Silk Frockcoats for Shabbos and Yom-Tov

The above remarks were made privately on Thursday of Parshas Bereishis, Isru Chag HaSukkos, 5711 [1950], to Rabbi Menachem Ze’ev HaLevi Greenglass, who later recorded these notes.In the course of the farbrengen of the previous day, Simchas Torah, the Rebbe had told him to take off his silk sirtuk (frockcoat) and to put it on inside out. The next day Rabbi Greenglass had asked the Rebbe whether this meant that the Rebbe considered him unworthy of wearing silk. The Rebbe replied that he had simply intended to rouse him to disclose some discernible sign of the atmosphere of Simchas Torah…. Indeed, as far as wearing silk was concerned, - and at this point the Rebbe continued with the remarks recorded above.

In the Yiddish original, zaidene zupitzes.

Sefer HaMaamarim 5662 [1902], p. 231ff.; Sefer HaMaamarim 5671 [1911], p. 328ff. (and in the edition of 5749 [1989], p. 247ff.); the hemshech (series of maamarim) of 5672 [1912], Vol. II, p. 872ff.

The Rebbe here used the word veniflinu, borrowed from the phrase (Shmos 33:16), “I and your people shall be differentiated.” See also: Vol. I of the present work, p. 67; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IX, p. 344. For the use of this word in this context he cited the Rebbe Rayatz; see Sefer HaSichos 5699 [1939], p. 349; Sefer HaSichos 5705 [1945], p. 72ff.

The Rebbe added with a smile: “…even though on weekdays I myself still wear a short jacket.”