Wearing white – Ask the Rabbi
Q. What colour clothes should I wear on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur?
A. In the synagogue, the dominant colour is white, the symbol of purity. The prophet Isaiah says (chapter 1), “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow”.
Hence colours which evoke the thought of sin should be avoided if at all possible, and the symbolism of white should be encouraged.
In many synagogues this is enhanced by members of the congregations wearing a white kittel. As well as being white, the kittel fits in with the mood of the days of judgment by reason of its similarity to shrouds.
Serious thoughts about life and its fragility (and preciousness) are especially apt for this season.
