lightbrite & Gofish – While in theory it can be possible that someone is dressing tzniusly simply to conform and it MIGHT be possible to claim that s.o who dresses tzniusly is not acting out of Yiras Shamayim, surely if someone is dressing or acting in a way that is clearly against Halacha, this indicates a LACK of Yiras Hashem. I don’t see how it is possible to say otherwise. If you think so, I would love to hear your reasoning.
Hashem told us that our knees are not allowed to show (not sure if it’s D’Oraisah or D’rabbanan but Hashem told us to keep D’Rabbanans, so it’s still from Hashem either way), and this girl is choosing to wear a skirt that doesn’t cover her knees even when she is standing still. She knows that Hashem said not to do it, and yet, she is doing it. How can that not demonstrate a lack of Yiras Hashem?
Again, if you have an explanation, I would love to hear it. I am assuming of course, that we are talking about someone who is violating a clear-cut halacha of tznius (and not something that is minhag hamakom) and that we are talking about a girl who received a good education and is well aware of hilchos tznius.
I do know girls who don’t dress tzniusly but are wonderful people and have a lot of Emunah and Bitachon and Ahavas Hashem and Ahavas Yisrael, but I fail to see how it’s possible to say that their Yiras Shamayim is not lacking. Again, maybe I’m wrong, and if you have a counter-argument, I would be happy to hear it.
Regarding the idea that someone can be dressing tzniusly just because of society, while in theory that can be a possibility, it seems to me that the opposite is much more likely. The societal pressure nowadays is by and large to NOT dress tzniusly. Also, remember that tznius is not just about dress, so even if someone is really lacking Yiras Hashem and is only dressing tzniusly to make an impression but she really is not a “tzniusdik” person, she will find other ways to be untznius, or she will find a way of dressing that conforms to societal expectations but is not really tznius.
Also, regarding societal “pressure” to dress tzniusly, aside from the fact that today that is pretty uncommon, it seems to me that there is always a yetzer hara to not be tznius even if one lives in a time and place where the pressure is to be tznius. On a personal level, I grew up in a time and place where it was more “mekubal” to be tznius than not to be, and by nature, tznius is not my weak point and not something that I generally have to struggle with, BUT I stil remember a few times in my life, when I was nichshal in the area of tznius. So I think it is something that is a nisayon for everyone, and does demonstrate Yiras Hashem.
I know that girls often don’t like hearing things like this (that tznius is so important and demostrates Yiras Hashem, etc.). It seems to me that that is because it is so hard for most girls, but that is exactly why it demostrates Yiras Hashem.