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The Rebbe during a visit to Camp Gan Yisroel in upstate New York.

The Rebbe’s Call for Summertime Tznius: ‘Alert Mothers to Danger of Neglecting Tznius in Raising Daughters’

“Every year before the summer, generally at the Yud Bais Tammuz Farbrengen, the Rebbe would speak about Tznius”, says Oholei Torah Mashpia Rabbi Michoel Seligson. At his suggestion, CrownHeights.info presents a new weekly feature for the summer months: a short thought of the Rebbe on tznius, as compiled by Rabbi Seligson.

[A little background: Late 1969 much focus was placed on a new dress style. On Simchas Torah the Rebbe had already addressed the issue of tznius at length. When the N’shei Chabad mid-winter convention took place in Adar, the Rebbe set tznius as the prime theme of the convention. In Iyar, when the Rebbe spoke to the assembled N’shei Chabad, tznius was the topic].

The following is the continuation of a letter to N’shei Chabad from the 7th of Adar I 5730/1970, Rebbe’s Igros volume 26 page 324 (free translation from Yiddish):

“In the light of the above, I am of the opinion that the topic of tznius needs to be placed as one of the main points on the daily agenda of responsible Jewish circles.

Especially as N’shei Ubnos Chabad is the central body of all the branches worldwide, it is your urgent task at this moment to initiate an intensive action to rouse the Jewish public, and in particular, Jewish women organizations – whatever their purpose should not be – that the concept of tznius should be integrated into their practical activities.

We need to alert Jewish mothers to the danger of neglecting tznius in raising their daughters.

Faculties of girl’s schools everywhere, should be made aware to be stringent on the topic of tznius, and explain to the students that tznius is the most beautiful midah, the crown of the Jewish daughter and woman.

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7 Comments

  • stardom

    We need more of this – describing the brochos and beauty of the mitzvah and also the negative impact of lack of tznius. Isn’t it one of the reasons the Jews were redeemed from Egypt – because the women did not dress like the Egyptian women.
    I am sure that all Jewish women and girls love Israel and want our soldiers to be safe, so its up to us.

  • ok

    I appreciate these articles, straight from the Rebbe, its the purest source. I just remembered reading some good points from the last tznius article you put in a few days ago, and I’d like to share them with anyone who hasnt seen them. I thought they made good points. We can’t have it perfect right away….and its also about people wanting to take responsibility for this mitzva. :
    5. one more wrote:

    one more point:
    you can say what the Rebbe said, but you can’t dress these women yourself.
    I have no issue with tzanua and I try to keep that high standard.
    So the question is: if we talk and talk and those with a tzanua issue keep going, then what do we have left??
    we have left what WE can do:
    IF WE DRESS TZNIUS, THEN WE MUST MAKE ALL OF OUR LEVUSH “TZNIUS”:
    NO RECHILUS
    NO LOSHON HARA
    NO AVAK LOSHON HARA (if you don’t know what it is, learn what it is, its very important)
    CHESED TO THOSE WHO SEEM NOT TO “DESERVE IT”. DECENT HANHAGA TO OTHERS.
    and more.
    THAT
    IS
    WHAT
    WE
    CAN
    DO.
    get it straight. YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE NEXT PERSON. AS MUCH AS WE’D LIKE TO, WE WERE GIVEN OURSELVES TO PURIFY. Those with tzanua issues have their cheshbon. i don’t like it to be so open and publicly seen, but that is not what I have control over.
    HOWEVER, I CAN….I CAN:
    CONTROL HOW MUCH AND WHAT I SAY AND DO, AND THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. IF YOU BELIEVE IN HASHEM, THEN KNOW THAT THIS WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. ITS THE WAY THAT HAKODOSH BORUCH HU MADE IT. WAKE UP TO THE REALITY AND START MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
    DON’T BE SELF RIGHTEOUS….as in “well, I dress tznius and they don’t, so I can stare at them or I can berate them”. REALLY?? what does that really do to them. Create yieras shomayim??? LOL.
    wake up and make a change.

    August 20, 2014 6:08 pm
    Reply
    6. VERY WELL wrote:

    you can add on the list of Tznius all the latest fashion ,the 5 carat diamond,the lexus,the italian furniture,,, etc etc is all part being tznius

    August 22, 2014 1:40 am

  • it seems

    that those who need it most,couldn’t care less,meanwhile we are in many sorrows

  • to #4

    #4:
    they need love. I don’t mean to sound like a flower child, or a liberal, but they need acceptance and love, and hopefully they will come to it.
    If you cram it down their throats, then here is what you will get, at best:
    they will do it blindly without caring just to please others, or to just be left alone. With that in mind, they will be empty and it will not help them grow. I don’t know the answer. Its a very assur thing to do, but somehow they are just empty and don’t have that spirit of happy to be tzanua…….

  • teach

    i think many feel that the topic of tznius is being stressed and while clearly very important, other midos (such as ahavas yisroel, loshon hora, respect…) are being put to the side. it is no ones place to say which is more important. let us teach the beauty of tznius in a loving way. regardless of what happens at home, the schools can instill a postive feeling of tznius to their students as opposed to the opposite. the way it comes across to many girls is in a negative harsh way. the chances of girls keeping tznius and having respect for it will be much greater when taught in a positive light. along with the emphasis that tznius in all manners such as thought and speech are important as well. right now, many have a bitter feel toward tznius, unfortunately. i feel that while many are trying hard to fix the problem, it is not reaching home. keep the information clear, direct from the source and most importantly convey a feeling of pride and love.