To many listeners of a certain age, that clip likely needs no introduction. But in case it isn’t ringing a bell for you, what you just heard is a scene from the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second film in the series. The speaker, Dobby, is an elf—specifically a house elf, meaning that he is a servant enslaved to a wealthy family of bad guys called the Malfoys. Now there’s a rule in Harry Potter world that says that if a house elf’s owner gives the elf an article of clothing, the elf is set free. And here, in one of those delicious scenes of sticking it to a no-goodnik, Harry, through a clever little ruse involving one of his own socks and one of Lucius Malfoy’s books, manages to free Dobby from the Malfoys. And Dobby winds up being an important minor character in the saga. Boo, Malfoy! Yay, Harry! Yay, Freedom!
When I first read about Dobby years ago, I remember saying in my head, “A sock–really?” It felt a little contrived. (Granted, we’re talking about a world of wizards who can speak in snake language, but still.) Yet today I think it’s actually pretty brilliant. Why? Because a sock is probably the smallest article of clothing any of us use regularly–and it’s also a piece of clothing that hardly anyone but us ever sees. And so the message is that, while a fancy outfit might elevate our social status, the thing that makes us free at the most fundamental level–the level where our feet contact the earth–can be the thing that says that we’re free.
Why am I talking about Harry Potter and socks and freedom today? This is the third episode of a miniseries on daily rituals. In our first episode we talked about first waking up in the morning. Last time we focused on going to the bathroom. So what comes next in our morning routine? Getting dressed.
There’s a lot we could say about clothing. People have different orientations, of course. Some folks are super conscious of their clothes. They can spend hours shopping for an outfit, and just as long in their closet, finding the right ensemble to wear. Other folks might be fine with a t-shirt and sweatpants all day, every day. For some people, what they wear is a super important way of expressing who they are; for others, what’s most important is simply to feel comfortable–not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter, not too tight, not too baggy. And rules and conventions around clothes are a big part of how society functions—starting with “no shirt, no shoes, no service” at a Seven-Eleven, all the way to People Magazine photos spreads of who wore what at the Oscars.
No matter where you are on the clothing spectrum, the opportunity for today is to get back to basics. And this is where I think Dobby, and yes, Judaism, can help a lot.
The Torah has a lot to say about clothes. Adam and Eve put on clothes as soon as they become conscious beings. Jacob tricks his father, Isaac, by wearing the clothes of his brother, Esau. And then Jacob makes more trouble by giving his son, Joseph, a special coat of many colors. The Torah tells us to return lost items–including lost clothing. Perhaps most movingly, the Torah teaches that you can’t take a poor person’s garment as collateral, because it’s a form of abuse and goes against everything we were supposed to have learned by being slaves in Egypt.
All of which is to say that Harry Potter gets it right: clothing is a basic element of our freedom. The ability to put on clothes at all, much less to choose what to wear to work or a party—it’s a really powerful thing, and it’s something we can easily take for granted.
Which means it’s also an opportunity to be mindful. So here’s a practice that can help.
First of all, try to give yourself enough time to get dressed. And, like we talked about with going to the bathroom, try to avoid multitasking. Keep the phone someplace else.
Before you open the closet or the dresser, just take a moment to pause and settle. Be here, in the space that you’re in. Allow yourself to be aware of the freedom you have right now, in this moment: the freedom to choose something to put on your body. Not everyone has that. Allow yourself to notice some gratitude.
I’m going to leave choosing what to wear up to you. But once you’ve made your choice, I want to invite you to put your clothes on just a beat or two slower than you might do ordinarily.
See if you can feel your clothes touching your body, covering your skin, surrounding your limbs.
Notice what it feels like as an arm moves through a shirt sleeve, or a pant moves through a pant leg. Notice how it sounds. Notice how it smells. Notice how it feels to slowly put on a sock.
Notice, perhaps, if there’s any pain or discomfort as you move your body getting dressed. And: notice if there’s any comfort or delight. All of this is part of the experience, and the goal here is simply to be present for it.
Finally, notice how it feels to do this: to be aware of something you might do quickly in the morning as you’re racing to get out the door. Putting on clothing can be one of those things we do mindlessly. How does it feel to do it more mind-fully?
In the traditional Jewish liturgy, there’s a series of blessings to say in the morning. One of them is about clothing. And for this practice, I want to invite you to say it if you feel so moved: Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melekh haolam, malbish arumim: Blessed are you, sovereign of the universe, who clothes the naked.
Blessings for the journey. Know that I’m on it with you.