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September 19, 2008 6:06 pm at 6:06 pm #1236882SJSinNYCMember
I’m just curious about why yeshivish men wear black and white? I asked my yeshivish brother-in-law and he told me its basically gang colors or a uniform.
Is this true or is there something more to it? It seems silly in my mind to take color out of your wardrobe for no real reason.
(Note: this post is NOT inflammatory, just looking for information)
October 1, 2021 8:43 am at 8:43 am #2011205ShtarkButRelatableParticipantIts going back to the roots of the jew vs. black territory wars of the early 1900’s back when white flight was truly at its peaks. The deep down systemic racism and antisemitsm pushed the two most discriminated minorities to the forefront to fight it out. What you see today is the result.
October 1, 2021 9:34 am at 9:34 am #2011230Reb EliezerParticipantThey simply want to show that they are Torah scholars who dress accordingly. A white shirt and black suit is considered to dress up.
For Shabbos and Yom Tov we get a better quality outfit.October 1, 2021 11:15 am at 11:15 am #2011290ShtarkButRelatableParticipantI dont know accurate that is Reb Eli, I would like see the proof, ive gone over alot of historical eveidence to get to my conclusion. At the end of the day, pictures or it didnt happen…
edited
chutzpah may feel funny but it’s not
October 1, 2021 1:50 pm at 1:50 pm #2011342Always_Ask_QuestionsParticipantThere are several questions here:
1) what is appropriate for Talmid chacham to wear2) who and when can dress as Talmid Chacham
I think we are very meikel in last generations by historical standards, whether for a good reason or not.3) some definitions as “dignified”,”clean”,”average” are affected by surrounding society
4) some things are forced on us.
For example, Jews in Muslim lands were supposed to wear black/dark colors not to be confused with Muslims, and size of the turban was limited.5) something becomes a tradition and stays that way
apparently, some Sephardi communities re-interpreted forced black colors as mourning for Beit hamikdash
Hasidic dress is dignified Polish dress of 18th century, was re-interpreted as “distinct” dressOctober 3, 2021 1:40 pm at 1:40 pm #2011787Shmili_OOngarParticipantBlack and white dress clothes is a sign of chashivus, as we, the yidden, are representing Hashem and the Torah. Therefore, the common thing is to wear nice clothes to represent this with a sense of kavod. In addition, it distracts someone much less from their exterior if they are just wearing pretty much the same thing every day, and it makes it so they don’t have to spend hours looking for the right clothes or trying to look the coolest- because everybody is dressed the same. Also, it gives your personal sense a much more chashuve feel to wear nice clothing- it is much harder to sit and concentrate in learning while wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Another reason is to seperate ourselves from the goyim and show that we are at a higher level than them.
In any case, a white shirt is what the yeshivishe oilam wears, so if somebody is not wearing that, it is not actually a chisaron in the person (If you put a white shirt on Rav Chaim, he is still the gadol hador, the shirt doesn’t take anything away), but if they choose to wear something else, it shows that for some reason, they refuse to comply with what the rest of the yeshivishe velt is doing, and they don’t want to be part of it. it shows that they hold what the yeshivishe oilam does might not be correct, and they want to associate with a different velt.
Well, I hope that’s good enough.October 3, 2021 5:36 pm at 5:36 pm #2011829lopman23ParticipantYou also forgot gold rimmed glasses and colored socks with the pants hemmed short so everyone can see that your wearing colored socks.
October 4, 2021 7:05 pm at 7:05 pm #2012241Shmili_OOngarParticipant@lopman23- colored socks aren’t in anymore
October 4, 2021 9:40 pm at 9:40 pm #2012257GadolhadorahParticipantCan we just stipulate that Chassidish rabbonim are bigger fashionistas than their Litvish counterparts.
October 5, 2021 4:10 pm at 4:10 pm #2012558Reb EliezerParticipantChasidim did not want to mix with Non-Jews so they dressed accordingly. The Chasam Sofer says on ויבא יעקב ‘שלם’, שם, לשון, מלבוש differentiates us from the goyim.
October 5, 2021 5:03 pm at 5:03 pm #2012563Always_Ask_QuestionsParticipantRebE > Chasidim did not want to mix with Non-Jews
Rebe, are you saying that Chasidim did not use this levush while it was popular among Poles?
October 11, 2021 7:56 am at 7:56 am #2014459ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤParticipantnow that “ultra orthodox bochurim” are recognized by there hat and jacjket this has sort of become a uniform and the lubavitcher rebbe ztl was very into Bochurim wearing hats and jackets so people realize that they are not ashamed to be jewish!
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