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Look out Cover Girl!
Tzniut, it's not what's on the outside that counts. I read a book given to me by Tali, specifically in reaction to the ERVA comment I made on our first date. The book is called Outside Inside: A Fresh Look at Tzniut by Gila Manolson. From her book, I gather that tzniut is a state of mind more than just a dress code, more for women but still applicable to men. She believes that it is of the utmost importance for us to find out who we are on the inside and then decide how to present that to the world and whether to reveal parts of ourselves or not.
Our essence is not what we do, what we accomplished, how much money we make, what we possess, nor what good causes we work for. That is not denying that those things have value and add meaning to life. They, however, do not define the soul. When those things are taken from us, there is still some core essence left. We need to focus on HOW we do things in life not just what it is we are doing. "The true measure of your worth is how GOOD you are. But you don't highlight how good you are by outwardly expressing it to all." People will think you're just doing it to show off. "Putting spirituality on display causes you to lose it."
"Judaism understands that God created the physical world as a vehicle for spirituality. Good food, wine, a beautiful home, art, music, the outdoors- all can bring us closer to God. So can our bodies. But there is a fine line beween attractive and attractING. Judaism encourages us to look good but to downplay the body so as to reveal the soul. The farther removed we are from animal level, the more we wear." A baby can go naked and we aren't phased. The same isn't true of streakers or so I've been told ;) . Covering up is to show I am more than just my body. I'm not an animal, my message is deeper.
Your dress affects how you see yourself as well as how others see you and your self image is constantly being reformed by interaction with others. Should a person choose to be a slave to the reaction of others and find validation by the approving stares of others or should a person discover their own value within themselves and then present to the world that favorable glimpse into their soul? You make the call.
Hopefully, the first thing you are going to look at is a persons face/head. At least that's what women keep reminding me. There are public actions that communicate to society a change in status. We have elaborate bar mitzvah's to inform the community that the boy is now a man; we have weddings to inform society that these two are now unavailable to others as mates and that they are now an economic unit called family. "Cross-culturally we show status by calling attention to our heads." We wear a cap at graduation, chiefs wear tribal headdresses. So when a women covers her hair, she is signifying change in status. Gila claims that women cover their hair because a profound and irreversible change occurs upon marriage. "Direct knowledge of intimacy imbues her with a greater understanding of her power and her womanhood." Hair is sensual. Now she understands that sensuality and reserves it for her spouse." Similarly, the seductive voice of a woman singing is quite powerful. (I think women know all this even as teenagers or even earlier).
While there are issues applicable to men, there certainly is a stronger emphasis on tzniut for women. Some of it involves the fact that provacative dressing affects men who have knee-jerk reaction to ogle (contrast this post with an older one). The reality is that reflex actions and evolutionary attractions can't be eliminated but presenting those temptations is not conducive to spirituality for the one subject to it nor to the one generating it. Consider also how it makes other women feel. Do they feel bad when they have to compare themselves? Perhaps it will negatively impact on their own self-image. Let's face it women are powerful.
Your choice of dress affects how you see yourself as well as how others see you. What is your character and how do you wish to convey it? Self-relevation is only meaningful when you have kept enough of yourself private.
In the end, your tradition will dictate the way these ideas are expressed and you must find your own comfort zone in its expression but realize that the first cause is self-transformation. To fix the world, you have to fix yourself first.
Now I reckon I'm gonna get me'self fixed!
Our essence is not what we do, what we accomplished, how much money we make, what we possess, nor what good causes we work for. That is not denying that those things have value and add meaning to life. They, however, do not define the soul. When those things are taken from us, there is still some core essence left. We need to focus on HOW we do things in life not just what it is we are doing. "The true measure of your worth is how GOOD you are. But you don't highlight how good you are by outwardly expressing it to all." People will think you're just doing it to show off. "Putting spirituality on display causes you to lose it."
"Judaism understands that God created the physical world as a vehicle for spirituality. Good food, wine, a beautiful home, art, music, the outdoors- all can bring us closer to God. So can our bodies. But there is a fine line beween attractive and attractING. Judaism encourages us to look good but to downplay the body so as to reveal the soul. The farther removed we are from animal level, the more we wear." A baby can go naked and we aren't phased. The same isn't true of streakers or so I've been told ;) . Covering up is to show I am more than just my body. I'm not an animal, my message is deeper.
Your dress affects how you see yourself as well as how others see you and your self image is constantly being reformed by interaction with others. Should a person choose to be a slave to the reaction of others and find validation by the approving stares of others or should a person discover their own value within themselves and then present to the world that favorable glimpse into their soul? You make the call.
Hopefully, the first thing you are going to look at is a persons face/head. At least that's what women keep reminding me. There are public actions that communicate to society a change in status. We have elaborate bar mitzvah's to inform the community that the boy is now a man; we have weddings to inform society that these two are now unavailable to others as mates and that they are now an economic unit called family. "Cross-culturally we show status by calling attention to our heads." We wear a cap at graduation, chiefs wear tribal headdresses. So when a women covers her hair, she is signifying change in status. Gila claims that women cover their hair because a profound and irreversible change occurs upon marriage. "Direct knowledge of intimacy imbues her with a greater understanding of her power and her womanhood." Hair is sensual. Now she understands that sensuality and reserves it for her spouse." Similarly, the seductive voice of a woman singing is quite powerful. (I think women know all this even as teenagers or even earlier).
While there are issues applicable to men, there certainly is a stronger emphasis on tzniut for women. Some of it involves the fact that provacative dressing affects men who have knee-jerk reaction to ogle (contrast this post with an older one). The reality is that reflex actions and evolutionary attractions can't be eliminated but presenting those temptations is not conducive to spirituality for the one subject to it nor to the one generating it. Consider also how it makes other women feel. Do they feel bad when they have to compare themselves? Perhaps it will negatively impact on their own self-image. Let's face it women are powerful.
Your choice of dress affects how you see yourself as well as how others see you. What is your character and how do you wish to convey it? Self-relevation is only meaningful when you have kept enough of yourself private.
In the end, your tradition will dictate the way these ideas are expressed and you must find your own comfort zone in its expression but realize that the first cause is self-transformation. To fix the world, you have to fix yourself first.
Now I reckon I'm gonna get me'self fixed!
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