Masking and Unmasking Ourselves: Interpreting Biblical Texts on Clothing & Identity

by Norman J. Cohen

Overview

Our clothes conceal our naked bodies but what do they reveal about our souls?

"Clothes assume a primary importance as a vehicle that suggests character, provides insights into a person's identity and even governs it…. But the problem is that if Oscar Wilde is correct that 'if you give a man a mask, he will tell you the truth,' then what exactly conveys the truth? Is it the person him or herself or is it the mask, the clothing that he or she wears, that reveals deeper images of self?"
—from the Introduction

In this highly engaging look at clothing and identity in the Bible, renowned teacher and scholar Norman Cohen presents ten Bible stories that involve clothing in an essential way, as a means of learning about the text, its characters and their interactions. But he also shows us how these stories help us confront our own life dramas, our own stories, ourselves. In doing so, he once again presents the Bible as a mirror, reflecting back to us our own personalities, ambivalences, struggles and potential for growth. By helping us uncover the garments of the Bible, Cohen shows us how to shed our own layers of insulation to reveal our authentic selves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580234610
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Norman J. Cohen is widely recognized as one of the great teachers of his generation. A rabbi, professor emeritus of midrash and former provost of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, he frequently lectures to Jewish and Christian laypeople and scholars on Bible study and midrash—finding contemporary meaning from ancient biblical texts. Cohen was a participant in Bill Moyers's Genesis: A Living Conversation on PBS. He is author of Self, Struggle & Change: Family Conflict Stories in Genesis and Their Healing Insights for Our Lives; Voices from Genesis: Guiding Us through the Stages of Life; Moses and the Journey to Leadership: Timeless Lessons of Effective Management from the Bible and Today's Leaders; Hineni in Our Lives: Learning How to Respond to Others through 14 Biblical Texts & Personal Stories and The Way Into Torah (all Jewish Lights).

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

1. Divine Garments of Creation
Concealing Our Nakedness, Revealing Our Inner Core (GENESIS 3)

2. Noah's Garments after the Flood
Ensuring Protection or Covering Shame? (GENESIS 9)

3. The Garments of Disguise—Am I Jacob or Esau?
Revealing and Concealing Identity (GENESIS 27)

4. Stripping Joseph of His Special Coat
A Symbol of Power and Status, a Source of Pain and Isolation (GENESIS 37)

5. Tamar Confronts Judah
Masks Can Reveal More Than They Conceal about Us (GENESIS 38)

6. Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
Uncovering True Identity (GENESIS 39)

7. Aaron's Death and the Symbolism of the Priestly Garments
Vehicles of Holiness and Transformation (NUMBERS 20)

8. David Dons Saul’s
Armor Wearing Our Garments, Embracing Our Own Identity (1 AND 2 SAMUEL)

9. Elijah and Elisha—Transferring the Prophet’s Mantle
Passing on Authority, Wearing It in Individual Ways (1 AND 2 KINGS)

10. Esther, Mordechai, and Haman
Change of Garments; Change of Identity (THE BOOK OF ESTHER)

Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggested Further Readings

Editorial Reviews

"With eye-popping surprises on almost every page, Cohen invites us to reconsider our own disguises (and any visit to the tailor)!"
—Lawrence Kushner, Emanu-El Scholar, Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco; author, I'm God; You're Not: Observations on Organized Religion and Other Disguises of the Ego

"A compassionate meditation on the human condition … Cohen again demonstrates that Torah is the appropriate dressing to cure the ailment of Adam's mortality."
—Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky, Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies, The Jewish Theological Seminary; author, Sage Tales: Wisdom and Wonder from the Rabbis of the Talmud

"Long have we waited for an illuminating study of the biblical mystique of clothes. Thanks now to the lively and thoughtful prose of Cohen, we wait no more."
—Phyllis Trible, Baldwin Professor of Sacred Literature, Emerita, Union Theological Seminary

“Brilliantly informative…. Holds up a mirror and prompts us to reflect on whether the world sees us as we see ourselves.”
—Peter J. Rubinstein, senior rabbi, Central Synagogue, New York City

“From Scripture to Shakespeare, Cohen weaves an extended creative midrash ... covering and uncovering layers of meaning in ancient texts.”
—Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, author, The Other Talmud—The Yerushalmi: Unlocking the Secrets of The Talmud of Israel for Judaism Today

“Succeeds in offering a psychological approach to the biblical stories.... Will appeal to those interested in learning how biblical and rabbinical tales can teach contemporary lessons.”
—The Jewish Federation of Broome County Reporter

“Tremendous insights are shared and poignant questions are posed to the reader, serving, it seems, not only as food for thought but also as a way to connect to us and our modern clothing. A solid addition to any Judaica collection. This book is recommended.”
—Association of Jewish Libraries

From the Publisher