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Learning a proper dress code

Question:

Dear Rabbi,

I am a ba’al teshuvah. I have grown up and continue to exist in the communities that are not yeshiva trained or with much if any jewish influence. I still dress as I was when I was young.

Would it be a strong interest for a jew to adopt a yeshiva type lifestyle to improve his yiddish feeling or just to find that perhaps Hashem would help him find right influence in his universe?

I can not yet think I plan to do a wardrobe overhaul, but when I note many photos of the jewish community that is orthodox, I feel very unagreeable due to my usual dress code.

This might seem trite, but I wonder if my destiny is just as a populist minded chassid and not a fully conversational jewish chassid in a jewish community.

I am yet a jew who will put his trust in Hashem and see where this inquiry may lead this conversation.

Many thanks.

Answer:

My apologies that it took so long for me to get back to you.

It is nice to hear that you want to grow in your Jewish identity. Having a Jewish identity is very important, it is one of the factors that kept the Jews in Egypt from totally assimilating, and it also was a merit for their redemption. Aside from that, when you have a strong Jewish Identity it prevents you from doing things that are inappropriate for you to do when you are dressed this way. It doesn’t mean that things won’t happen, but it helps to prevent acting in a way that is beneath the way that you are dressed.

As you rightfully state, don’t do an overhaul at one time, which would be very hard. You can make small changes, and these changes will help boost your Jewish feeling.

Keep up the good work, ands keep growing!!

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