Happy #TorahTuesday, Tribe!

Too often we are reminded of Deuteronomy 22:5 saturated with fleshly concerns of physical appearance and outer adornment. But what about the spiritual implications of women wearing men’s garments?

What is “a man’s garment”? Why must women NOT adorn themselves in it? And how do we fight against dressing our spirit in men’s garments?

A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 22:5

A Man’s Garment

“That which pertaineth to a man” is a man’s garment according to the cross reference of multiple translations of this verse.

This includes but isn’t limited to all things exclusive to men, made for men, commanded by Yah specifically for men, and all ordinances and roles given by Yah for men in HaShemayim (Heaven).

A man’s garment isn’t just his headgear or his girding of the loins, but also a man’s strength, honor, valor, and authority.

Why Must Women Avoid These Adornments?

The commandments given by Yah are almost ambiguous between men and women. From laws about court proceedings, agriculture, diets, and Holy days, everything is typically the same.

The exception lies in where men and women have biological difference. For instance, the laws regarding separation during a woman’s menstruation, or the commandment for a man to not shave his beard. These are just a couple exclusives to each sex which can make quite the difference.

If Yah says something, He has meaning and purpose behind it and before it. Although both male and female are made in His image, we have different assignments in the building of The Kingdom.

In short, women must avoid men’s spiritual garments, because of the harm it does to us and our environments.

Men in Yasharahla are leaders, warriors, priests, lords, and shepherds. They’re ordained to be martyrs and defenders, hunters and gatherers, and builders of The New City.

Our assignment as women, however, lies in our being nurturers, mothers, wives. We’re ordained to be nursers and cultivaters, peacemakers and receptive vessels, and most importantly helpmeets!

The most common garment of a man that I see sisters put on, and the most dangerous, is a man’s headship.

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Certainly, there are instances where a wife must gird her spiritual loins and sacrifice for her people or family if the head (or man/men) doesn’t arise to the occasion. For instance, we have Abigail and Judith. However, being led by Yah to intercede is not the same as you making every decision for yourself and family regarding each detail of your lives, leaving nothing for your husband.

Wearing a man’s Yah-ordained authority and headship is abominable because it dishonors the order of Heaven’s hierarchy pertaining to humans. When the men around us cannot fulfill their natural inclination to lead, provide, and make absolute decisions, they often rebel, seek solace elsewhere, or fall short of their obligations as men.

To keep things simple, if you want your husband or the men around you to be a man (or men), then YOU need to be a woman, wearing only a woman’s cloak.

So How Do We Fight Against Adorning Ourselves With Men’s Garments?

The first step is to read Yahuah’s Word. He tells us plain and clear what women’s garments look like in righteousness. Proverbs 31, Titus 2, Ephesians 5, and anywhere you have righteous Hebrew and Israelite women (Sarah, Hagar, Hannah, Abigail, Mary Magdalen etc) you will find your uniform in thorough detail.

The second step is to evaluate where we may fall short, and be willing to be honest with ourselves as ever-growing women. No woman can be the all perfect mother, daughter and wife all at once. Neither were our foremothers. The major key is using Abba’s Word as a measuring stick and showing up to get measured each day, so that we know where growth is needed.

For me personally, one robe that I had struggled to put on (or keep on rather) was the ordinance for women to have quiet spirits. I battled with interrupting my husband, and offering little anecdotes that he frankly didn’t need– no matter how helpful I thought they were.

The scripture ordains and depicts Israelite women as soft-spirited, gentle in speech, humble, and with few but powerful words. Seeing this for so long not only showed me that I was falling short in this area and how it was destructive, but also made me curious about the why’s, which leads us to the final step in avoiding men’s garments as women.

We have to invite Ruach HaQodesh (The Holy Spirit) into our hearts so that even if we are hurting, confused, or vulnerable, Yah will lead us to act with wisdom and prudence. We have to ask Ruach to not only show us how to be women according to Yah’s plan, but help us also to understand the importance of these ordinances.

It’s not enough to blindly follow along with what you read, though I will say that doing so is better than disobedience. However, Yah doesn’t want slaves. He wants friends, companions, lovers. He does, after all, call us His Bride. Blindly obeying with no mind of your own isn’t love, it’s torture, and that is not His plan for you. Especially if you secretly disagree in your heart, the way it will eventually manifest into your outward action will tell on you.

Invite the Ruach to help you embrace and lovingly behold Yah’s commandments for you as a woman, so that even in the face of vulnerability, you cleave to Him. You let yourself be robed in the protection, covering, and cleansing that can only come from being submitted to the Head: our husbands and fathers in The Most High.

Avoiding A Man’s Garment

If you have seen other ways you or another sister have/has put on a man’s spiritual garment, please do share it with us so we can continue to grow as a family in our understanding of our role and job as women in The Kingdom!

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