LEV73 Since th[e] mitzvah [of preserving dignity] is truly important, it will be shown that both the Torah and the rabbis went to great lengths to preserve a person's dignity. The Talmud (Berachot 19b) says that preserving dignity is so important that one may violate a negative mitzvah for the sake of preserving dignity. Later authorities rule that a person may violate any rabbinic (not biblical) injunction in order to preserve dignity (Maimonides, Hilchot Kelayim 10:29). Since most of Jewish practice is rabbinic, not biblical in nature, most practices in Judaism can be violated if doing the mitzvah would necessitate violating a person's dignity. ... The Torah in itself shows its sensitivity to the concept of not embarrassing anyone. [This] verse says that the place to which the burnt offering is brought should be the same place the sin offering "for accidental sins" is brought. The Talmud (Sotah 32b) explains that the Torah was trying to protect the identity of those who brought a sin offering, so that no one could tell by looking at a particular place in the Temple if the people were sinners or not. When the offering of the First Fruits (Bikurim) was brought to the Temple, a number of verses had to be read with the offering. Since not everyone could read, the rabbis (Mishnah, Bikurim 3:7) instituted a rule that there should be permanent readers to read for everyone. It would not suffice merely to have readers for those who could not read since their illiteracy would be obvious. By having a permanent reader, no one would know who could and who could not read, avoiding embarrassment. This is the practice adopted today in most Ashkenazic synagogues for Torah reading. Since most Ashkenazic people today cannot read the Torah with the proper melody, a Torah reader reads for everyone, even those who can read, in order to avoid embarrassment. In the same way, it was the custom to bring food to a shiva house (house of Jewish mourning). However, the poor used to bring in plain baskets while the rich brought in wealthier baskets, which caused embarrassment to the poor. Therefore, the rabbis (Mo'ed Katan 27a) instituted a custom everyone had to bring food in a plain basket to the house of mourning.