With God's help, 25 Iyar 5782

To Simcha, greetings and joy,

Even though one should give up one's life over "a shoelace," and accordingly it would seem one should forbid wearing a white shirt etc., since they are Haredi custom — in pressing circumstances one may rely on our master Rabbi Michael Abraham, for I merited to see the image of his likeness on his Facebook page, and behold, his shirt is white, his kippah black, and his fringes out; he too lived in the heart of Bnei Brak, and his children studied in Haredi educational institutions, so you have a firm peg to lean on 🙂

Best regards, Shimshon (Steve) Zuckerberg Halevi

Just to be on the safe side, you can anoint your head with oil, and then anyone who sees you will assume you are following the advice of King Solomon, peace be upon him: "At all times let your garments be white, and let oil not be lacking upon your head"…

In the question (and in the answer), the main thing is missing: how should one dress instead?

Therefore I have come to the aid of the Lord among the mighty, and to fill in what is lacking:

If he wears a knitted kippah and a button-down shirt, they may suspect he belongs to the circles of the sects "Merkaz" and even, Heaven forbid, to "Har Hamor," and that is certainly an even greater desecration of God's name; see more on the site here.
If a polo shirt with fringes, they may suspect he belongs to Ben Gvir, who as is well known is the partner of the terrible Bibi (see more on the site here), and that is certainly an even greater desecration of God's name.
If without fringes, but with a standard kippah, they will suspect he belongs to the Bibists, and that is certainly an even greater desecration of God's name.
Therefore, a Bennett kippah is possible (not ideally; it can still desecrate God's name if they think he is a Bibist), or alternatively no kippah at all (*if Ashkenazi), and then he will be perceived as a leftist, who as is well known are great sanctifiers of God's name and partners of our admired prime minister.
If Sephardi, then even without a kippah he may still be suspected of being a Bibist; there is no counsel and no wisdom, and it is preferable to remain dressed as a Haredi.

Hello Rabbi!
I wanted to ask the Rabbi: true, I do not identify myself as Haredi, and really have nothing to do with them, no connection, nothing. I wanted to ask: as a non-Haredi who agrees with many of the Rabbi's views, and sees himself as left-wing, vegan, tolerant, pluralistic, hypocritical, and puritanical in many respects, but I admit and confess that sometimes I end up helping the elderly Haredi neighbor in the building put on his suit.
I wanted to ask whether by helping him put on clothes worn by people who cause a desecration of God's name, I am thereby causing a desecration of God's name? And if so, what is the fix for that? Is it enough that I do not h e l p him put on the suit, or do I actually need to t a k e the suit o f f him every time I see him? Or is even that not enough, and I also need to p u t a knitted kippah on his head?

Thank you very much!

Why is the clothing the issue?
He sends his children to receive non-education. Meaning Haredism of ignorance and evil.
That is Haredism, and that is the danger.
The clothing?
What difference does it make?

After all, regarding Abraham our forefather exactly this was said:
"For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice."

That is, God's choice was because he chooses the good and not Haredism, for himself and for his descendants after him.
And not because of the shtreimel, yes or no.

And I too, the insignificant one, to whom God has given light, merited to return to Judaism from the Haredism in which I was born.
I did not change my clothing, but my daughters and sons, with God's help, I transferred to the education of communities that serve God uprightly.

Of course, God forbid, I do not vote for those wicked political operators.
And that is enough.
And that is excellent repentance.

Which communities?

With God's help, eve of the holy Sabbath, "each man by his banner with the signs," 5782

At first I thought one should wear fig leaves so people would know I had tasted from the "tree of knowledge" 🙂 until Rabbi Meir taught me in his Torah that the clothing representing knowledge is not one physical garment or another, but rather "garments of light" — a garment of love for the Jewish people and good character traits, as Rabbi Aryeh Levin taught us in his illuminating way.

Best regards, A.K. Feigenblatt-Lichtman

With God's help, 26 Iyar (the day of the passing of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) 5782

And one may say that God taught man that a soft barrier like a fig leaf is not enough to be saved from the temptations of the serpents, the primeval and the western one; rather one needs strong, sealed protection like "skin," and one who is harmed by the temptations of the evil inclination must be apprehensive and set up strong fences for himself.

But Rabbi Meir, in his Torah, explains that fences of "turn from evil" are not enough; one must be filled with "light" — the light of Torah, of love of God and love of people, and the light of good character traits. The combination of the "skin" of "turn from evil" with the "light" of "do good" — these are what drive away the darkness.

With the blessing of "a good Sabbath," A.K. Feigenblatt-Lichtman

To K,
I moved to Religious Zionist communities, in their various shades and types.

And I was received warmly in those communities despite the clothing and the look; I, and many others like me.

True, there is a large movement of Haredi families to the knitted-kippah communities.
But most of them do change their clothing, even if not immediately then after a few years.
I have several such neighbors.

But it seems to me that this is a matter of personal preference and not at all a question of considerations of desecration of God's name.