Rav Dov Ber Pinson - you might need to turn up the volume for this two minute lesson
When We Come to the Gate
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40 comments:
What did Jewish women do, say in biblical times onwards, or before cloth was invented (easily produced) and readily available in order to cover their hair? Seems highly unlikely that either sex covered their heads then, and certainly not with big black hats for the men, or beautiful natural looking sheitels in the case of women.
Kabbalah means ''received'' [from the Torah]. Before the Torah was given to the world [via the Jews] everything was different. We cannot compare ourselves to the people who lived in the world pre-Torah. I'm not educated enough to give you more information on this time period, but I remember hearing a shiur, and if I can recall who gave it and where it is, I'll post a link. If anyone else can remember please let us know.
I think it was a Rabbi Kessin shiur but meanwhile.... Talmud, Tractate Avodah Zarah [9a]: “The world will exist for six thousand years: two millennia of void (‘tohu’); Two millennia of Torah; and then two millennia of the age of Moshiach.”
The Messiah and 6000 years
2) THE 2,000 YEARS OF TORAH
QUESTION: The Gemara divides the 6,000 years of the world into three parts. The first 2,000 years are "Tohu," the following 2,000 are "Torah," and the final 2,000 are "Yemos ha'Mashi'ach."
Why does the Gemara say that there are only 2,000 years of Torah? Certainly the years of Torah will continue even in Yemos ha'Mashi'ach!
ANSWER: RASHI (DH u'Shnei Alafim) explains that the Gemara limits the years of Torah to 2,000 merely in order to parallel the other historical eras.
The VILNA GA'ON (Likutim, end of Safra d'Tzeni'usa) explains that after the 2,000 years of Torah, if the Mashi'ach does not come, then the world returns to "Tohu" and the secrets of the Torah are kept hidden again from the world. During the following 2,000 years, we must work to uncover the secrets of the Torah in order to bring Mashi'ach. Read more at
http://dafyomi.co.il/sanhedrin/insites/sn-dt-097.htm
Devorah - allow me to answer anonymous 1) we see in Torah that a woman covered her head because she was uncovered by the kohanim when accused of adultery. 2) they also wore sheitels of some sort even then as the gemara speaks of this. (no time to find the source now but I have it somewhere on my blog - maybe even in the 1st video showing on my blog on the right column 3) here is a good start anonymous
Kimchis didn't let the walls of her house see her hair so how did she show it to her husband?
Also,to add to Goldie's answer, we know when Korach had his rebellion against Moshe, it's noted in the Torah there was one of his followers, On, whose wife literally saved his life. She was smart enough to know that it was a losing battle for those rebelling against Hashem and His servant, Moshe; so when his comrads came to his tent to get him, his wife answered the door and made sure she 'uncovered' her hair and that would scare them away because it was unheard of for a married woman to show her uncovered head in front of other men. Thus, 'On' never went along for the rebellion and his life was saved.
Anon @ 12.00pm - re ''not letting the walls of the house see your hair'' means that you keep your hair covered when at home, as well as outside. Obviously you need to remove a covering in order to wash etc. I think you are looking for any way possible to avoid this mitzvah, or perhaps I'm just assuming too much....
the harder it is for a person to do a particular mitzvah.... the more that person actually needs to do it. The degree of hardship is repaid measure for measure.... if you cover your hair and it is a very difficult thing for you to do.... then Hashem will repay you with extra rewards commensurate to your self-sacrifice in doing it. For many women, a commitment to covering the hair is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Women in the times of the Gemara did not cover their hair with a sheitel. Some of them who have hair issues add to their own hair with peah nochri (Foreign hair), much like a toupe, but they went out with a cloth covering over their hair with/out a toupe.
http://tznius.tips/nine-questions-and-answers-on-the-wig-sheitel.html
Rav Pinson just explained that it has nothing to do with beauty. A woman is allowed to be beautiful. This is why, when people jump up and down about ''modesty'' issues and wigs, they have missed the point. Covering the hair is not meant to make a woman ugly, and there are many attractive ways to cover the hair these days. The hair gives off an energy, and it is that energy which is covered over, not the beauty of the woman.
And that is why the Lubavitcher Rebbe told his chassidim to only wear wigs outside, as they fully cover the hair, whereas a scarf can slip and expose some of the hair. It's about the coverage, not about WHAT you choose to cover it with. That is a personal choice and like everything else, for every two Jews there are three opinions.
Kabbalah is the inner dimension of the Torah and explains things that are otherwise misunderstood by many.
From Rabbi Zamir Cohen: According to Kabbalah, the hair that grows upward on the top part of the head belongs to the attribute of justice (contrary to the hair of the beard, which grows downward, belonging to the attribute of kindness). This attribute is usually manifested by various hardships and harsh judgments. When a woman (whose main essence lies in the Sphere of Judgment) gets married and assumes the role of akeret habayit (homemaker), her head covering acts as a protective shield against the upper judgments. By covering her hair she is protecting her entire household and drawing down an abundance of kindness upon herself and her family.
Source: http://tznius.tips/the-royal-crown.html
Devorah... you or a Rabbi could correct me on this.. but don't we go back as far as Sarah to find she was also covered... think of this...
When Rebekkah was presented to Isaac, she took the veil and covered herself...because she is now a married woman...coming to Isaac
...and we know that according to Rashi, Genesis 24:65... she covered her whole self... like tznuit... a covering for her hair and her whole body, just as the Jewish women do today to honor HaShem. Rebekkah did the ultimate tznuit
According to the Midrash, when Isaac took his new bride to his mother's tent, the Light returned, the Bread was blessed, and the Cloud/Shekeniah returned... so Isaac knew this was Sarah, his very own mother.
So, if Rebekkah covered herself like this... and she is a "returning of Sarah"... then we know from this that it originated from Sarah herself... right out of the gate, so to speak. From Sarah forward... to all the Jewish women of today...
A married woman's hair need to be covered upon marriage because her hair is beautifying, and since it is a grave sin for a man to look at a married woman and "forbidden water is sweeter", her hair needs to be covered to upgrade her level of tznius as a married woman and to create a barrier between herself and other men. Hair is alluring, it doesn't matter whether it's your own hair or someone else's hair- it attracts make attention and therefore it needs to be covered upon marriage. A woman's main beauty is supposed to be reserved for her husband ONLY.
All the commentaries in the shas agree that the main reason for the mitzvah of kisui Rosh is because of modesty. Some examples:
In the Sefer Maalot Hamidot, chapter 9, it explains that the hair of a woman is immodest and makes men used to forbidden thoughts and lusts.
The Chida is his Sefer Avot Derabbi Natan writes that because Chava caused that there should be a yetzer hora her hair has to be wrapped up, covered so she won't invite the yetzer hora in a man who sees her.
There are many many sources on this.
The sheitels only became part of the Jewish culture about 200 years ago when the czar in Russia forbade Jewish women from going outside with their heads covered. The Rabbanim at the time decided to allow the use of wigs (and the wigs then were very ugly and wiggy looking) so women would not go around bare headed. Many Rabbanim screamed about the sheitels when they first started to be used as a head covering. There were quite a few that assured sheitels including the Chasam Sofer and the Gra.
When the Jews came to America after the holocaust they were broken and many women weren't covering their hair at all. The wigs then looked nothing like today's natural and glamorous sheitels so Rabbanim than encouraged wigs so women would just cover their hair.
In today's times the wigs don't resemble wigs at all, many of the wigs being worn by frum women for modesty are being worn by actresses and models for glamour! These wigs completely defeat the entire purpose of the mitzvah of kisui Rosh. Rav Elyashiv clearly stated that it is preferable to wear a kerchief rather than a wig (The Unique Princess by Rabbi and Rebbetzin Abramov, pg.105). He called a Tichel "glatt" as it was never a dispute among the Poskim as sheitels were and it doesn't resemble hair at all- it is the least attractive to a man. There is a video of Rav Elyashiv giving a shiur in which he says that the sheitels today are pritzus. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said that the first thing Moshiach is going to is to abolish the use of wigs (The unique Princess, pg 105)
Hair covering has everything to do with beauty. The entire purpose of the head covering is to increase the married woman's modesty level. That is why so many Gedolim, past and present, screamed about the pritzus of the sheitels with most only allowing the use of a wig if it looks very wiggy and unnatural looking.
Our emahos did not wear wigs, not did the women leave mitzraim wesrong wigs. Wearing a natural looking sheitel is copying the dress of the goyim- trying to blend in to the secular world and hide ones Jewishness. Imagine if men wore yarmulkas made out of hair, we would laugh at them and ask them- what are you trying to hide? The wigs today are the same idea. To cover ones hair with nice hair or hair that is even nicer than ones own hair is completely hypocritical and going against the entire purpose of the mitzvah.
I write this with no judgement on anyone who is wearing a natural looking sheitel. I too used to wear a very nice wig. This all comes from a lack of education about the mitzvah of kisui Rosh. Until recently there has been very little information out there about this incredibly important and powerful mitzvah. Bh recently there are two fantastic books that really explain the mitzvah properly- The Unique Princess by Rabbi and Rebbetzin Abramov and Adorned with Dignity by Mrs. Chana Toby Friedman. Both books are excellent.
We are supposed to be redeemed in the merit of the righteous women- Hashem is waiting for our mesiras nefesh. What other mitzvah in our generation requires as much self sacrifice as the mitzvah of tznius- particularly kisui Rosh. I urge all women to read and study these two wonderful books and discover the power of the mitzvah of kisui rosh
Very well said.
A wig is similar to a kipa made of hair.
If my husband will wear one like that, i will ask for divorce.
We serve Hashem, with love and fear.
Its more easy to do that in Eretz Israel!
I can assure.
Nowhere in Chumash does it state that women covered their hair. The word used in the Parasha of Sotah means "wild" or "unbound".
Also, if covering/binding the hair was for reasons of Tzniyut, all girls (from Chinuch and up) would be required to do so.
I also highly recommend a wonderful phone line called Rosh Pina. This line has many shiurim and personal stories about the mitzvah of hair covering. The number for the phone line is 845-533-9191. Bh many women have been recently studying the mitzva of kisui Rosh with many upgrading their level of hair covering. Their have been countless stories of women experiencing great yeshuas after upgrading their head covering.
There is an incredibly story of a woman coming to Rav Elyashiv asking him for a heter to wear a wig. Her mother only wore tichels, but she wanted to wear a sheitel. The Rav told this woman that he could give her a heter for a wig that is very very wiggy (like the ones from a hundred years ago) but if she follows in her mothers footsteps and only wears tichels he promised her Olam Haba!
When a woman wears a Tichel (or a very wiggy wig which are not really made anymore and are very difficult to wear) that covers the hair properly (which can be done, especially with all the new inventions such as volumizers that keep the Tichel from slipping and the hair all tucked inside) it is a tremendous korban to Hashem. She is sacrificing her main beauty for tznius and she is rewarded tremendously. Rav Ovadia Yosef wrote in his teshuva on sheitels how the majority of poskim, both Ashkenaz and sephard, actually forbade wigs and that halachically a wig is assur. He explains why the original heter is really incorrect. Some in the Ashkenazic world hold by the heter, but again the heter that was given was not for any on the wigs from today. It was meant only for wigs that are not attractive at all and that look very wiggy and stiff. At the end of the teshuva Rav Ovadia Yosef writes how all the poskim will escort a woman who wears a Tichel to her final court case! Imagine that! Hashem loves modesty, when he created Chava he said over every limb, she should be a modest woman. While every mitzvah is of course so important, the Vilna Goan writes that modesty for a woman is equal to Torah learning for a man. The Peleh Yoetz actually writes that 90% of a woman's reward and punishment is based on her modesty. The only time Hashem turns his bank on us is if we are not modest, and this is sourced in the Torah in Devarim. The essence of tznius of a married woman is to reserve her beauty for her husband at home. In the street where other men can see her she is supposed to down play her beauty so as not to attract inappropriate attention from men. A married woman's head covering is essential for this.
A very chashuv Rebbetzin said in a shiur that there was s study done on men to discover what are the two most attracting parts of a woman to a man. Unbelievably it was her hair and her voice! The Torah write that hair is "pritzus degabra"- hair must be covered after marriage precisely for this reason! It is such an attracting part of a woman. It needs to be covered in a way that downplays her beauty outside, to ensure that men other than her husband are not attracted to her (which is a very grave sin).
Everyone reading this, please read this all with an open heart, without getting defensive. It is very very difficult to wear a truly tznius head covering in the world today when the focus is so much on external, and a woman is valued in the secular society mainly for her external beauty. This is why the schar for this mitzvah is so great! Imagine if women from across the world strengthened themselves in this particular area- if we all together decided to learn and study this very important but very misunderstood mitzvah of kisui Rosh. If we upgrade together we can bring a tremendous amount of bracha and Kedusha and help usher in the coming of the Moshiach! We don't know exactly what Hashem is waiting for from us, but this is certainly a tremendous sacrifice and modesty has an immense power.
Rav Shalom Elyashiv, a"h, used to say that "The time will come when my opinion about Sheitels will become widespread. This will not become known through the rabbonim of the time, but from the women in America. And when this happens, it is a sign that Moshiach's arrival is imminent."
There is an organization called Rosh Pina set up in the USA to encourage upgrading one's hair covering to complete cloth covering. It has phone get-togethers with speakers. Phone number for Rosh Pina in the USA (845-533-9191), NJ and Monsey 732-910-8317. Get involved and spread the word. We need Moshiach NOW b'rachamim.
We see in the Sotah that part of the punishment for her being secluded with a man not her husband was dressing her in black and uncovering her hair to humiliate her. Many married women do not want to cover their hair due to vanity and arrogance. Today we have such regal and beautiful head coverings. A married woman needs to do deep, deep cheshbon nefesh if she has a problem covering up a beautiful part of her and not just the hair but the body. I mean not to hurt from my words but many Jewish women dress like prostitutes. If you see how prostitutes were dressing with their spandex clothing that gives the appearance of the clothes being painted on. This is not worthy of the daughter of The King. We are commanded not to follow the ways of the Gentiles. If you take a good look around you it is very apparent why. We are Jews and so, so privileged to serve the King..
at ANOM who gave the following book The Unique Princess by Rabbi and Rebbetzin Abramov and Adorned with Dignity by Mrs. Chana Toby Friedman. Both books are excellent.
I know Chana Toby Friedman! and have read her book. Please email me if you are from Boro Park 613geula @ gmail thanks
The hair of a single girl is not considered erva. The hair of a woman takes on the status of erva once she is married- it is a source of attraction to other men and therefore it needs to be covered.
An unmarried girl can have her hair uncovered, as she is looking to attract a mate. This does not mean that she can wear it loose and wild. A married woman needs an extra level of tznius as a protection- the sin of a man looking inappropriately at a married woman is very very severe.
And for a divorced woman?? If she covered her hair, she should not remove the covering once divorced. If she did not cover her hair while she was married, she has the option to leave it uncovered now she is divorced, or she can take on the mitzvah anyway. Just wondering if this is correct information.
There's also an incredible live chat line every Sunday night where women could call in to hear a new guest speaker every week talk about her personal journey with kisui Rosh followed by a live question and answer session.
The line call in number is 515-739-1020 pin: 137840#. It's at 8:30 pm every Sunday night. To hear all the recent playbacks dial 515-739-1309, pin: 137840# ref: 20,21,22,23,24, 25
It's just amazing to hear how so many women are upgrading their head coverings these days!!
From what I have personally seen, it is dangerous for a woman to uncover her hair, if she previously took on the mitzvah of covering it. It's not something you should undo. You are removing your ''protection''. I have had a few friends who did this. One died from a sudden illness, the other one has had so much tzures and the other one has a very sick child. This is just my own observations, coincidence? or not?
The problem is that once a reputable rav gives the ok in something it is very hard to change a ruling. I have been arguing about this with my rav, very reputable in his own right, but I won't mention his name here, and his most recent remarks to me were that he was a talmid of rav Moshe Feinstein, ztz"l, who ruled that even a wig that makes a woman more beautiful than her own hair is 100% permissible. Never mind that wigs have changed since he left this world, my rav insists we have to go by our poskim and cannot arbitrarily go against them. And furthermore he told me on the phone that if I am going to a wedding where all the women are yeshivish and will be wearing wigs, if I show upbin a tichel al eyes will be on me and that it is not only the opposite of tsnius, modesty, but it also reeks of arrogance and showing oneself to be above everyone else in frumkeit. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.
Where I live if I go out with a tichel or scarf people think I'm a muslim. For this reason I wear a wig outside. The Rebbe said we should wear wigs, a wig is always different to your real hair, even if it is more beautiful. Its still not YOUR hair. Also very hard for working woman sometimes to turn up in a scarf it can be offputting for her employer. Many reasons why we wear wigs. Miriam
I live in Boro Park, one of the most frum places in the world..... The nesyonos of long and ostentatious wigs are becoming harder with each passing day. I sometimes wish that a few gedolim would get together and sort of demand that we 'shed' our wigs and then we wouldn't all feel wierd doing it. As someone mentioned before, when surrounded by well meaning, frum people who 'all' do otherwise, it's kinda 'too obvious' to go against the flow. Which leaves me right now, waiting for Moshiach's more definitive guidance
Judi
I wear a tichel in a community where I'm the only one where the rest wear wigs. Nobody has bothered me or thought I'm a Moslem.
There is a lot of ignorance in the world regarding Jewish women covering their hair and with all the publicity that the muslims receive, if people see you with a covering every day, here they just assume ''Islam''. And when you explain that you are a Jew, they say they didn't know that Jewish women also cover their hair. Miriam
I can think of several very frum, hair covering women, who have had similar tzures, and maybe worse. It is disingenuous to blame, and to want to find a corollary for all of life's disasters - it isn't so black and white.
Rebbetzin Abramov explains quite well in her course (and in The Unique Princess) that standing out by wearing a tichel is not a problem AT ALL. It's completely not immodest to wear a tichel in a sheitel wearing community. Would wearing long sleeves in a community where everyone is wearing short sleeves be immodest? Of course not. It's the same with wearing a tichel. Standing out by being modest is not immodest.
The only attention that is a problem is provocative attention from men. A tichel is the ideal head covering hashkafically and halachically, it is the least attractive to a man. If a man notices a tichel it not going to cause attraction. Hair is alluring, whether it's your hair or someone elses hair- it doesn't matter to a man. Models and actresses are wearing wigs for glamour and beauty with the intent to attract attention from the opposite gender. It doesn't matter if it's not their actual hair! It looks just like their own hair (and is actually usually nicer than their own hair) therefore it beautifies them.
When Rav Moshe Feinstein gave a heter to a wig it was at a time when many women were not covering their hair at all and the nicest wig at that time would not even be the worst one today. The wigs then looked nothing like today's sheitels which now have skin tops, lace fronts, highlights etc..
Rav Elyashiv, who was a current Gadol Hador, was very concerned about the situation with todays sheitels. He said today's wigs incite the yetzer hora just like hair. He said that even righteous women are failing with immodest sheitels. There is a video of Rav Chaim Kanievsky clearly stating that if a wig looks like hair it is assur. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said that they cover their hair and then make every effort to make it look uncovered- to me this is a loathsome thing.
Why should we be embarrassed to look like an obviously Jewish orthodox married Jewish woman? Why should we hide the fact that we cover our hair? We live at a time that all other ethnic groups are proud to wear their traditional religious garb. Rav Shach actually said in a fiery speech that he gave years ago the unfortunately the muslims are acquiring more merits because of their dedication to tefilah and tznius- even if it is only external.
This is definitely a complicated topic but I ask all women reading these comments- educate yourself! Read the recommended books. I'm fortunate to live in a wonderful frum community in America that is truly open minded with many people looking to serve Hashem properly. When one very Chashuv Rav was asked here about the wearing of tichels he said of course it's the most mehudar way to cover the hair and if you want to wear a tichel why do you need to ask a Rav about it? It's between the husband and the wife- that's all. Do you ask the Rav what skirt to wear or what dress to wear? Why do you need to ask what head covering to wear.
That's the problem. The more Jewish women cover with wigs, the more the goyim think Jewish women don't cover their hair. The tide has to change.
“With Hearts Full of Love”
On Safeguarding the mesorah from Generation to Gerneration
Based on a series of talks on chinuch by Rabbi matisyahu Salomon
Adapted for print by Rabbi Yaakos Yosef Reinman
Pg. 161
Preventive Measures
“It is interesting that nowadays whenever some calamity happens we are quick to lay the blame on our deficiencies in shemiras halashon, the avoidance of gossip and slander. This instinctive tendency actually reflects a commendable sensitivity to this important mitzvah, a sensitivity that was heightened immeasurable by the efforts of the Chofetz Chaim, personally and through the sefarim he wrote.
But if we look into the collected letters of the Chafetz Chaim, we find mention of many calamities that took place. He writes about pogroms, fires, poverty, communism, but he never lays the blame on the lack of Shabbos observance and tznius. Occasionally, he also mentions bittul Torah and poor tefilah, but never shemiras halashon.”
More troubling times are coming ahead, we the Jewish women can change the scenario to be more pleasant. Upgrade our hair covering to be like our imahos! This is easier to do than suffering the birthpangs of Moshiach. Cloth coverings are cheaper than wigs, more comfortable, lightweight and more Jewish. Let's do it, not much time left. We love Hashem more now than ever. I am going to mechazek you and you me. Just do it.
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/83302/prophet-elijah-visits-mystic-rabbi-with-message-four-gates-of-mercy-are-closed-but-one-is-open/
When you see old pictures of Jewish women at the Kotel, they have shawls over their heads and shoulders. Like the mantel the men also wore.
A sheitel covers all the hair much better than any tichel. A woman will not take off her shaitel in the presence of others as she could a tichel if she becomes embarrassed of wearing it. On the contrary she will be happy about the way it looks. Women should not be afraid of wearing a sheitel as this is the only head covering that the leader of the entire generation, the Rebbe of Lubavitch encouraged. In this case the truth has to be said, the rabbonim who scare women about wearing sheitels are fakes and frauds. Only the Rebbe who loves every Jew with unbounded love can be relied upon for guidance on this issue.
How could someone write that Rav Elyashiv, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rav Wosner etc are frauds???? And the countless poskim and Gedolim in the past few hundred years that screamed about the wigs, including the many that assured wigs like the Chasam Sofer, the Gra, the Baba, Sali, Rav Ovadia Yosef Etc... Please don't publicly disparage so many Gedolim and poskim because of your ignorance on the issue. The Tichel was the traditional Jewish garb for Jewish women for centuries, women managed to cover all their hair with a Tichel. The sheitel was a form of head covering that was copied from the goyim/ reformers, it's even called a peah nachris in Hebrew! The Rebbe while extremely holy but was one opinion and anyways if one really reads his views on this thoroughly one sees that he was of course fine with a Tichel that covered all the hair properly. He gave this opinion at a time when women weren't covering their hair at all and the wigs then looked nothing like today. Women that are choosing to wear tichels for modesty are careful to cover all the hair, and I've seen many women who wear sheitels who show hair! It's dependant on the woman- if she wants to cover her hair properly she will do so with a Tichel. If she is not interested in covering her hair all the way, she'll expose her hair with a wig or in a Tichel. Tichels can cover all the hair very nicely- especially nowadays when there are so many inventions that hold the Tichel in place and keep all the hair in place.
And to put things in perspective, there were many huge poskim that felt that a sheitel is like all the hair is exposed! It's certainly how it looks. And Rav Elyashiv said that anyone who says that a sheitel is better than a Tichel because of the few hairs that might stick out is speaking foolish words, as the sheitel was always a dispute among the Poskim and the Tichel is "glatt". Of course, according to the Zohar all hair should be covered which can be done with a Tichel, but halachically if a few hairs stick out its not problematic. Rav Ovadia Yosef who screamed about the sheitels because in his halachic brilliance he proved how the majority of Poskim, Ashkenaz and sephard, assured wigs- he said that a very very small amount of hair is halachically allowed to show. But of course women should really try to cover all their hair.
The wigs being better than tichels because the cover better is an old argument. Many women use this excuse to justify their immodest sheitels. When Moshiach comes do you really think we are going to be wearing sheitels?? They are a being used as a weak heter, they were allowed when there specific times of need in our history. Sheitels are most definitely not the ideal head covering according to Halacha and hashkafa. And certainly not the wigs of today.
We have so little areas today that we could really be moser nefesh for Hashem. Bh it's not very hard to keep Shabbos and kosher and other mitzvos. The one area that is challenging today is in the area of Kedusha. The Chofetz chaim said that before Moshiavh comes there will be a battle of Kedusha vs. tuma. Tznius is the one area in which we women can really sacrifice for Hashem- especially in the area of kisui Rosh. In the merit of the holy women we will be redeemed- Hashem is waiting for our mesiras nefesh! Let's wake up and realize how much Hashem does for us! Let's let go of our personal vanity and sacrifice something for Hashems honor! It might be difficult at first, but wearing a modest and proper head covering gets easier after time. The schar is tremendous, but only now. Once Moshiach comes there won't be any more bechirah- we will all be in tichels and there will be no schar for wearing it unless one does it now. Many women who switched to tichels can testify that their kesher with Hashem deepened tremendously. And their focus on life became much more internal. We all need a yeshua, especially in these turbulent times. If we do it together there is a huge koach!
I write this as an unmarried man.
If I see a woman wearing a tichel, or a headscarf, or a snood (as one sees in Israel) then I know she is married.
If I see a woman wearing a modern Sheitl...well honestly how do I know she is wearing a Sheitl?
They are so 'real" looking now.
That troubles me.
I am sure the Rebbe was talking about the ones which were obviously wigs...remember the Rebbe passed away over 25 years ago. His judgment was correct for the generation he was in.
And look at the prices for Sheitls! In our economically challenging times should people spend $US500 on an item of clothing? On a really warm coat that will last 20 years. But on other garments? I am not convinced at all.
So please married women, wear a headscarf/tichel/snood.
It helps me keep my own modesty.
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