'Clothing' and Control
A Message for Parashat VaYeshev 2016
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The
early narrative of Parashat VaYeshev is dominated by the symbolism of
Yosef’s ornamented tunic (ketonet passim). Initially made for him as a
sign of Yaakov’s preferential love (37:3), it was later used by his brothers as
a tool of deception to their father. Upon selling Yosef as a slave, they dipped
his tunic in the blood of a freshly slaughtered kid and misled Yaakov into
believing that Yosef had died (37:33).
This
was not Yaakov’s first encounter with clothing as a tool of deception in
brotherly rivals. Ironically, the first time around it was he who
deceivingly dressed in his brother’s clothing, in pursuit of his father’s blessing
(27:15). Deception by means of clothing had come full-circle for Yaakov.
Whereas he had previously used it to break familial hierarchy in his favor, his
sons now used it against him to restore a fair structure in their own family.
The
Torah’s history of clothing may add another dimension to this particular
episode. Consider the initial description of Adam and Hava: “And the two of
them were naked, the human and his woman, and they were not ashamed” (2:25).
The seemingly mild weather of Gan Eden and their unashamed nature delayed their
conception of clothing. The immediate consequence of eating from the Etz
ha-Da’at, however, was the invention of clothing: “And the eyes of the two
were opened, and they knew they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves and made
themselves loincloths” (3:7). The creation of clothing, then, occupies an
integral part of man’s initial sin. Why?
The
late Jewish philosopher Michael Wyschogrod z”l highlighted the described
consequence of eating from the tree, “You shall become as gods, knowing good
and evil” (3:5), in his definition of the nature of sin. He explained that by
eating from the tree, Adam and Hava exerted their autonomous judgment of good
and evil. Their value judgments were no longer decided by God, and were instead
based on their own criterion. The subsequent revelation of their nakedness was
the extension of sin, as God had never commanded against going nude, and their
shame in that instance was instead driven by their own self-perception.[1]
The
invention of clothing was then the next step in their autonomous behavior. Born
into a world created by God, man first endeavored self-creation by sewing the
initial garment. The creation of clothing thus symbolized man’s willingness to
create his own rules and control his own fate.
Immediately
prior to banishing Adam and Hava from Gan Eden, God made them skin coats and
clothed them (3:21). The symbolism of this gesture seems clear. It forced them
to reconsider who was actually in control. Through a forced exit from
the Garden and a set of God-given clothing, Adam and Hava were served the stark
reminder of a mistaken belief in autonomy and self-control.[2]
Let
us now reconsider the “clothing story” of our parashah.
The
motive underlying Yaakov’s making clothing for Yosef mirrors that of Adam and
Hava’s invention of clothing: control. Sewing a special tunic for Yosef, Yaakov
sought control of the family hierarchy. By so doing, he attempted to shift the
mantle of leadership from the oldest of his sons to the near-youngest. And
God’s response to Adam and Hava through the parallel symbolism of clothing was
similarly repeated to Yaakov. Staring at the blood-stained garment that was stripped
from his beloved son, Yaakov was forced to reconsider the actual extent of his governance.
We
spend much of our lives “making clothing.” We seek control of all realms and
aspects of our lives, and attempt to manipulate the outcome of every
encountered situation. It is at those rare yet critical moments when we lose
all control, however, that we perceive our limits and follow the lead of Yaakov
to “rip our clothing.”
In loving memory of yedidi
ha-yakar, Avraham ben Levana Cohen, z”l.
[1] “Sin and Atonement in
Judaism,” in The Human Condition in the Jewish and Christian Traditions (New York, 1986), pg. 103-26. Reprinted in Abraham’s Promise (Cambridge,
2004), pg. 53-74. Recall, as well, our brief analysis of this matter in the devar
Torah for Parashat Bereshit, “Freedom.”
[2] In his Covenant & Conversation: Bemidbar (New
Milford, CT, 2017), pg. 164, R. Jonathan Sacks similarly observed that clothing
is generally associated with “deception” throughout Sefer Bereshit. He further noted, in this context, that the Hebrew
word for garment – begged –
appropriately also means “betrayal.”