I, like many of us, have a few items of clothing which are important to me and have a lot of history. When I have the (nowadays, rare) occasion to wear my tuxedo, I wear with it my grandfather’s gold cufflinks which are embossed with his first initial – the letter B – which conveniently is also mine.

It’s my custom on Shabbat when I go out to wear the grey newsboy cap that my father years ago gave to me after he himself wore it for many years. It’s comfy and, I think, looks distinguished. I have my favorite jeans and my favorite sweatshirt which are broken in just right, and put on when I just want to be comfortable.

On Shabbat here at Beth Sholom, I wear my all-white Shabbat tallit, which I received when I was ordained from my teachers. During the week when I daven, I wear a different one which I obtained when my wife and I got married. 

In parshat Vayeishev this Shabbat, clothing famously plays a pivotal role. At the start of the parsha we learn that, as Jacob’s favorite son from his favorite wife, Joseph receives from him a ketonet pasim as a gift. Ketonet pasim has been translated for us as “a coat of many colors” (and this is the interpretation chosen by Andrew Lloyd Webber in the lyrics from his musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”). Imagine how it must have looked; according to the big introductory song:

“It was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and ochre and peach and ruby and olive and violet and fawn and lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve and cream and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)