[by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for Five Town Jewish Times]
It is a question that seems to be on the mind of a number of people. And people of all ages and genders seem to be asking it. What is the halacha regarding using one’s own hair for a shaitel?
A BRIEF HISTORY
Let’s first take a look at the history of wigs before we get to our specific question. The human hair wig as we know it first appeared in ancient times, then virtually disappeared after the fall of Rome in 473 CE, and then reappeared in the last six centuries. We find that the Egyptians wore wigs to protect against the hot sun. They attached the wigs to their head using beeswax and resin. The Assyrians, Greeks and Romans also used wigs.
The term wig, by the way, is short for periwig.
The Mishna in Shabbos (6:5) also attests to the use of wigs, and the Gemorah later on clearly shows that it was done for beauty. Both Rashi and the Meiri explain that it was worn so that “she would appear to be a baalas s’ar – having [much] hair.”
Rashi in Bechoros (7b) seems to add more information. He writes (D”H nehenim b’saarah), “The women who had little hair used to attach (or tie) the hair of other women to their hair and this is called peah nachris.”
THE WIG IN HALACHA
The Ramah (75:3) discusses the halacha of reciting the Shma in front of a woman who is wearing a wig. The Ramah writes that it is permitted to recite it. The Mishna Brurah explains that it is because he holds that this, the wig, is not considered “s’ar b’isha ervah. – the hair of a woman is forbidden.” There is a view that is of the opinion that wigs are forbidden because they are still considered “the hair of a women which is ervah.”
Most Ashkenazic Poskim (See Igros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. II #12) and families, however, followed the lenient opinion regarding wigs. Indeed, the Kaf haChaim (OC 75:19), Mishpetai Uziel (EH Mahadurah Tanina #74), and Yaskil Avdi (Vol. VII EH #16), all prominent Sefardi Poskim also permit the wig. On the other hand, Rav Chaim Palaji (Ruach Chaim EH 21) and Rav Ovadiah Yoseph zatzal (Yabia Omer V EH 5:4), however, follow the stringent view forbidding wigs for Sefardic women.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita stated that the Chazon Ish’s wife wore a wig (cited in Meir Oz Vol. III page 829) as did his mother. He also ruled that if a Sefardi studied in an Ashkenazic Yeshiva he may allow his wife to wear a wig, otherwise, she should cover her hair with a kerchief.
All this, of course, relates to a wig with another woman’s hair, but what about one’s own hair?
The Mishna Brurah (75:15) cites two views in this regard. The first view he cites is that of Rav Yoseph Ben Meir Teumim (1727-1793), author of the Pri Magadim. The Pri Magadim is of the opinion that use of a Peah Nochris, a sheitel, is permitted. The Mishna Brurah then states that it is indicative in the language of the Pri Magadim that he permits the use of one’s own hair in the manufacture of it as well. He then cites the view of the Mogen Giborim (written by the two brothers-in-law, Rav Yosef Shaul Nathanson [1808-1875] and Rav Mordechai Zev Ettinger [1804-1863] and published in two parts) who were stringent in this manner.
It is also interesting to note that manuscripts of Rav Teumim have been found in the Bodleian Library at Oxford (1:1500:16419) of his work entitled “Aim LaBina” mentioned by R. Avrohom Meir Livshitz Breizel printed in 2014 which show that days before he passed away, Rav Teumim retracted his whole heter for wigs entirely. Nonetheless, we have a dictum that an author’s more authoritative work will set aside a lesser work that he wrote, even if he wrote it later.
Rav Nissim Karelitz Shlita (Chut Shaini Shabbos III page 272) writes “praised be the one who, in her tznius can fulfill the halacha according to all opinions.” It is clear that Rav Karelitz Shlita believes that, ideally a woman should be stringent in accordance with the view of the Magain Giborim. What, however, is the view of the Mishna Brurah? What is normative halacha?
The earliest source who discusses the topic is Rav Yehoshua Boaz Ben Shimon Boruch (d. 1557) of Northern Italy, the author of the Shiltei Giborim. He writes on tractate Shabbos (64b) that the wig is permitted and it makes no difference whether it is her own hair or that of another woman. He also shows that this is clearly referring to a married woman because the Gemorah states that she wears it so that she not be found unappealing in the eyes of her husband.
The Levush, however, forbade the use of a person’s own hair, disagreeing with the Darchei Moshe in (YD 303) who indicates that it is permitted. The Ateres Zkainim also understands the Ramah as permitting it with one’s own hair. It would seem that the fact that Be’er Haitev does not even cite the view of the Levush is indicative that he holds the halacha is clearly like the Ramah. This is borne out by the fact tha in Even ha’Ezer (Siman 115) he just cites the view of the Shiltei Giborim without bringing any dissenting view.
CONCLUSION
When the Mishna Brurah cites one authority and then a second one who is stringent, the general understanding that he rules in accordance with the first view (heard from m Rebbe a relative of teh Chofetz Chaim). Also, generally speaking, the Pri Magadim is more authoritative than the Mogain Giborrim. This combined with the view of the Shiltei Giborim would indicate that as a matter of pure halacha, notwithstanding the recommendation of Rav Nissim Karelitz, it would be permitted to use one’s own hair. However, the fact that the Mishna Brurah cites the view forbidding it as well indicates that it is not being unduly strict to be machmir.
As in all matters of halacha, however, one should always ask one’s own Rav or Posaik as to how to conduct oneself.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
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22 Responses
For the record, wearing another womens hair is not allowed. The wigs women wore in thosw days that are diacussed are that of synthetic jair or horse hair. Neither being very attractive. These days the wigs are afar cry from what they allowed. The criteria of the wigs allowed, is tht the hair should be short, and should not move when the wind is blowing. Now i ask you which natural wig will not blow in the wind? Having spoken to my posek (of litvish background) he said that the wigs worn by women these days is completwly forbidden but if he amd other rabbanim will speak, their communities will refuse to listen to them anyways and will no longer respect what they have to say when it comes to halacha because of that poskim do not want to take the chance that people will no longer come to ask their sheilos.
#1,
Rav Moshe zt’l disagreed. I will go with Rav Moshe over your anonymous posek.
Interesting how the Arab fundementalists women find it no problem to cover their hair [also holding that the beauty is for the husband] yet we still try so hard to find loopholes to reveal our “ervas” .WAKE UP BES YAKOV !
@hopefullydoinggood so basically you decided to post your opinion without actually reading the article?
Did you not see the Rashi in Bechoros quoted “The women who had little hair used to attach (or tie) the hair of other women to their hair”?
Furthermore, the Levush, Darchei Moshe and Ateres Zekeinim are all explicitly referring to real, not synthetic hair.
KoachYah,
The Rama, the Gra, the Magen Avraham and Rav Moshe all held it was not a loophole. It is a fulfillment of the Biblical requirement for a woman to cover her hair. I’m curious if you would have said “wake up bes yakov!” to the Chazon Ish’s wife.
#1. I’d love to know what your wife wears? Does she wear the brush from the broom so it doesn’t flow with the wind? I don’t believe I heard a view from your angle before, otherwise there are several Roshei Yeshivas I have to inform about their wives’ hair covering.
#3. Agree and disagree with you. Covering one’s hair is important, but I don’t think it is the basis of our faith. I don’t become “excited” when I see non-Jewish female co-workers revealing their “ervas” (I think ‘hair’ is a more appropriate word). We don’t know how Sarah, Rivka, Rochel, and Leah did for their hair or dress- but you are right, the modern day typical yeshivish attire is not what they wore. And Beis Yackov should wake up, but not for the way you think. They should wake up with gentleness and compassion. Hearing stories from women had horrid experiences in BY from humiliation, being hit with a stick, and even boring forced to undress in front of the entire female class (because her skirt was too short) really needs to be worked upon.
I have never ever remotely heard of any girl being hit or forced to undress in any je wish school! Where are you getting info from?
Many haterim will and can be found, but the true Eshet Cahyil who’s soul is proudly bound to her creator knows her duty and true requirements .
Mr. Newhere do you honestly think that today’s Shaitels are צניעות?! What about tight clothing?! WAKE UP!!! The accepted Frum Female attire is a Real Problem. It causes innocent men to have הרהורים! Which I hope you agree is אסור!
Shtoosim. The Chafetz Chaim clearly states in the bi’er halacha that it is assur. As clear as day.
The question boils down to: after she cuts her hair, is it considered still hair that is assur to show or not?
In reality, once it is cut, it is not the hair that is assur to show, only the hair that is attached to the scalp is forbidden.
Conversely, a woman buys a human hair wig. She owns it, it is her ‘hair’ therefore following dingbat logic it should be forbidden to reveal since it is HER hair. But obviously this is incorrect, although she owns it, it is not the hair that is forbidden to reveal, only the hair that is attached to the scalp.
Could there be a halachik differentiation if a woman wears her own hair as a wig when the hear was grown:
1/ before she got married
2/ after she got married ?
The reality is that while there is a heter for a sheitel, it’s not for most of the wigs being worn today. The hair of a married women is considered ervah, which means that it is a source of attraction for men. So really, what is the point of covering hair with more hair that is either as nice as one’s own hair or in most cases even nicer than one’s hair? It’s not just about physically covering the hair. It’s also about elevating the tznius level of a married woman- now that she is married she is supposed to be saving her main beauty for her husband.
The wigs of today are the biggest sheker- they are such a hypocrisy. They are usually way more attracting than one’s own hair! The same wigs that frum women are wearing for tznius are being worn by models and actresses featured in Vogue, Elle etc… Just go on to many of the sheitel websites and you could see all the articles that are proudly posted stating how amazing their wigs are – so much so that they are being worn by many celebrities!
Frum people are so machmir in every area but when it comes to sheitels, they try to find every loophole possible to justify their wigs.
BH there are many frum women that are rejecting these wigs and have taken upon themselves the most mehudar way to cover their hair- with a tichel. They have realized that none of this makes sense. And there are many Gedloim that back this:
“We support and bless those women who have returned to the age-old custom of covering their head with a kerchief instead of a wig in order to fulfill the opinion of all poskim… and especially in today’s times when many of the contemporary wigs are not in line with the guidelines of tznius.”
– letter signed by Harav Shmuel Halevi Wosner zt”l; Harav Lipkowitz; Harav R’ Hager, Rebbe of Visnitz; Harav Karelitz; Harav Shmuel Auerbach (in name of his father, Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l), Harav Gestetner, yb”l; Harav Elyashiv zt”l.
“It gladdens our hearts upon hearing that women have taken upon themselves to be scrupulous in the mitzvah of tznius and have returned to the accepted custom of Yisrael to cover their heads with a kerchief, as opposed to a wig, in order to fulfill the opinion of all poskim. How proper and beautiful is this practice, and how much it increases purity and kedushah. Surely, their zechus is very great.
And certainly these women are careful to cover all their hair well in a way that their hair is not visible at all both in public and at home.
We would like to encourage these women of valor and bless them from the depths of our hearts with children, life, and abundant sustenance and all goodness. And as the Yalkut teaches, “The generations will not be redeemed only in the merit of the modest women in the generation.”
Although we do not have the capabilities of enforcing this on all women …surely it is our obligation to give chizuk to these righteous women who are able to return and wear a kerchief as a head-covering, just like the Chasam Sofer wrote in Shulchan Aruch and in his holy will.”
– letter signed by Harav Shmuel Halevi Wosner zt”l, Harav Michal Yehuda Lipkowitz zt”l, and y”l Harav Nissim Karelitz shlit”a on 15 Teves 5756
@ jewish florida my wife actually switched from wigs to tichels after actually studying the real opinions of rabbanim and what they REALLY said.
@jewishflorida, the lies you are posting here is horrifying!
I went to Satmar school which has one of the strictest standards of tznius. They would never, ever think of doing something like you describe! It was and is unthinkable!
Shame on you! I don’t know where you picked up these stories, maybe from certain OTD’s who seem have a pack of stories that happen only to them mysteriously and not to anyone else. I mean, I personally resented a lot of people within the school for various reasons, but please, I mean, making up and believing these kind of stories is disgusting and stupid.
Obviously, if the frum school(s) care about a girl coming with too a short skirt because it’s a breach of modesty, don’t you think it’s kind of stupid to believe they’d make a girl take off her skirt in front of other?!
Regardless of what the opinions are regarding using one’s own hair for one’s own wig, the wigs today being worn by a lot of women calling themselves “frum” are disgustingly provocative which goes against all shittas of what a Jewish women has to be – and that is modest.
I see non-frum women looking more modest with their own hair than some “frum” women with their long wigs and tight, short skirts. Is this what Bais Yaakov’s teach nowadays?! They teach %75 of what Jewish women DONT need to know to be ehrlich , while neglecting to impart halacha and hashkafa of one of the most important mitzvos that a Jewish woman needs to know!
The sefer Oiz Hadar L’Visha by Rabbi Falk should be mandatory learning in all schools.
KoachYah,
Have you ever thought that maybe the reason the Arab fundamentalist women find it no problem to cover their hair is because they are Arab fundamentalists? It is the Muslim mentality that the women you refer to have that makes them cover their hair fully without question.
Also, if you believe the Torah is divine law, you can’t also believe that there are “loopholes”. The Torah says what it means.
The problem is Bais Yaakov shoving and forcing the tznius issue down their throats 24/7 that is why a lot of girls and ladies grow up resenting it and not caring. Instead they should tone it down and focus on building their inner ruchniyus build them up so they will come to realize it on their own Instead they focus on things like having to memorize 60 million meforshim on each pasuk.
@Finekite, how are Bais Yaakov schools shoving tznius down girls’ throats?
I agree with you that forcing girls to memorize all these meforshim is ridiculous.
And I agree frum schools should educate girls and build up their inner ruchnius and appreciation of who we are and what our tachlis is of being Jewish daughters of Hashem and the purpose, protection, and holiness modesty brings to the Jewish nation.
Let’s stop blaming All the Wonderful Bais Yaakovs. The reason why צניעות is So Hard is because there is a יצר הרע to look Provacative and be attractive. Especially today when it’s all over the place.That why All גדולי ישראל have said and written that even women should be very careful what the See and Watch, because it makes a Terrible רושם.
I have noticed an ongoing ad on Yeshivah World it is for guard your eyes. Now if you were to tell me that the reason Frum men look at smut is because of the women’s sheitels or dress they see, I would ask you- what came first? The desire or the real hair sheitel. Any man that can honestly say that he never looks at another’s wife AND has an Internet problem- is lying. It’s not his fault, its the yetzer hora and he knows how to play us all from both sides. If you are yelling about tznis and how people today are lacking in its observance, you may have your own internal conflict that is very clear for everyone else to see.
Brooklyn hocker, don’t hock a cheinick about nothing. The bottom line is that a lot of frum women need to shape up regarding tznius, otherwise we ALL suffer the consequences of Hashem not residing between us and his withholding His protection, c”v.
Sure others have problems and nisyones. We ALL do. But when one fails in conquering nisyones that impacts others by causing others to sin, or causing chilul Hashem against all Jews, or anything sin of any nature that negatively effects others, b’ruchnius OR b’gashmius then those sins are very grave indeed.