There's a well-known story of a young woman who arrived at the original Beis Yaakov in pre-WWII Poland, and was met by Sara Schenirer, who greeted her with "Shalom aleichem," then immediately stuck a pin through the young woman's collar to close it, while offering brief words of explanation.
The young woman was Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus's mother, who came from America to Beis Yaakov at age 16.
The other Beis Yaakov girls were aghast at the reception for this American girl who'd just spent 24 hours traveling in uncomfortable conditions, only to be welcomed with such a rebuke.
Think about it.
Any normal person would consider such a reception as rude (which is why the Beis Yaakov girls themselves, in their innate compassion & sensitivity, immediately showed their disapproval, despite not knowing the girl and despite the respect & appreciated they had for their beloved teacher).
To compound things, Rav Pincus's mother was already careful to dress modestly.
But Rav Pincus's mother insisted that she wasn't offended at all!
And she really wasn't.
In fact, she didn't feel rebuked and always recalled the scene with affection.
The question is why?
The young woman was Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus's mother, who came from America to Beis Yaakov at age 16.
The other Beis Yaakov girls were aghast at the reception for this American girl who'd just spent 24 hours traveling in uncomfortable conditions, only to be welcomed with such a rebuke.
Think about it.
Any normal person would consider such a reception as rude (which is why the Beis Yaakov girls themselves, in their innate compassion & sensitivity, immediately showed their disapproval, despite not knowing the girl and despite the respect & appreciated they had for their beloved teacher).
To compound things, Rav Pincus's mother was already careful to dress modestly.
But Rav Pincus's mother insisted that she wasn't offended at all!
And she really wasn't.
In fact, she didn't feel rebuked and always recalled the scene with affection.
The question is why?
"We are the daughters of Hashem."
The secret is in Sara Schenirer's innate feelings toward both tsniyut and the Jewish girls themselves, plus the words she used to explain her actions.
Sara Schenirer told Rav Pincus's mother:
Sara Schenirer told Rav Pincus's mother:
"Here in Beis Yaakov, we don't neglect even the smallest matters when it comes to tsniyus because we are prestigious women. We are the daughters of Hashem."
What was the Underlying Reality of the Event?
To really understand what was going on, let's try to look at the scene beyond the physical 3-dimensional barriers and attempt to see the entire reality – which includes the spiritual dimensions.
What really happened was this:
This 16-year-old girl enters into a room in which all the other girls are clothed in royal cloaks of expensive velvet & silk studded with diamonds and lined with a collar of pure white ermine.
They're also surrounded by the most beautiful angels.
What really happened was this:
This 16-year-old girl enters into a room in which all the other girls are clothed in royal cloaks of expensive velvet & silk studded with diamonds and lined with a collar of pure white ermine.
They're also surrounded by the most beautiful angels.
This 16-year-old girl is the only one without the stunning royal garments and the angelic companions. (Yes, she has royal garments & angels, but they aren't nearly as stunning or as beautiful as what appears among these girls.)
Suddenly, a woman clothed in even more glorious royal garments and holding an identical royal cloak in her hands greets the girl with a blessing, then proceeds to wrap the stunning royal cloak around the girl, fasting the ermine collar with its diamond closures.
Now unfathomably beautiful angels spring up around her too.
The crowned woman then explains, "Here in our palace, we don't neglect even the most important aspects of royal dress because we are prestigious princesses. We are daughters of the most important King of the World. And because you are one of us, you too deserve the privilege of wearing stunning royal garments and being surrounded by beautiful angels."
Knights aren't offended by kneeling in front of the king or queen and having a large iron blade waved around their shoulders.
Kings & queens aren't offended at kneeling and then having a very heavy & uncomfortable crown placed on their heads.
Likewise, no young woman would be offended at being draped with such stunning garments and being bequeathed such beautiful companions, while being told that she too is included within this exclusive & exalted royal circle.
That's what was really happening.
That was the real message being given.
Suddenly, a woman clothed in even more glorious royal garments and holding an identical royal cloak in her hands greets the girl with a blessing, then proceeds to wrap the stunning royal cloak around the girl, fasting the ermine collar with its diamond closures.
Now unfathomably beautiful angels spring up around her too.
The crowned woman then explains, "Here in our palace, we don't neglect even the most important aspects of royal dress because we are prestigious princesses. We are daughters of the most important King of the World. And because you are one of us, you too deserve the privilege of wearing stunning royal garments and being surrounded by beautiful angels."
Knights aren't offended by kneeling in front of the king or queen and having a large iron blade waved around their shoulders.
Kings & queens aren't offended at kneeling and then having a very heavy & uncomfortable crown placed on their heads.
Likewise, no young woman would be offended at being draped with such stunning garments and being bequeathed such beautiful companions, while being told that she too is included within this exclusive & exalted royal circle.
That's what was really happening.
That was the real message being given.
Image by lorilynnoliver from Pixabay
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