Thursday, November 13, 2008

Response

To Deborah Shaya

** You can read Deborah Shaya's comment to my sheitel post here

I have no idea if you are a reader of my blog or if you are simply using internet search engines to spam every blog you can find with your unwanted and unsolicited advice. I will not argue with you about what is right or wrong, I will simply state the following:

I am Lubavitch and proud to be so. I know that there are (sadly) people out there who may view me and my path of Judaism in the negative, I am truly sorry to hear that.

Being the observant Jew that I am, I follow the piskei dinim of Rabbonim, as Jews have been doing for centuries. I do not invent my own versions of halacha, and I do not do things because I like it better that way. As far as covering hair, Lubavitch (and many many many others) paskens according to the Tzemach Tzedek who writes:


"Privately, in the presence of her husband, a woman is permitted to expose 'side hairs' (the hair growing in front of her upper ear) which extend beyond her kerchief. While other men are present, however, there is no heter to do so....

Fore hair protruding beyond the kerchief is halachically identical with erva - nakedness just as (or even more severe than) the exposure of the leg...

Exposure of the hair outside the kerchief is pritzuz - licentiousness...

To expose the least bit of hair is absolutely prohibited... any who thinks this is permitted has obviously forgotten the gemara that even school boys know..."

This is a direct (translated) quote from the tshuva of the Tzemach Tzedek on Even Hoezer and Yoreh De'ah, as well as his commentary on Shas (G' Brachos)


This is my halachic source for covering my all my hair all the time - I will not argue that point any further.

As far as your rant against sheitels. I am aware that rabbonim have instituted bans against sheitels - I am not only educated with one (narrow) way of thinking, nor is my knowledge limited to what those around me do. However, there are plenty of sources that refute your point by saying that once the hair is removed from the body it no longer has the status of the person it belonged to, meaning - hair that has been removed cannot carry the tuma of the person it grew on.

If you have never learned these sources go educate yourself before making outlandish, unintelligent comments on people's blogs.

8 comments:

Bas~Melech said...

With no wedding in my foreseeable future, I haven't put too much energy into researching the exact halachos of hair covering. But one thing confuses me, and that is that NONE of the current hair-covering styles seem to be able to cover all hair, all the time. It makes me wonder if either the halacha can't really be so stringent or if we're all meant to enwrap our heads middle-eastern style (I also wonder why no one does, as this would be the absolute most effective way of covering everything)

Miss Teacher said...

I don't quite understand - since the morning after my wedding I have never left my house with so much as a millimeter of hair showing, and I cover with a sheitel. How is that not covering all my hair all the time?

Bas~Melech said...

That's comforting.

Are there any non-sheitel methods, though?

I mean, what did they do a few hundred years ago when there were no sheitels?

nmf #7 said...

I think what bas~melech is referring to is that the newest "style" involves having that tichel slowly slipping lower and lower- or having the clips in the shaitel not necessarily hold all the side hairs...
I've had quite a bit of problem with this- finding a tichel that can fit behind my ears, yet still covers all the stray hairs.

Miss Teacher said...

Honestly - I can't tell you what they did centuries ago. The truth that the psak that I quoted was from the Tzemach Tzedek who lived from 1789-1866 so I don't exactly have 'halachic proof' from before then.

nmf- I know that there are people who let hair show and what the latest styles are, but from bas~melech's comment it seemed like she was stating that no one who dresses in today's styles properly covers her hair and I beg to differ.

No tichel that I have worn properly covers my hair, which is why I would never ever leave my house wearing one.

What did they do before sheitels? I didn't live then, but I know that the Lubavitcher Rebbe stronger encouraged sheitel wearing because it is the most effective way to keep the hair covered.

Bottom line is - the rant about hair covering was a reaction to someone who is slandering halacha and convincing herself (and possibly other) that to follow halacha (cover hair) is really going against halacha and to uncover is really the halacha!!

Bas~Melech said...

I ask because sheitels seem very uncomfortable -- I have sensitive skin and tichels are so much lighter and softer. That's besides for the expense and maintenance sheitels require. I also happen to think kerchiefs are pretty.

Lest you think I am some kind of kook for giving this so much thought when I have nary a date on the horizon, I have had many opportunities to experiment with head-covering as a long-time Camp Simcha staff member. After a few years, I realized that it is approximately impossible to cover all of your hair (should you so desire) without covering all of your ears (I mean with typical types of headwear). This made me wonder if perhaps there is a legitimate leniency regarding those wispy hairs that sneak down in front of your ears.

Maybe it's worth just having that hair removed... but then there's also the fine hairs by your neck, on the sides...

(Oh, and I definitely realize that this is your response to that rant. I just took it further out of my own curiosity.)

nmf #7 said...

bas~melech,
I'm not a posek (far from it...)
It is possible to find tichels that cover most- but not the hair right next to the ears.
Those hairs are considered "hairs that come out of a net" and according to pure halacha- they don't have to be covered, like the hairs that are on the back of your neck.
Now, I, like most people I know- try to be machmir in this- not letting even those hairs show. That is quite hard, as most tichels just don't do it. For a while, I covered my ears, until I found a few that have wider rims, and are able to cover those hairs.
Most scarves don't cover those hairs- I only wear those when going to sleep.
But, again, ask a rav. And yes, you are right- electrolysis is an option.

Miss Teacher said...

Some poskim hold that you can let those hairs show. The psak I follow goes strongly against it and therefore I am very careful. There are tichels that cover properly they aren't necessarily the latest, cutest, trendiest styles.
It is a question for a rav, and as long as you are following a clear psak din you are doing the right thing.