Jewish Fashion

An outer garment is called levusha, which is an acronym for lo busha, which means no shame, as one who is clothed is no longer ashamed. A broad outer garment is called gelima, an allusion to the fact that, by wearing it, one is transformed into an amorphous golem-like figure, as his limbs are indistiguishable. A beautiful coat is termed golta, which is an acronym for geli ve’eitiv, which means reveal, remove the coat, and only then I will sit, so that the coat will not get dirty.

Rava son of Rav Huna put on stockings and prayed, quoting, "Prepare to meet your God O Israel."

He may not stand (in prayer) with his purse, not with his head revealed, nor with his feet uncovered, if the local practice is not to stand before great individuals without foot coverings.

(2) One who engages in these behaviours is suspected of committing Arayos. And it's forbidden for a person to intimate with his hands or feet or to hint with his eyes to any of the Arayot or to laugh with her or to engage in light-headedness. And even to smell her perfume or to gaze at her beauty is forbidden...

(1) ... He is forbidden to signal with his hands or his feet, or to hint with his eyes, to one of the arayos. He is forbidden to be playful with her, to be frivolous in front of her, or to look upon her beauty. Even to smell the perfume upon her is forbidden. He is forbidden to gaze at women doing laundry. He is forbidden to gaze at the colorful garments of a woman whom he recognizes, even if she is not wearing them, lest he come to have [forbidden] thoughts about her...

R. Isaac said: A handbreadth of a woman is nakedness. For what purpose? If you say it is a question of gazing upon her, did not Rav Sheshet say: Why does the verse enumerate the female ornaments worn outside together with those worn under [the garments]? This is to tell you that whoever gazes upon the little finger of a woman is as though he had gazed at her nakedness! Rather, [the statement of R. Isaac refers] to his wife and for the purpose of reading the Shema. Rav Hisda said: The shok of a woman's leg is to be regarded as nakedness; as it is said, "Uncover the leg, pass through the rivers" (Is. xlvii. 2) and it continues, "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen" (Is. xlvii. 3).

If nakedness be in a transparent vessel, it is forbidden to read the Shema thereby. because the All-merciful declared, "That God see no unseemly thing in thee" (Deut. xxiii. 15), and behold it is visible.

(7) In the morning he would wear Pelusian linen worth twelve maneh; at dusk, Indian linen worth eight hundred zuz, the words of Rabbi Meir. The Sages say: in the morning he would wear [garments] worth eighteen maneh and at dusk [garments] worth twelve maneh, altogether thirty maneh. These [costs] were [borne by] the community, and if he wanted to add [to them], he would add from his own [assets].

They say about Rabbi Elazar ben Harsom, that his mother made for him a kutonet worth two thousand [maneh] but his brother-priests would not allow him to wear it because he appeared to be naked. Could you really see [through the fabric]? The Master has said it was a six-thread weave! Abbaya says it was like seeing wine in a glass. [ie the silhouette was visible]

Our teachers say: a rich person, a poor person, and a wicked person come to face judgement…..

And to a wicked person they say “Why did you not occupy yourself with Torah?” If he says “I was good looking and involved with my yetzer.” They would say “Were you better looking than Joseph?"

It’s said about Joseph HaTzaddik that every day the wife of Potiphar would seduce him with words [/things.] The clothes she wore in the morning she would not wear at night [ie she wore different ones] and those she wore at night she would not wear in the night.

She said to him “Surrender to me!” he said “No!” She said “I will put you into prison!” He said “God frees the bound”. She said I will bend you over”. He said “God straightens the bent”. She said “I will blind your eyes.” He said “He gives sight to the blind”.

She gave him a thousand silver bars if he would sleep with her, to lie with her, to be with her. But he didn’t want to listen to her, to sleep with her in this world, to be with her in the world to come.

Hillel is found obligating the poor, Rabbi Eliezer ben Harsom obligates the rich, and Joseph obligates the wicked.

And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the officials And the king’s sons, And all who don a foreign garment.

Idolatrous garbs

One [i.e., a Jew] should not follow the customs of non-Jews (nor should one try to resemble them). One should not wear clothing that is particular to them [i.e., their culture]; one should not grow forelocks on one’s head like the forelocks on their heads; one should not shave the sides [of one’s head] and grow one’s hair in the middle of one’s head [like they do]; one should not shave the hair in front of one’s face from ear to ear and let one’s hair grow [in the back] [like they do]; one should not build places [i.e., buildings]—like the non-Jews’ temples—so that large groups of people will enter them, like [non-Jews] do. RAMA: Rather, one [i.e., a Jew] should be distinct from them [i.e., non-Jews] in one’s manner of dress and in all of one’s actions. But all of this [i.e., these restrictions] apply only to things that non-Jews do for the sake of licentiousness. For example, they are accustomed to wearing red clothing, which is official/princely clothing, and other clothing that is similarly immodest. [These restrictions also apply] to things that they are accustomed to doing because of a custom or rule that does not have a[ny underlying] reason, out of concern that [a Jew who does such things will follow the] “ways of the Amorites,” and that it has the blemish of [i.e., is tainted by] idol worship inherited from their ancestors. But things that they are accustomed to doing for a useful purpose—such as their custom for expert doctors to wear particular clothing so that the doctors will be recognized as specialists—one is permitted to wear [such clothing]. Similarly, things that are done out of respect or another reason, it is permitted [for one to do such things]. And therefore they said one may burn [the items of deceased] kings, and there is not in this “the ways of the Amorites.”

(5) Adjustment of the dress. Before beginning the Service, the dress should first be adjusted and the personal appearance made trim and neat, as it is said, "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalms 96:9). One should not stand in prayer wearing a moneybelt, nor bareheaded, nor barefoot, where the local custom is not to stand in the presence of the great, without shoes. And one should not pray anywhere, holding phylacteries in the hand or carrying a scroll of the law in the arms, for the mind would then be preoccupied with those sacred objects. Nor while praying, should vessels or money be held in the hand. On the feast of Tabernacles, however, the worshiper prays, while carrying a palm branch—this being the religious duty of the day. When the time comes to recite the prayer, a person carrying a burden on his head, adjusts it behind him, if it is less than four kabs^**A kab is equal in volume to 4 logs. A log is equal in volume to 6 hen’s eggs. and recites the prayer. If it is four kabs in size, he places it on the ground, and then prays. The practice of all the sages and their disciples is not to pray unless their heads are wrapped in the Talith (praying shawl).​​​​​​​

(5) A person should not stand with their money-belt ["taska" in the language of this country] on, or with an uncovered head or uncovered legs, if it is the practice of the people of that place not to stand in front of important people unless their legs are covered.

(6) It is the way of scholars (chachamim) and their students not to pray when they are not wrapped (in a tallit?). [Note -- and at a time of anger, there is to clasp one's hands when one prays like a servant before their master. And at a time of peace, there is to adorn oneself in nice clothes to pray. {Tur}]

Rav Huna said: If one has new garments into which they could change on Shabbat, they will change into those garments; and if one does not have garments into which they could change, they lets their garments hang down before Shabbat to beautify themselves in deference to Shabbat as it used to be the custom of wealthy people to wear their clothes loosely. Rav Safra strongly objects to this: Doesn’t this appear as haughtiness? The Gemara answers: Since every day one does not do so, and now in honor of Shabbat one is doing so, it does not appear as haughtiness. Rather it is apparent that one is acting in deference to Shabbat. On a related note, the Gemara cites what we learned with regard to the following passage: “If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day, and you call Shabbat a delight, the Lord’s holy day honorable, and you honor it by not going your own way, from attending to your affairs and speaking idle words” (Isaiah 58:13). The Rabbis derived from the words “and you honor it” that your dress on Shabbat should not be like your dress during the week, as Rabbi Yoḥanan would refer to his clothing as my honor, indicating that appropriate clothing is a form of deference. The words “going your own way” mean that your walking on Shabbat should not be like your walking during the week. “From attending to your affairs” means it is prohibited to deal with your weekday affairs and to speak about them on Shabbat. However, affairs of Heaven, i.e., those pertaining to mitzvot, are permitted. “And speaking idle words”