Dear Fellow Yidden,
I am a physician and thus it is my obligation to discuss health and wellness. This includes a discussion of symptomatology and make my notes and write my comments. I make my observations. I use my mind to suggest a differential diagnosis as to why we have something that is amiss.
To me, The black hat movement may indeed be amiss.
This is an era of course.
Moses was not wearing a Black Hat.
There is no black hat and suit paradigm in Torah.
I am not against Black Hats as I wear one myself from time to time.
I am against the limitation of self expression and the confinement of the soul to a one way selfish way of existence.
This is what I perceive.
I know that I am an 'outsider' among the ultra religious. G-d did not bring me into this world among the people who you are commonly accustomed to knowing and gravitating toward.
I must say that indeed I am part of Klal Yisrael. I have gone in fact from being in a less than religious community as a youth to a student of Jewish Writings and Tanakh and Jewish Law. I am clearly a lay person; but was Torah only written to be deciphered by the rabbis only? I stipulate it was not.
Here's is a commentary I found online tonight. I am sure that it is more involved but lets begin with this commentary.
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/160970/jewish/Why-the-Jacket-and-Black-Hat.htm
Thus the rabbi argues that we can be better ourselves if we just dress in a black coat and the like. Thus he argues that the personality comes out much greater.
Does it?
Choosing your outfit is a complicated process. I suggest that many who dress rote like the Black Attire Movement are not fully using their mental capacities. They do not challenge their moods. They do not challenge their sense of choice. They do not entice an opportunity to be excited at a new experience in life.
True you may not be identified solely by the clothing. I found it odd that shoes were the culprit as well. I am not even concerned about someones footware. That is a completely different ball game.
I enjoy being in the company of other people. I like that I might wear a sweatshirt of my college or maybe a baseball team. It gives me some identification. It builds community. It induces conversation. It shows moods. It shows education too if you may add that.
I am familiar that some jews think that we must not express ourselves until the Messiah comes someday and that the Temple is Rebuilt. There are many who think that by dressing in black, we are in a state of mourning per se for the Temple. As we do await this era to come.
That is all good and fine, but I would suggest that by limiting yourself in a personal appearance, you cast aspersions upon those who do not follow treatment protocol. Thus you are grouping yourselves as people who are treated. You are treating yourself from your perceived notion of subjugation. You are treating the idea that Hashem is not ready to bring us to a messianic or temple period of time.
Is it your job to treat Gods decisions?
Is it your job to question Gods motives and do you suggest that by wearing black, you are decreasing the evil in this world? That would go to suggest that the other part of Klal Yisrael is Evil.
Was I evil for being born to a secular family of reform affiliations as a youth and wearing a less than desirable attire by the standards of the ultra orthodox?
I suggest that perhaps there is an evil in this situation. But it may be the selfish conscripted adherence to a treatment protocol that probably was not even designed by a doctor.
So being a doctor, I will profess the following.
There is a flaw in the order of Klal Yisrael.
There is a symptom of ambivalence for the blessings of Hashem as we are not going to even walk into a Macys and purchase a pair of jeans or a nice sweater that is blue or tea colored or red or bluish white or even light green or purple, yellow, pink, grey, almond or green.
Today is a good day folks, go to the store and get a nice sweater for the winter. I can assure you that Hashems eyes will sigh and smile and thus maybe we might really be closer to a Temple Era of the future. Just a personal and hopefully a professional thought as well.
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