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From the new Hatomim Magazine for Yud Shvat 5783, Download it here for free

By Rabbi Noam Wagner, Rosh Yeshivah in Johannesburg, South Africa 

What is the source for restrictions on what yeshiva bachurim can and cannot wear?

The source for restrictions on what yeshiva students can and cannot wear comes from the concept that a talmid chacham must be different, similar to the role of Shevet Levi and the Kohanim in ancient times who were set aside and designated to serve Hashem.

The Rambam writes (Hilchos Deos 5:1) “Just as a chacham is recognized through his wisdom and his temperaments and in these he stands apart from the rest of the people, so, too, he should be recognized through his actions … his speech, manner of walking and style of dress … all of these actions should be exceptionally becoming and befitting.”

A bachur too should be different in speech, manner of walking and manner of dressing. This does not mean that the yeshiva considers certain styles to be bad or non-Jewish, but rather that the bachur is a soldier and a soldier has a uniform that respects his unique status.

The uniform of a bachur is also the expectation that he will adhere to a certain type of look. The Gemara also states that Jews have always dressed differently than non-Jews, as an example of humility. Similarly, there may be things that are befitting for Jews in general to wear, but not necessarily for a yeshiva student. The yeshiva requires a certain uniform, a certain way of dressing that projects “I am a Tamim, I am a soldier in Hashem’s army, I am different.”

The idea of a standardized one-style-suits-all dress code of limited styles and cuts is a declaration of a very important aspect in a bachur’s life: a yeshiva bachur cannot “lig”, be invested into fashion and clothing, that isn’t his reality. His reality is about matters of pnimiyus – learning Torah and davening, not chitzoniyus’dike clothing.

Specifics of the dress code will vary by individual yeshiva and some decisions are made by many yeshivos together, deciding in unison that certain things are too loud, or not suitable for a bachur. For example, when I was a bachur in yeshiva everyone wore blue or striped button-down shirts, it was the norm amongst Lubavitcher bachurim, eventually the hanahalos worldwide felt that it was becoming a fashion statement, so they universally decided to put a stop to it and then they all brought in the white shirt rule.

Bachurim sometimes feel that this is stifling to an extent and feel that they are being judged by what they wear and not who they are. While this isn’t really the case as described above, it still is important to understand the bachur’s perspective, that judging someone by how they dress is wrong, especially in Chabad where it is believed that it is all about what is inside, pnimiyus, Yiras Shamayim etc.

Someone who indeed judges others by external factors is revealing their own emptiness and lack of understanding of the inner essence. It’s not about the width of the brim or not, but rather the inner essence.

To summarize, the yeshiva needs to demand a dress code from the bachurim and bachurim must adhere to it b’simcha with an understanding that it is there to protect their self-image as yeshiva bachurim, but it is important to understand that it is not about judging the person, but rather about projecting a certain image of a Tamim, a soldier in Hashem’s army.

This column was transcribed and edited from a video answer on StumpTheRabbi.org, funded by the Chanin Family Foundation. 

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