#Shatnez

[magnetothemagnificent]

Queer people trying to get back at homophobes by being antisemitic: "The Bible also says not mix wool and linen isn't that silly and stupid??"

Anyway here's a funny story I just remembered about Shatnez while I was working on my Regency pieces.....

So when I was a kid my family and I visited some historic location or museum or something. I honestly can't remember all the details because it was that long ago. Anyway, so the place had some Colonial period costumes for us kids to try on, and of course I got all excited because I've always been a period piece nerd. My brothers and I scrambled to the costume bin, and the fabric was nice and heavy and more "authentic" looking than cheap Halloween costumes. I had just put on a coat and was really excited to put on a hat when my dad stopped us. He looked at the label on the coats.

"I'm sorry guys, it's Shatnez", he told us solemnly.

Now, I had learnt about Shatnez in school, but in the days of mass-produced clothes and synthetic fibres and cotton blends, Shatnez seemed like something you only hear about stories, something you don't encounter in real life.

And then....

That one wool coat in some Colonial site just *had* to be blended with some linen.

My brothers and I quickly tore the coats off ourselves and looked at them like they were radioactive.

I hadn't encountered Shatnez since then, and hopefully I'll never have to. I don't really own that many wool garments anyway, in fact, I think the wool coat I thrifted and turned into my Regency coat might be my *only* wool garment. Which....means I should probably get it checked for Shatnez.....hm......

Anyway, lots of Jews, including myself, follow the laws of Shatnez, and a whole bunch of other "silly" laws so maybe think twice before you resort to antisemitism to 'stick it to the homophobes'.

[keshetchai]

EMBARRASSING BUT TRUE........I ACCIDENTALLY DID THE MIXED GARMENTS AS SHATNEZ IN MY EXCITEMENT TO POSE FOR A GOOFY PHOTO..... tragic......

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

Hey fellow yidden: some motivation for you this Elul

So maybe this year you've done some backsliding on some mitzvot. So maybe you haven't davened as much as you would like. Maybe you missed opportunities to go to things in community because you just couldn't motivate yourself. Or perhaps there were things that you struggled to do individually.

Perhaps the reason that you missed opportunities for mitzvot is because you were afraid of missing out on something else.

Well, as a traditional egalitarian Jew who tries but has ADHD, depression, lots of executive dysfunction, a demanding job, relationships to maintain, and 900 hobbies, I feel you.

But fear not! I have two suggestions for ways to help you seek out mitzvot in every area of your life.

Suggestion the first: Weaponize the FOMO

At least for me, I'm always worried that if I daven as much as I would like to (as one example) I am going to miss out on [x] other thing. However, instead, sit yourself down and consider what one mitzvah you want to prioritize. Then, imagine never being able to do it again.

My friend, that day will come.

Mitzvot are for the living. A Jew being buried in their tallit has the tzitzit trimmed off first. Why? Because mitzvot are the project of the living and all we can know for sure about death is that it will come for all of us, eventually. If you believe in an afterlife, your deeds - good or bad - will accompany your soul on your way home. And you will be comforted and bask in the mitzvot you performed. And if you don't believe in an afterlife? Well, this is your one shot, and whatever deeds you leave behind is all that will be left of you someday.

Better wear those tzitzit now, then.

Suggestion the second:

Look for the kedusha in literally everything.

One of the truly amazing things about Judaism is that every moment, no matter how mundane, is full of opportunities to engage in mitzvot. Whether it's saying Asher Yatzar after using the restroom, washing your hands before meals, saying brachot before eating food, wearing certain clothing (tzniut, no shatnez, ritually significant like a kippah, etc.), being kind to animals (even insects), honoring your parents, visiting a sick or recovering friend, compromising with your spouse for shalom bayit, giving money to the poor, or simply reaching out to a friend who might be sad, lonely, and struggling - there are daily opportunities to connect and to infuse every moment of your life with holiness.

Judaism is so much about how we treat each other, our world, our bodies, and our communities, and these in turn are what help us to understand how to treat our souls and our relationship to the Divine. Judaism is about relationships. And the opportunities don't require you to go to shul, or don tefillin, wait for the high holidays, or give extravagantly. (Although those things are great if you want to do them, too!)

By design, the mitzvot are meant to allow you to connect with Judaism, with yourself, your world, and Hashem at every turn, simply by living your life. It's honestly a very old form of mindfulness, long before that was a buzzword.

So, weaponize that FOMO in one breath, knowing this is the only life we have, and in the next breath, really open your eyes to the opportunities that already surround you in every facet of your life. They are there if you look, and you will never miss out if you keep on looking.

[umabloomer]

I wrote this article!

[meanderingdownthelongroad]

Hello Jumblr I need a little bit of help. What is the word for laws that exist but we don't know why they do(iirc it pertains to things like kashrut, shatnez, etc)? I remember there was a specific word for these type of laws and am working on a project where I'd like to use it, but cannot for the life of me find it or remember it.

[ask-dreamtalia]

Hey, sorry about the font in the last ask.

Hey Sun! How have you been? What is your opinion on heirophant and Rev?

Oh! I can read it this time! I have...... been? Yes. That. Opinions hmm... Hierophant is very interesting! He seems very abrasive but he's very wise, he has a lot of good ideas and always thinks about what is right.

Some of the 'right' things don't make sense like mixing two types of cloth together or "Shatnez" as he calls it being a bad thing but... well, he knows best! Also what is a Rev?

[chloesunit4]

Jewish:

Clothing has historically been used to represent religious affiliation, social rank, emotional condition, and even the Jews' relationship with the outside world in Judaism. The ancient rabbis stated that one of the reasons the Jews were deserving of being saved from slavery was their distinguishing attire in Egypt.

Jewish males customarily wear prayer shawls and cover their heads with kippot during synagogue services, practises that some liberal Jewish women have adopted as well. While most Jews dress similarly to non-Jews outside of synagogue, many Orthodox Jews are distinguished by specific clothing worn for ritual, tradition, or modesty. Orthodox (and some non-Orthodox) men wear kippot over their heads, with some wearing black caps or a shtreimel, a sort of fur hat. Many Orthodox men wear black suits, and many Hasidic men wear outfits evocative of the way Polish nobles wore in the 18th century, when Hasidic Judaism was founded. Many Orthodox males also wear a tzitzit, a four-pointed garment with fringes on the corners, underneath their shirt – the fringes may spill out from the shirt or be hidden.

Many Orthodox women avoid wearing trousers in favour of dresses and skirts. Furthermore, Orthodox women often dress modestly and cover a large portion of their bodies, but this varies greatly from community to community. Women are discouraged from wearing bright, eye-catching colours in some ultra-Orthodox communities. When they marry, most Orthodox women cover their hair with a cap, wig, or scarf.

What the Torah Has to Say About Clothes There is little in the Torah concerning clothes, either descriptively or prescriptively. It forbids merging wool and linen in a garment (such garments are known as shatnez) without reason, while also outlawing "mixing" various crops and types of livestock (Leviticus 19:19). It prevents men from donning women's clothing and vice versa (Deuteronomy 22:5), without elaborating on either. It also instructs Jews to sew fringes on the corners of four-pointed garments (Numbers 15:37-41), both to identify the Jew and to remind the Jew to keep the mitzvot. On the other hand, the Torah goes into great detail on the clothes of the priests, notably the High Priest, for their duties in the wilderness Tabernacle (Exodus 28), which was eventually adopted for the Temple in Jerusalem. While the High Priest's attire was complex, colourful, and full of symbolism, he was only to wear white linen on Yom Kippur, the one day a year when he would enter the most sacred area of the temple (Leviticus 16:4), as a demonstration of humility. White clothes became a symbol of purity, whereas black became a symbol of grief. Nowadays, the shredding of a clothing denotes grief.

Ancient and Mediaeval Jewish Costume When the Jews were sovereign in their territory in ancient times, the clothing of the rich, such as prosperous landowners, showed their position. The nobles and higher classes wore more formal attire. The styles of neighbouring peoples also had an impact. However, when the Jews were banished (70 C.E.) and under foreign domination, the impoverished of many Jews became visible in their clothing. In certain circumstances, Jews consciously acquired distinctive clothes over time in order to distinguish themselves from the dominant culture. In others, they were legally forced to wear a certain way, such as unique caps and insignia in mediaeval Spain and 13th-century Poland.

Eastern European Jews adopted early modern Polish noble styles such as the black robe (caftan) and the fur cap (shtreimel), which are now worn by diverse groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews. It is unclear when males began to cover their heads with a hat or yarmulke (skullcap). According to the Talmud, covering one's head is a symbol of submission to divine power in numerous circumstances. Some ascribe it to the Jews' wish to distinguish themselves from Christians, for whom removing the hat was a gesture of respect. It had grown popular enough by the 16th century to be codified as conventional behaviour among the most devout, who still cover their heads all day or at least during prayer and study. The exposed head was deemed immodest, if not worse, for women from ancient times. Married ladies hid their heads to avoid attracting the attention of other men. A somewhat late version on this is the sheitel (wig) worn by exceedingly pious married ladies. These practises are now only observed in very traditional communities. Over the centuries, rabbinic authorities frequently spoke out against extravagant or garish dress designs and in favour of keeping clothing, particularly for women, "modest." On the other hand, it has long been a habit for Jews to wear distinctive clothing for Shabbat and festivals, adding to the uniqueness of these occasions.

Referencing:

my jewish learning. (2020). Jewish Clothing. [Online]. my jewish learning. Last Updated: 15 September. Available at: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-clothing/ [Accessed 19 September 2023].

[ask-jumblr]

I crochet, and my Jewish friend wants me to make her a kippah. I have a pattern and everything, but I just wanted to double-check and be sure that it's okay to use yarn that contains wool, or would that not be kosher? I can use cotton or acrylic if sheep are a problem, I just need to know. Thank you and shabbat shalom.

[magnetothemagnificent]

https://at.tumblr.com/magnetothemagnificent/tumblr-antisemitism-bingo-id-in-alt-text/um9kbysoo8mp

what does the "haha mixed fabrics" thing mean? why is it antisemitic? /gq

Culturally Christian LGBT people trying to clap-back at homophobic Christians often say "ooohhh but the Bible also says not to mix fabrics oohhhhh what do you say about that?" in response to Christians using the Bible to justify homophobia.

The issue is that what they're referencing is the Tanakh/"Old Testament", and yes, there is also a prohibition against mixing wool and linen, called Shatnez, among other stuff Cultural Christians call "ridiculous". But the thing is...these are commandments that are followed by Observant Jews to this day, and they're also commandments that are specifically not part of Christian doctrine. So the only thing this talking point accomplishes is alienate Jews, especially queer Jews. I'm Jewish. I'm also trans and bi. And I also follow the laws of Shatnez, Kashrut, etc etc. These are not contradictory.

Cultural Christian queer people love to mock Jewish practices as some kind of 'gotcha' to homophobic Christians. And yes, I am using Cultural Christian, because the instinctive revulsion and shock towards Old Testament laws is culturally engrained in Christianity. Part of Christianity is saying that they're better than the Old Testament, and better than the Old Testament's "archaic" ways.

Like...

A) Why bring up examples from the Old Testament to say "oh well if you're so religious why don't you follow these" to homophobic Christians? Literally the point of Christianity is that they follow a new covenant and don't follow most of the laws in the Old Testament. It's not pointing out hypocrisy. It's like going to a Jew and saying "oh well alcohol is haram!" as if it's some kind of comeback. It's using a law Christians don't follow and have never followed as some sort of point- which doesn't work.

B) Saying "oh well if you're so religious why don't you do x?" is a terrible arguement. Because there are Christians who do follow the entirety of Christian doctrine, and are still homophobic. Would homophobia be okay if it came from a monk? If your whole point is that religion shouldn't excuse bigotry, then why are you using an arguement that essentially says that as long as you're actually religious, it's okay to be homophobic.

[breslovwomansays]

WATCH VIDEO: Parshat Ki Teitzei (King David & Batsheva; Significant Problems of Men Wearing Women's Clothing & Vice Versa; The Kabbalah of Forbidden Mixtures-Shatnez; Afghanistan/Taliban/Inflation/True Diversity through the Lens of Torah; and more ) The Radiant Torah with Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

WATCH VIDEO: Parshat Ki Teitzei (King David & Batsheva; Significant Problems of Men Wearing Women’s Clothing & Vice Versa; The Kabbalah of Forbidden Mixtures-Shatnez; Afghanistan/Taliban/Inflation/True Diversity through the Lens of Torah; and more ) The Radiant Torah with Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

In this video, Chaya Rivka discusses Parshat Ki Teitzei The Kabbalah of Forbidden Mixtures (Seeds, Hybrids, Shatnez) Afghanistan, the Taliban, Inflation & Diversity Jewish Soliders-Captive Women& King David and Batsheva Men Wearing Women’s Clothing (& Vice Versa)-A Significant Spiritual Problem and more In the Radiant Torah weekly parsha class we discuss insights on the psychospiritual…

[keshetchai]

Not a single gentile defending linsey-woolsey/shatnez as regular clothing fabric has ever accounted for the stink factor of Europeans/colonists "from the 14th century on," and tbh.....that tracks.

"it's cheap! It's warm!" Ok and how bad was their stink? How often did they bathe and wash their clothes....?

...yeah.

[partitionis]

I think one of my weirder Brain Things is that I very genuinely try to avoid shatnez. I’ll happily eat a pepperoni pizza but mixing flax and wool is apparently a beat too far for me

[wenevergotusedtoegypt]

Really don’t like the take that shatnez is just common sense because wool and linen don’t work well together, actually.

First of all, when something is purely common sense not to do, you don’t have to make a law against doing it. Making a garment that is just obviously not functional at all is not tempting to anyone. And it is clearly not that common sense considering I have literally received a sweater as a gift that listed both wool and linen on the tag - besides the fact that shatnez isn’t just a piece of fabric of woven wool and linen together, it can also be just linen threads in a wool garment or linen pieces sewn into a wool garment. Yes this is a thing that is common enough to have to be specifically checked for in certain types of garments!

But also when brought up in the context of “don’t use shatnez as an example of something ~crazy~ from the Bible that people don’t follow while they cite biblical passages for their homophobia because it’s antisemitic,” it’s basically saying that the reason shatnez should not be treated as crazy is because actually it makes a lot of sense, as if Jewish practices are only worthy of respect if they are rational outside the context of Judaism. No. That’s not how it works. Stop. That argument against homophobia is bad because it’s antisemitic to imply that people would never ever keep such ~crazy~ laws when we literally do, and because it gives a free pass for homophobia to anyone who does keep them. Not because actually all those laws are eminently rational even divorced from their religious context.

[adira5780]

I agree with everything people on Jumblr are saying about how criticizing kashrut and shatnez rules in order to argue against homophobia is bad at best but one thing I think is being overlooked is:

When you say that xtians are bad for quoting a homophobic line in Leviticus but not following other rules, you're kind of implying that if you DO follow all the rules of Leviticus then... The homophobia is ok?

Like that feels like the logical conclusion to that argument?