By: Julie Lieber
Chief Jewish Life & Engagement Officer
Why do superheroes wear costumes? And when they are wearing their costumes, are they hiding their real identity or using them as a vehicle to become their true self?
We are certainly familiar with costumes in Jewish life, having just experienced the holiday of Purim, where we are asked to imagine alternate realities (ve’nahafoch hu) and don costumes to help us create that imagined universe. Costumes play a primary role in this week’s torah portion Pekudei as well, as we learn about the many garments that Aaron must wear when he is functioning as High Priest, including a breastplate, apron, robe, tunic and headdress.
Why all the fuss about Aaron’s clothing? Is Judaism a religion that prioritizes externalities? When we look at some of the details of the garments and adornments the High Priest had to wear when performing his duties, we begin to understand that in many ways this “costume” was a vehicle to remind him of the important role he was playing for the Jewish people. On the breastplate were fastened 12 stones, each representing one of the tribes. On his golden diadem (a crown of sorts) were the words “Holy unto God.” When the High Priest was adorned in this way, he was assured to be focused on the weighty task at hand – representing the people and connecting meaningfully on their behalf with the Divine.
But above and beyond helping him focus on his work, donning this costume transformed Aaron from an ordinary Israelite into the person he was meant to be: The High Priest. Not unlike the superheroes we love or the preschooler who insists on wearing their princess or superhero costume to school, Aaron, when he placed these garments on, was not disguising himself, but rather transforming into his most ideal self. Sometimes it takes a holiday like Purim, or a great superhero movie, or a parsha like Pekudei, to remind us that costumes give us permission to live out some of our fantasies of who we really want to be.
I wonder: What would it look like for us to work towards living out these dreams even when we take our costumes off?
Please email Julie Lieber at jlieber@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.