AC 4858 - Garments of Widowhood; AC 4859 - "And she covered herself in a veil."

AC 4858

And she put off from upon her
the garments of her widowhood.
(Genesis 38:14)

That this means a simulation of the truth that is from good,
is evident from the meaning of a "widow,"
as being those who are in truth without good
and yet desire to be led by good.
The garments with which widows were clothed
represented such truth,
and this because "garments" mean truths.
Consequently "to put off these garments"
is to put off the representation of a widow,
that is, of truth without good;
and because she covered herself with her veil,
to simulate the truth that is from good.

AC 4859 [1-2]

And covered herself in a veil.
(Genesis 38:14)

That this means truth obscured,
is evident from the meaning
of "covering herself" or her face "with her veil,"
as being to conceal,
and thus to obscure the truth
which pretended to be from good . . .
and this for the purpose of conjunction with Judah.
For when a bride first approached the bridegroom
she covered herself with a veil --
as we read of Rebekah
when she came to Isaac (Gen. 24:65);
and by this was meant appearances of truth.
For a wife means truth,
and a husband good;
and as truth does not appear in its quality
until it is being conjoined with its good,
therefore for the sake of representing this
the bride covered herself with a veil
on first seeing her husband.
The case is similar here with Tamar,
for she regarded Shelah Judah's son as her husband,
but because she was not given to him,
she regarded his father in his stead
as one to perform the duty of a husband's brother.
Therefore she covered herself with a veil as a bride,
and not as a harlot,
though Judah believed the latter also were at that time
to cover their faces . . ..
The reason why Judah so regarded her
was that the Jewish nation,
which is there meant by "Judah,"
regarded the internal truths of the representative church
no otherwise than as a harlot;
and therefore Judah
was conjoined with her as with a harlot,
but not so Tamar with him.
Because internal truths
could not appear otherwise to that nation,
therefore truth obscured
is here meant by Tamar's covering herself in a veil.
That the truth of the church is obscured to them,
is represented also at this day
by their covering themselves with veils
in their synagogues.

There was a similar representation with Moses
when the skin of his face shone
as he came down from Mount Sinai,
so that he covered himself with a veil
whenever he spoke to the people
(Exodus 34:28 to the end).
Moses represented the Word which is called the Law . . ..
His veiling his face whenever he spoke to the people
represented that internal truth was covered to them,
and thus obscured
so that they should not have to endure any light from it.