A certain chassid, let's call him Yankel, would travel to be by his Rebbe for the Yomim Noraim. While at his job Yankel would wear a brown uniform with his name on his shirt. When he would go to visit his Rebbe he would dress in his traditional Chassidic garb. One year Yankel started questioning the authenticity of wearing a shtreimel and a bekeshe when going to see the Rebbe. He reasoned, "The Rebbe knows who I am. He knows what I wear the rest of the year. Surely I'm not fooling the Rebbe by dressing differently when I see him." Sure enough that year the chassid showed up to see his Rebbe in his brown uniform but Yankel could see that the Rebbe was disappointed in his decision. " Rebbe, surely you know that the rest of the year I wear my brown uniform, why is the Rebbe disappointed in me?" The Rebbe replied, "Of course I know what you wear the rest of the year but I always thought you were a chassid in workman's clothes. Now I see you're a working man in Chassidic clothing." To state the obvious, I don't think we are defined by the clothing we wear. I think this moshul is one that raises the question of identity. Who are we truly? But in truth this moshul lacks a level of sophistication. It raises the issue of identity but not necessarily of authenticity. For example, a husband may identify as a husband. A wife may identify as a wife. The question is are they authentically a husband? Authentically a wife? Who are they really serving? Let us take for example the man who buys
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