We all remember the unprecedented year of 2020.
Many people who typically worked in offices began working from home.
Zoom meetings may have included pyjama pants, family members, pets and the whir of your roommate’s blender in the background…
In our post-pandemic world, many people are still working from home. While the background noises have dissipated, some people still take this opportunity to “live in their pyjama pants”.
Interestingly, experts in the field of psychology recommend wearing professional clothing, even while working from home. Apparently, “dressing for success” can help you be successful.
In this week’s Parsha, the Torah describes the beautiful clothing that the Kohanim (Priests) had to wear when serving in the Tabernacle. As Shoshanna Dresner points out, since “the Priest had a unique and important position amongst the Jewish nation, it was imperative that he dressed in a way that impressed upon him the importance of his position and mission.”
Quite simply, the way we dress affects how we feel about ourselves. The Torah teaches us that, if you have an important job to do, dress in a way that reflects this crucial role.
As the Jewish people, we have an important job indeed: to be a light unto the nations, to behave in a moral way, and to fulfill our unique mission – as individuals and as a community.
Ultimately, our focus is on who we are on the inside. That said, when we “dress for success”, we can remind ourselves that we have an important role to play in the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Danielle
