The Great Exaltation of the Mitzvah of Covering
the Hair:
The head-covering is one of the most cherished pieces of clothing a woman
possesses. With it she fulfills a great
Mitzvah Min HaTorah (a Biblical mandated
commandment) and it bestows on her many exceptional side benefits that emanate
from fulfilling a mitzvah that is founded on tzniut (modesty),
the most important characteristic of the
Bat Yisrael (Daughter of Israel)
a)
She demonstrates submission to G-d's wishes: When wearing a headcovering
a woman conceals this natural source of attraction from the eye of the public
and thereby demonstrates that she is a servant of G-d. She places His wish, that
an
eshet ish (a married woman) covers her hair
and conceals it from the view of the public, above her own natural desire to
look attractive and enhance her appearance by displaying her natural hair.
b) She demonstrates the purity of Jewish family
life: The headcovering symbolizes the
kedusha (holiness) of the Jewish family, in which
the wife dedicates her life to her husband to the near-total exclusion of any
form of contact with other men. She therefore withholds the
chen (beauty) of her hair from the view of the
general public.
c)
It is a source of
Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven): When this
mitzvah (commandment) is kept properly and with
the correct attitude it imparts considerable Yirat Shamayim to the person. Men
cover their head with a
yarmulke
(kippah) or hat in line with the recommendation of
Chazal (our Sages),
"Cover your head so that you shall experience the fear of Heaven"
(Shabbat 156b). If covering just part of the head as
is practiced by men has such an effect, how much more must covering the complete
head have a deep and far reaching effect on a woman's Yirat Shamayim.
d)
It is a source of
Kedusha
(holiness) and inspiration: Considering that the head is the most distinguished
and most significant part of the human body as Chazal say,
"The head is king over all the limbs" (Shabbat 61a),
the influence of kedusha that is transmitted to the whole person by a mitzvah
done continuously with the head must be immeasurable. Significantly, Chazal say
that when a man wears
tefillin (phylacteries) he has a special defense
against serious sin
(Menachot 43b). Accordingly, a woman who lacks
the outstanding mitzvah of
kisuy saarot (hair covering) because she does
not fulfill its halachic requirements, withholds from herself a vital source of
spirituality and inspiration.
e)
It protects from illness and pain: Who can assess the physical
advantage, in protecting the person from illness and pain, that is gained from
an unceasing mitzvah such as kisuy saarot. Chazal have taught us that a person
is protected while he fulfills a mitzvah, as they say,
"
While a mitzvah is being carried out it
shields and safeguards the person"
(Sotah 21a). Hence, a mitzvah that is done over many
hours of the day is highly prized source of protection. Similarly, the
mezuzah (doorpost - encased tiny parchment scroll
on upon -
Devarim 6:4-9, 11:13-21), which is an ongoing mitzvah
fulfilled at all times, is singled out by Chazal as a mitzvah which offers
exceptional protection to people
(Shabbat 32b).
f)
It procures great dividends: The head-covering enables a woman to
fulfill the mitzvah of kisuy saarot minute by minute throughout the day, thereby
enabling her to earn great riches both in this world and in the World to Come.
While a man adorns his head with tefillin for about an hour a day, a woman has
the merit to adorn her head with an article of mitzvah throughout the length of
the day. In fact, one of the great Rabbanim of our generation, Hagaon Rav
Shimon Schwab zt'l, once said that women are not obligated in the mitzvah of
tefillin because they wear "their tefillin" throughout all hours of the day.
They therefore do not require the added sanctification of tefillin as in the
case of men.
Since the headcovering plays such an important role, it is only fitting that it
displays the inner refinement and sensitivities of the Bat Yisrael. It should
therefore be an article of clothing which adds luster and aristocracy to the
royal status of the Jewish woman who is a Bat Melachim (a Princess)
g)
The difference between a married woman and an unmarried girl:
The Torah allows a girl to appear in public with her hair uncovered although it
adds considerably to her
chen (beauty) and demonstrates her natural good
looks whilst the Torah considers it
pritzut (licentiousness)
for a married woman to do so. As mentioned previously, even the
Umot HaOlam (the righteous
non-Jews)
understood this and expected their wives to cover their
hair in public - see
Sanhedrin 58b. A married woman is an eshet ish
and this warrants that part of her beauty be withheld from the public eye.
Although she should dress pleasantly and graciously in a manner with reflects
her
simcha (joy)
and nobility, she should not display her full natural chen for everyone to see.
On the other hand, an unmarried girl need
not mask part of her natural chen and may allow her hair to
reflect her natural good looks (although not in way that
draws attention to herself). An unmarried girl is not an
eshet ish and there is therefore no need for her to cover her
hair to withhold part of her chen from the public eye.
Also, her good appearance can aid in finding her future partner
in life. There is therefore a positive reason for her hair
not to be covered and hidden - see
Ketubot 53b
and
Mekorot 28:3-7.
We live in a time when the importance and far-reaching effect of
kisuy saarot is little understood and is under threat, being
presented by some as a matter of little significance. In
truth, authentic
Yiddishkeit
(Jewishness) and the whole character of the Jewish
home are dependent on women practicing all aspects of tzniut
properly. The saying of Chazal,
"They are like mountains that hang on a hair" (Mishnah Chagigah 10a)
- is highly appropriate to our issue. It is most significant
that the great Chasam Sofer zt'l and Harav Samson Raphael Hirsch
zt'l who both succeeded in establishing healthy and vibrant centers
of Yiddishkeit where great campaigners for this mitzvah and
instilled a deep respect and reverence for it amongst their
followers.
The
Navi
(Prophet) says,
"The crown of our head has fallen;
woe unto us for we have sinned"
(Eicha 5:16). Due to our
sins and lack of kedusha, the crown of our heads - the beautiful
mitzvah of kisuy saarot - has fallen. The crown is however not
broken. It is up to us to pick it up and return it once again
to its rightful place. With that we will awaken once again
within ourselves the deep rooted feelings for real tzniut and
kedushat Yisrael
(holiness of Israel).
Source:
Modesty - An Adornment for Life, Halachot
and Attitudes Concerning Tzniut of Dress & Conduct, by Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu
Falk
The headcovering pictured above is available
for purchase in the "Scarves"
section.
