We thank G-d each morning for His role in 'clothing the naked' — מלביש ערומים.
When did G-d provide us with clothing?
G-d provides all the material in the world that we utilize in fashioning the items that serve our needs. Why is clothing singled out more than our furniture that is made from wood, or tools produced from metals, or the myriads of wondrous raw materials we apply to enhance our lives?
G-d did directly provide clothing once. After Adam and Chava sinned and 'discovered' their nakedness, 'G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, וילבשם — and he clothed them.'
What, though, does that have to do with us?
Even more intriguing is the observation of the Baal HaTurim, that the exact verb for 'he clothed them' — וילבשם, is used in one other place, where Moshe initiated Aharon's children into the service of the Tabernacle when וילבשם — 'he dressed them in Tunics and girdled them with a Sash and wrapped the Headdresses upon them.'
The Midrash states that similarly Adam was clothed in בגדי כהונה — priestly garments, adding that Adam donned specifically those of the High Priest.
This strengthens our dilemma of how these garments correlate to our blessing over the simple clothes we are privileged to wear.
If indeed the clothing G-d dressed them in was something regarded as glorious as the priestly garment of the Kohen Gadol, and this is the basis for the blessing where G-d 'clothed them', it seems insignificant to refer to this kindness as merely 'clothing the naked'. It is so much more than that.
The Zohar reveals that before Adam sinned by partaking from the Tree of Knowledge that necessitated his need for כתנות עור — a garment of skin, he was covered with כתנות אור — a garment of light.
Prior to his sin Man radiated a divine light since there was no barrier separating him from His light. Only after responding to instinct in taking from its fruit did this enlightenment dim, with man now having to face a struggle in defining right from wrong, mightily staving off his material desires that cloud his ability to discern between the two.
Clothing would not only create a barrier between his intellectual grasp of morality and his tempting carnal instincts — it would also restore a sense of dignity and self-worth that would provoke mindfulness of the greatness inherent within him.
But this external use of garments to cover our nakedness is only an expedient. Ultimately, the greater goal would be to stir up from within our soul a genuine awareness and reverence for G-d that would compel us to be incapable of defying His will — returning to that 'garment of light' that stemmed from an acute unobscured vision of reality that stifled any corporeal desires.
Abaye was wont to say: לעולם הוי ערום ביראה — One must always be shrewd [and utilize every strategy] in [order to achieve] fear of Heaven and performance of mitzvot. (ברכות יז. ורש"י שם )
The Noam Elimelech interprets the word ערום, not in the sense of implementing strategies, but literally as 'naked'.
A person should remove the layers of externality of this physical world and infuse within himself a fear that will permit him to stand proverbially 'naked', clothing himself in a 'robe of light', without needing physical dividers.
There exists within our genes an ability to break out of the corporal layers that seek to extinguish our inner light.
The great Hungarian scholar and rabbinic leader, Rav Shlomo Zalman Ehrenreich, the Rav of Shamloy, who perished in the Holocaust, offers a marvelous suggestion to explain the source of our custom to disguise ourselves in all sorts of costumes on Purim.
Yaakov Avinu camouflages himself as Esav in securing the blessing from his father. Evidently even in his external display as a criminal and scoundrel, Yitzchok senses deep beneath the layers a bright light emanating from within.
On Purim we present ourselves as pirates, punks, and punsters, to extol that despite the influences that may have clothed us, we are worthy to be blessed and merit salvation.
Embedded within our genes is inextinguishable light that keeps burning brighter and brighter even amidst the darkest of times.
ליהודים היתה — For the Jews there was, אורה — LIGHT!
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
