I debated if I should buy it. It wasn’t expensive. I just wasn’t sure if it would match with what I usually wear. That particular day it matched perfectly. But I wondered if perhaps that was why I liked it and if I would regret it when I realized I had nothing else to wear with it.

The item was a handmade, almost bell-shaped, painted necklace. The main color was purple, a color I almost never wear. But this necklace was beautiful and I knew it would always remind me of the particular place in Israel where I purchased it and the particular trip I was on when I first saw it. And so in the end I not only bought it, but bought another similar one as well for my close friend back in the States.

I have worn the necklace every day since.

And it matches absolutely everything.

While at first glance I thought it was overwhelmingly purple, something happened when I started wearing it against other colors. I noticed that it was much more than purple, but contained the combination of many other palettes. And so, when against another color, it somehow always manages to bring out that color and match by highlighting a more subtle color contained within.

There are so many times in life when I look at something and quickly conclude that it is not for me. I won’t jive with it, it is not my style, it isn’t what I generally like, etc. And truth be told, this is not just with things but often with people. I quickly size others up and while in that general sense I may be correct, in doing so I overlook and ultimately miss all the connections and similarities that were just waiting to be properly matched up.

I love that my necklace that I had assumed matched hardly anything matches everything. And as it is a unique and artistic piece, it brings out the color and beauty in all that it is adorned with. For that which can contain all color has the ability to reveal that possibility in all it connects with.

One of the Hebrew terms for the color purple (no reference to the film) is argaman. It is a color that represents royalty and richness. It is used throughout the Torah in describing the color of the garments of the Tabernacle and is described as well in the text of Eshet Chayil in regards to the clothing worn by the woman of valor.

The word argaman is also explained as an acronym for the different angels, each with their own unique strength. Seemingly different, when they are combined, they each shine and form that which represents royalty. The aleph of argaman is for Uriel, the angel of light; the Reish for Rafael, the angel of healing; the Gimmel is for Gavriel, the angel of strength; the Mem is for Michael, the angel of protection; and the Nun is for Nuriel, who can be considered the angel of concealed light, the counterpart of Uriel who begins the word. It is this combination of angels that create the shade of purple.

Purple is not its own color. By definition it is the combination of colors. It does not have its own wavelength of light and is considered a non-spectral color. It is formed through the melding of red and blue and the hues contained within. Red in Kabbalah represents the aspect of gevurah which is severity, boundaries, structure. Whereas blue is that of chesed which is loving-kindness and openness. When the two are balanced properly the result is the warm, inviting and royal color of purple. But only when balanced properly.

Each and every one of us has our unique talents, abilities and strengths. Sometimes we seem to shine on our own, other times we are most revealed when alongside another that helps bring out our unique color. But when we look closely we will see that the shades which seem more subtle are just as pronounced when in the right environment. And when they are highlighted they even become the dominant shade.

I am so grateful I bought this necklace. As I had hoped, every time I look at it I am reminded of my transformative trip to Israel and to the individuals with whom I shared that trip. But I now see something even greater that I had initially missed. It is not just that the necklace reminds me of the different people that I had been with and the different people I will continue to encounter, but it reminds me to never assume, to never generalize and to never judge that things won’t or can’t work together or match. When given the right backdrop, our differences don’t serve to separate us but rather to connect us and even more so, to help define us.

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