Modesty and other virtues

By TED ROBERTS, the SCRIBBLER ON THE ROOF

The Bible is full of mysteries. Aside from its poetry, philosophy,
theology, history, it’s brimming with mysteries that have baffled the rabbis, theologians, and secular scholars of the ages. Some are well known and have been explored for centuries. Let me pose one,  which slapped my face as I read the familiar story of disobedience by the first newlyweds: Adam and Eve. Such a simple story crowned by an anomaly that mystifies this scribbler and a schoolroom full ofscholars. What is this obsession with nudity?

As we know, the snake, so to speak, seduces Eve. She, and naïve Adam swallow his marketing speech. Now they both metaphorically have ingested the wisdom of the Tree of Good and Evil. But to us, the ban on such a luncheon is already a puzzle. Why should G-d’s finest creation not know the difference between good and evil? It would seem the finest ingredient of mankind. Sin – the ingestion of the fruit of the tree – why the connection with nudity? There wasn’t a single tailor in Eden.

First a strange interlude BEFORE they indulged their passion for the fruit of the tree: “they were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed”. How strange. Why should they be ashamed? What’s blameful about nudity thousands of years ago? And who was to view their nakedness – the bluejays, the snake, the brown bear? A conundrum if there ever was one. And why would their disobedience bring on nakedness?

But we are not through. They do eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. And immediately they see something evil in their “nekkidness”, as we say down here. Why? They sew up underwear from fig leaves. Why does their violation affect the lower reaches of their bodies and not their minds? Why are they suddenly sensitive to the revelation of their body? They just violated G-d’s command and they’re worried about the world’s first burlesque show! How irrelevant. What an imbalance.

The charade – this relevance to the disobedience of an all powerful G-d and underwear continues. It’s a puzzle.

G-d calls out to Adam – basically “where are you” – as though He doesn’t know. Adam, now wearing a fig leaf suit and matching vest, tells his Creator that he was afraid to answer, “because I was naked”. Shocking. Adam is afraid to stand nekkid (as we say down here) in front of his G-d. And furthermore his nudity evidently reveals the fact that for the sake of an apple he has shattered one of the only two commandments that G-d has levied upon him.

Little does he know that centuries later his kin will receive 613 more! The dialogue that we and all mankind are familiar with follows. The punishment: Adam has to get a job. Poor Eve is plagued with childbirth pain.

And when the lecture is over unbelievably, G-d, Himself, “made tunics of skin and clothed them”. Why? Why is the Designer and Master of the galaxy shocked by nudity? Every living creature is naked!

This is mind bending. Evidently, the newlyweds’ lack of wardrobe even impresses the Creator. And it loudly announces to G-d that the two naked ones have broken the only sanctions imposed on them. Why is it so important? We’re talking about a primeval wilderness, not Times Square. And why would the G-d of all creation worry how his children are dressed?

There is some meaning behind here that we are missing. I mean, if you carved the Alps and scooped out the trench for the Pacific Ocean and hung the planets in the virgin sky, what difference does a fig leaf here or there make? Clearly, the translation misses something. Modesty is far from the top of the virtue chain.

But I’m just a scribbler. Go ask your rabbi.