I wish more people knew about how differently modesty is treated theologically in Judaism than in other faiths. The body is seen as b’tzelem elohim, made in the image of the Divine, and is revered as holy. This holiness is so strong, many Jews believe, that it should be shrouded so as to be preserved, marked special and private for those who are worthy of receiving its holiness. The laws of modesty, or tzanua, in Judaism, reflect this holy status. Even hair gains special mystic privacy once a person becomes married. 

This was all very foreign to Miriam Ezagui, who is a TikTok creator and labor and delivery nurse. Her family wasn’t religiously Jewish for most of her pre-adolesence, and modesty, which is most often practiced by orthodox communities (though this is changing), was foreign. 

Once enrolled in Jewish day schools, it was a beautiful teacher who captured Miriam’s heart and showed her that beauty is more than skin-deep. This practice, she says, has never been difficult for her, and she loves sharing this perspective that the body is covered because it is holy, not because it is dirty or could cause others to sin, with her four young children and over a million followers on TikTok. The body, she says, is a tremendous vessel for holiness, and this is also something see is privileged enough to witness daily while on the job helping people give birth (some more easily than others!)

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REFERENCES:

Follow Miriam on Social Media

https://www.tiktok.com/@miriamezagui

https://www.instagram.com/miriam.ezagui/

https://www.facebook.com/mmalnik

Learn more about Miriam’s Birthing Classes:

https://www.birthingwithmiriam.com/

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Closing music is “Little Tongues Chattering” by Ryan Webber, available on Onomatopoeia via the Katuktu Collective. 

Cover art is by Kalakal: 

https://www.kalakal-illustration.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kalakal_klk/