse. Married women covered their heads then as non to draw the attention of other men. The sheitel (wig) worn by very religious married women is a relatively belatedly variation on this. These practices are observed today just in very traditional circles.
Over the ages, rabbinic government often spoke out on two matters related to clothes– against excessive or gaudy styles and in favor of keeping clothing, peculiarly for women, "modest." On the other hand, it has long been a custom for Jews to have special clothes for Shabbat and festivals, contributing to the special character of these days.
Source: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-clothing/