Thanks again, Delib. BTW, You never sent me my shadchanus gelt for making your shidduch here on YW about a year ago.
On the topic of dressing and the levush for men, I see they just closed the Chuck E Cheese thread (which I must bashfully admit I don’t know what that is, but it didn’t stop me from piping up with my two cents).
I wanted to make the following comment before things went sour and people started fighting.
Perhaps the reason why some people seem to have expressed negative reactions to the levush was because they are actually slightly embarrassed. Permit me to explain.
To everybody’s credit we all believe a yid must dress with dignity. I believe that is what lo shinu es malbusham means. However, here is where we differ. The pro-levush crowd believes that we dress with garments that were dignified in the 17th or 18th century, while the anti-levush crowd believes we must dress in garments that are dignified right now. They believe a Jew must alwayss look first class in the eyes of the world, not just the eyes of other heimisher yidden.
Having said that, consider the following: You are a nice person and invite homeless people regularly to your Shabbos table. One day you are meeting in a resturant with a prospective employer on a very important interview. you are dressed up in your best suit. In walks one of these homeless people who has a long scraggly beard, long unwashed hair and is in torn and tattered clothing. His hygiene leaves what to be desired, and he is holding a bottle of whiskey. He runs up to you and gives you a hug and asks, “How are your wife and kids? I really enjoyed being at your house last Saturday.”
Now, you cringe with embarrassment, and hope that this potential boss doesn’t think this friend reflects on you, and that you are also a drunkard. Now, while I have obviously exaggerated, I think you understand my point. There are some of us who not only believe the levush is not halachically required, but actually does more harm than good to our collective reputation. Why not dress first class by today’s standards, instead of first-class by now-obsolete standards?
Mods, could you please allow this post?