Mfcttrf

On a recent visit to a desert town in Israel, where summer temperatures reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit and over, I wondered about a large Hassidic community that reside there and their firm style of dress.

• How do Hassidic men, dressed in long, black jackets and other layers, maintain their health in the midst of such unbearable heat?


• Is there any literature/Hassidic opinion that links bodily discomfort as a virtue/ascetic value/etc? Is there any opinion at all that acknowledges the discomfort of wearing this clothing?


• Are there any strategies (besides staying indoors) that Hassidim have for staying comfortable in the heat?

**This question is not meant to judge or mock anyone, but an honest question about religious garb.

I can't argue with Mordechai's answer.

I can say that when I taught a computer class to a mainly Hassidic group, I did ask two of my students how they manage with those clothes in the summer. They offered a simple answer - "Hashem did not provide mitzvoth just because they are easy to perform."

Now, how can I argue with that comment? It's not saying that they're not hot and sweaty sometimes. They are. But, they live with the circumstances because this is how they feel they need to dress, look, and perform. I will say that I kept some bottles of water in the class just in case they or someone else dehydrates.

I can't fathom how hot the shtreiml must be on Shabbat, though!

There are different versions of the coats - for example, in the summer Hassidim will generally wear a frock coat made of a light weight, drip-dry polyester, without a shape-holding canvas lining.

That said, Hassidim wear clothing that are not natural for wear in summer heat and the strategy is generally to try to stay indoors or in the shade as much as possible and to drink lots of water always staying hydrated.

It's also mental though - because Hassidim typically dress like this their whole life, they don’t really feel hot more than compared to anyone else because they've developed a resistance to what you may feel if you wore their clothing (by being used to it) the same way that Arabs wear layers of clothing in the desert to keep from burning their skin.

I'm not aware of any spiritual literature on this but generally Hasidic Jews always have their mind on something related to Torah etc. So I think it is rare that they are thinking too much about the heat which is a strong mental strategy.

Many cultures that reside in the desert specially wear many layers of garments. This actually is cooler to the skin than being exposed to direct sunlight.

Sweating is also healthy, by the way. See here: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-saunas-detoxify-lead-from-the-body/

As for physical discomfort, I would direct you to read about the character trait of Prishus in Mesilas Yesharim by Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato. Keep in mind that what he describes is not an obligation at the strict-letter-of-the-law-level, however it can obviously be applied to clothes. Also, see what he writes in the character trait of humility / anava.

However, anyone can take off their outer layers if they were, say, playing in a park. Wearing these layers applies mostly to walking in the street. I would also extend this to not only chasidim, but chareidim at large.