Tzniut: Response to Article

Ok, so today I was reading the Jewish Press, and there was an op-ed about tzniut. http://www.jewishpress.com/displayContent_new.cfm?contentid=34086&mode=a&contentname=Modesty_-_More_Than_Mere_Clothing&recnum=0&fromsect=2

Basic premise: Tzniut is about an attitude that stems from self-respect. I agree with the premise, but have a few questions: If this is true, why is it that the Jewish education system emphasizes tniut for women much more than for men - we're all human, and should all encapsulate this beautiful value.

Furthermore, if tzniut is a value, how can that value be properly portrayed through clothing, inherently physical objects? Halacha's mandating elbow-length can force a girl to wear a shirt that covers more (clearly, unbeknownst to me, upper arms are the epitome of sexiness) but can not force her to be a modest person. She can wear elbow-length while seducing men - and, as someone who was forced to wear elbow-length for a year, I know that one can wear elbow-length in such a manner that guys would have to be crazy not to look at you - I know, because I used to dress in that way in order to rebel against the rabbis who dictated the length of my sleeves.

On the other hand, one can wear jeans and be tzanua. I would argue that the main way that tzniut comes into play with dress-code is in the attitude that informs purchasing clothing. When one gets dressed in the morning, one should aim to look attractive, but in such a way that one is overall attractive - physically and spiritually. One should not dress in a way that is meant to cause people of the opposite sex to be distracted and unable to stop staring at certain attractive body parts -you can all fill in whichever body part you wish ;)

If people are instilled with the value of tzniut, no dresscode is necessary because when people purchase clothing they will not be looking for clothing that could distract people from their neshama. The problem is that Jewish education does not instill people with the value of tzniut - just as it does not instill them with the value of viahavta lireecha kamocha or with the primacy of Torah to everyday life.

Basically, the Orthodox world is facing a values crisis that the rabbis are trying to fix with chumras and with practical, mundane halachas. But forcing people into the practical application of a value, without inspiring them to believe in the value itself, will not solve the crisis. Maybe it is time to stop getting fixated on the details of the law, and focus more on the spirit of the law and the values behind it.