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The Spiritual Purpose of Clothing

BY RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN

Before Adam sinned, he required no clothing (Bereishis 2:25). His physical body radiated light, loyally expressing his angelic soul. Once Adam sinned, however, his physical body lost this spiritual level, no longer fully expressing the ohr (light) of his inner soul. The pasuk describes how Adam and Chavah suddenly realized their nakedness and became embarrassed, desiring to cover their bodies with clothing (Ibid. 3:7). What is the meaning behind their embarrassment, and why was clothing the ideal remedy?

One becomes embarrassed when the way they are perceived externally is not a true reflection of who they are or at least how they believe they should be perceived. This is the spiritual concept of bushah (shame). When there is a breakdown between the inner self and its outer expression, the inner self feels ashamed that it is being misrepresented, seen on the outside as something that it is not. For example, if someone tells everyone that you cheated on a test, when you did not, you would feel embarrassed, as you are being seen as something other than you really are. And even if you did cheat, you would still be embarrassed, because you know deep down inside that you are better than how you acted and how people now perceive you.

We wear clothes because our bodies, in their current lowly form, are a source of embarrassment. We are souls, holy angelic beings, and yet we appear in the world as physical beings with bodies only marginally different from animals. For those who understand who and what they truly are, it is embarrassing to be seen as anything less than an absolutely spiritual and transcendent being. This is the ultimate breakdown between the inner and outer self.

The natural response to shame is the desire to hide. For example, if someone is embarrassed in public, their immediate wish is to dig a hole and hide until everyone leaves. If that doesn’t work, they might run away to a quiet room and cry alone. When we are seen as something we are not, or something we don’t want to be, we feel a need to escape the scene. When Adam and Chavah realized their nakedness, their first instinct was to grab fig leaves and hide their bodies (Bereishis 3:7). Hashem then made them garments of ohr (skin), clothing them with dignity (Ibid. v. 21).

However, there are two purposes of clothing. The first is to hide the embarrassment of our nakedness, but the second is to reveal our true selves — to express our dignity as tzelem Elokim. We use the very means of our failure and embarrassment as the solution to our problem. By eating from the Eitz Ha’daas, our bodies no longer reflect our spiritual selves, and we require clothing, but we use that very clothing to elevate ourselves and reflect who we truly are. This is why Kohanim are required to wear such beautiful clothing; clothing allows our physical bodies to reflect the dignity and greatness of our true selves. Hashem covered Adam and Chavah with ohr (clothing), so that they could uplift it and once again reveal their true ohr (light).

The Journey to your

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RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN

is an author, educator, and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership.

He received semichah from Yeshiva University’s RIETS and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago.

Haskamos and praise from Rabbi Asher Weiss, Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, Rabbi Zev Leff, and Rabbi Akiva Tatz.

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THE POTENTIAL OF CLOTHING

Like all things in this world, clothing has tremendous potential when used correctly. However, it can also be corrupted and misused. When used properly, clothing mitigates the shame of our physical bodies and helps us express our higher, dignified selves in the world. When misused, clothing can hide our spiritual core, portraying ourselves as completely physical beings.

The conflicting uses of clothing are expressed in the Hebrew word for clothing, “beged.” This word is made up of the letters beis, gimmel, and dalet, the three letters that immediately follow the letter aleph. Aleph represents the spiritual root, the soul. If used correctly, our “beged” can loyally express our soul, our inner self, into the world. But the letters of “beged” also spell “boged,” which means traitor and treachery, because our clothing can instead be used to betray our true inner selves. A traitor is one thing on the inside but pretends to be something else on the outside — he adopts a fake exterior, a fake outer garment, that does not reflect his true inner identity. When out clothing hides who we truly are, expressing nothing more than our physical surface — our clothing and bodies — our inner self is betrayed. Another word for clothing is levush, which can also be read as “lo bosh” (not embarrassed). Clothing has the potential to eliminate our embarrassment, but only when used correctly. When the focus of clothing becomes the clothing themselves, failing to reveal our true inner selves, the clothing does nothing to prevent our existential embarrassment. Me’il is yet another Hebrew word for garment, referring to an outer coat. Yet, the word that shares this same root, “me’ilah,” refers to the prohibition of stealing or benefitting from kodshim, that which was designated as holy for the Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple). The prohibition of me’ilah is taking that which is kadosh, that which is elevated and belongs to Hashem, and lowering it to a state of chol (mundane). Just as it is a problem to misuse hekdesh (consecrated items), lowering it from its state of kedushah to a state of chol, it is problematic to misuse a garment, failing to reveal anything higher.

TZ’NIYUS

One of the most misunderstood ideas in Judaism is the concept of tz’niyus, especially in regard to women. Many think that tz’niyus means to hide, that the ideal is not to be seen. However, there is an infinitely deeper approach to tz’niyus. In this age, beauty has been corrupted. The term “beauty” generally refers to outer beauty, a surface beauty that distracts from and hides the inner self. Physical beauty is neither good nor bad; it is merely a vessel with the potential to be used for good or bad. While our physical body is immensely valuable, our true self is our neshamah — our soul, our inner mind, our highest consciousness. Our inner world, thoughts, ideas, choices, beliefs, middos, and emotions are the deepest and most genuine parts of our “self.” True beauty is when the physical serves as a vessel that expresses one’s true self — one’s inner essence — into the world.

The focus must always be on the inner beauty as the ikar. The purpose of tz’niyus is not to hide you but to reveal you! The true you. Tz’niyus shifts the focus from the external trappings to the actual self, the neshamah, which lies beneath the surface and illuminates the physical vessel. True beauty requires a beautiful root and core, and the physical must then be used to project that inner beauty outwards.

TRUE BEAUTY

Beauty is much deeper than a description of how a person looks; it’s a way of life. A beautiful life is a life of oneness where we synthesize all the aspects of who we are; where our thoughts, words, and actions all reflect a higher purpose, a higher source, a higher reality. This is the beauty of a Torah life; this is the power of oneness.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is a bestselling author, international speaker, and the CEO of Self-Mastery Academy. He has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. His bestselling book, The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is also a business, executive, and leadership coach and consultant, with a unique approach based on Torah values. After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To enjoy more of Rabbi Reichman’s content, to contact him, or to learn more about his services, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com

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ADVERTORIAL 29 How to digitally transform your business?

BY URI DEBSON

Today we are living in the digital age, which was “fast-forwarded” by the global pandemic. The latest market survey of executives across all industries concluded that on average businesses have leapt forward seven years in digital adoption. This makes sense when we think about all the workers that had to move away from the equipped offices to their homes. Organisations across the globe had to provide their staff with digital collaboration tools, ways to prepare or sign documents, and many more.

While these tools have facilitated the urgent need to adapt to remote working conditions, there are tools that have not only solved the temporary problems, but also have contributed to the businesses’ long-term efficiency and success. The tools that have helped to automate the outdated and legacy processes were not only welcome during the pandemic but also gave businesses who used them a competitive edge.

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL

The digital transformation of business operations is possible for businesses of all sizes, thanks to cloud technology. Today, the most sophisticated software can be used by small or large businesses, as it does not require an expensive software investment and implementation. Moreover, it does not demand any special skills or training of staff to use them. Modern tools are intuitive and user-friendly. The businesses choose the number of users it wants to add, or even an a-la-carte list of desired features and pays a monthly fee for the software subscription. The subscription can be amended or cancelled at any time. The cloud-technology revolution has given access to almost all businesses with 92% using some sort of cloud-technology services.

BENEFITS OF SOFTWARE-AS-A-SERVICE

Besides saving money and time there are plenty of benefits for businesses that opt for cloud technology in their daily operations. First of all, the tools are accessible from any computer, so there is no difference if the staff is working from home or office. This also facilitates better collaboration between employees. Moreover, the data can’t be lost, as it can always be retrieved again from the cloud. Additionally, all the data is updated in real time, which improves transparency, better analytics for better decision-making and oversight.

HOW DIGITAL TOOLS CAN IMPROVE CASH FLOW

completed, it takes an unjustifiable long time to collect payment. Research by Barclays reveals that three out of five small and medium-sized businesses in the UK are owed money. Another study has highlighted that smaller UK businesses tend to suffer more from late payments when compared to larger enterprises. It is estimated that UK SMEs are missing out on the liquid cash flow of £250 billion. Late payments are not only causing small business owners to stress, creating uncertainty about the future but also creating cash flow problems, which are the number one reason why SMEs fail.

While no B2B sales are immune to late payments, the approaches how businesses manage their unpaid invoices differ. The cash that is not received for the sale is sitting in the accounts receivable (AR) record of the balance sheet. It is essential to be proactive with AR management to speed up the cash collection. Sending reminders to late-paying customers, calling them, prioritising the invoices to follow up, and reminding the payment terms or details are all part of successful AR management. However, it is tricky to identify which actions to perform first, keep track of reminders, or even draft the appropriate tone-of-voice email. Moreover, it is time-consuming and error-prone.

AUTOMATION AS A KEY TO LONG-TERM GROWTH

The great news is that there are digital tools that can take the burden off of performing manual and time-consuming tasks. The best part is that the technology can offer the most efficient collection strategies for better collections, based on machine-learning technology.

Kolleno is a cloud-based Account Receivable management platform. At the end of 2019, this software-as-a-service start-up from London raised $5 million in a seed round to help CFOs and credit controllers improve their cash flow through automation. Kolleno’s platform is compatible with major accounting software and business tools. It is capable of connecting to the accounting records via secure API and automates the cash collection.

To find our more how Kolleno platform can improve the cash flow of your business, please contact

Uri Debson

Strategy & Partnership Director at Kolleno uri.debson@kolleno.com