Clothing (given to man by God) serves two purposes.
1. To cover the lower part of the body. This warns man to rule over his body and not allow the opposite. This was needed especially at the time of leaving Gan Eden. From that point forward, man’s mind would be occupied with more earthly matters than before.
2. To provide protection from the elements. This reminds man that he has fallen from his previous stature and he must strive to regain it.
The Midrash calls these clothing priestly garments (שעשה לו הקב”ה בגדי כהונה). Just as the clothing of the Cohen enlighten and teach (through their symbolism) so do clothing teach man
The Mitzvah of Tzitzis furthers this lesson. The strings, attached to the corners of our garments are an extension of our clothing. They are the “flowering” of the message of the clothing. (Tzits means blossom and flower.) They remind us to keep God’s commandments. Tzitizis counter the notion that man’s own heart and eyes alone can determine what is good. (This was the root of the original sin. See above v. 6)
Beraishis 3:21
pages 115-116 (in the new Hirsch Chumash)
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