February 09, 2007

Breadcrumb: Did Moses wear a Burka?

In Ex. 34:29-35, we read that once Moses came down from Mount Sinai, his face shone. Because of this somewhat unnatural phenomenon, Moses would wear a veil over his face when he spoke with the Israelites, only taking it off when he entered the tabernacle to speak with God. Could Jews have invented the Burka? Probably not, but at least we learn that veils are neither exclusively Muslim, nor exclusively for females. In fact, according to this passage, Moses wore a veil because he was so holy no one could bear to look at his face. It might be an attitude worth thinking about.

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