Clothing: The Battle For True Beauty

The Midrash explains that originally, Adam wore kosnos ohr (spelled with an aleph) – garments of light (See Shnei Luchos Habris: Tetzaveh – Torah Ohr. See also Torah Temimah, Bereishis 3:21). After he sinned, Hashem clothed him in kosnos ohr (spelled with an ayin) – garments of skin (Bereishis 3:21). When spelled with an aleph, ohr is light; when spelled with an ayin, ohr is a hide, the skin of an animal. What is the deeper meaning behind this?

Rav Eliyahu Dessler (in Michtav Me’Eliyahu) explains the meaning behind the descriptions of Adam’s clothing as follows: Originally, Adam’s body was transparent, emanating the light of his soul. Light reveals, and his original skin revealed his true, inner self. Once he sinned, however, his body no longer revealed the spiritual, but only its physical surface. The word ohr, when spelled with an ayin, means animal hide. This skin, hides the soul, the inner self.

The letter aleph is the first letter of the aleph-beis. It is the letter of oneness, representing transcendence, spirituality, and Hashem, our root and ultimate source. The letter ayin represents the physical, limited expression of the aleph. This is why the word “aleph” means to elevate to a higher spiritual dimension, while ayin means eye. The eye, naturally, sees only the physical; however, it has the potential to see past the physical surface of reality, to source itself back to the original light of the aleph. That is why the word ayin is also connected to the word “ma’ayan,” a wellspring. A wellspring has a limiting surface. Through effort, though, one can peer beneath that surface, revealing something endlessly deep behind it. By delving into the depths of the wellspring, one can draw forth water – the source of life. (This is the meaning behind “mayim chaim.” See Bereishis 26:19.) Ayin therefore reflects the concept of reaching that which is hidden, higher, and transcendent.

However, the ayin also has the potential to corrupt, causing us to see nothing more than the physical surface without sourcing our physical sight back to any higher source. This is why the Hebrew word iver, spelled the same way as the word ohr, means “blind.” One who sees only the physical surface is blind to the truth; one who sees only the surface does not see at all. This is the unique challenge of sight. We can use it to see the physical as an expression of the spiritual, or we can become trapped by the lure of the surface, ignoring its higher root.

The Spiritual Purpose of Clothing

Before Adam sinned, he required no clothing (Bereishis 2:25). His physical body radiated light, expressing his angelic soul. Once Adam sinned, however, his physical body lost this spiritual level. The pasuk describes how Adam and Chavah suddenly realized their nakedness and became embarrassed, desiring to cover their bodies with clothing (Bereishis 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 how they believe they should be perceived. This is the spiritual concept of busha (shame). When there is a breakdown between the inner self and its outer expression, the inner self feels ashamed that it is being misrepresented. 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. (This works the other way as well. One will feel embarrassed if other people think they are greater than they actually are. Aharon HaKohen would befriend resha’im (evil people) so that they would feel embarrassed. They would think to themselves, “Why is he talking to me? He must think I’m a good person. I better become the kind of person he actually thinks I am before he finds out the truth!”).

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 hide until everyone leaves. When Adam and Chava 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 (Bereishis 3:21).

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. (Our faces do not need clothing, as they still reflect human dignity (ziv ha’panim) and our individual uniqueness.)