Yotza...Yotza

To fulfill my idea of doing a post about how married women cover their hair, I am writing this. However, the main idea of the posts about head coverings will hopefully be reached when I do my next big post.

For women who are seriously religious, marriage brings them the opportunity to fulfill a new mitzvah: that of kisui rosh. Kisui rosh is the mitzvah for a married Jewish woman to cover her hair, based on the premise that a married woman's hair should be reserved for her husband, as flowing hair can be quite sensual. There are certain Modern Orthodox women who, for reasons and leniencies beyond my comprehension, do not cover their hair, and if they do, only do so in synagogue. However, for those who take this important mitzvah seriously, there are various ways of fulfilling it:

The first, and possibly most common way, is with a tichel. A tichel is worn by women who are Modern Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox, and Chasidic. The only difference might be the way in which they are worn and the times when they are worn. Among the more ultra-Orthodox, wearing a tichel might seem to be a more lenient way of covering the hair, but is also seen as more stringent by others. The legal opinions regarding hair coverings are diverse, and often grow out of the place in which each group originated (Poland, Russia, Iran, Morocco, etc.).


Among the more strict ways of wearing a tichel is found amongst the most stringent of communities, such as Yerushalmis (addressed in the previous post), Nikolsburg, some groups within Satmar and Skver, and so on. This is done by either wearing a tichel wrapped around a sort of foam substance to give the forehead lines and other parts a more full fill so that they do not slip, or is worn with a small, quasi-wig underneath, which is only visible at the front. In either case, women who choose this method tend to shave, or very shortly shear, their hair.


Another way of covering the hair is with a snood. Snoods are generally worn by more ultra-Orthodox women, especially in times of being lazy, working around the house, cooking, etc. as they are probably the easiest way to cover the most hair effectively.


There are various other ways to cover the hair, such as placing the hair into tight, stocking-like caps, and then wearing berets, snow hats, and other things. This is done commonly, and is probably found more among religious Sephardic/Edot HaMizrach (those originating in North Africa and the Middle East) women. The most controversial way, though a very popular method, is that of the sheitel, or wig. Wigs come in all cuts, sizes, colors, and materials. For those who are more lenient and into style, a human hair sheitel, made to fit, professionally styled, and hand woven can cost into the thousands of dollars. For those against sheitels, the argument generally focuses on the attractiveness they add to women. Afterall, they are hair. Some women offset this by wearing synthetic wigs, but either way, they do look like hair. This claim is often made by Sephardic Jews.

Those who are most in favor of wigs are Lubavitchers. For them, wigs are the most preferred as they are the "most unlikely to be removed", as they require alot of effort and make the hair underneath matted. I'm not sure that a fake only-bangs sheitel, covered by a foam mass, then covered by a tichel is any easier to remove, and leaves the hair looking any nicer, but who am I to argue? Some women also cover their sheitels with hats, especially during religious events, as a way to counter the "leniency" of a sheitel.

What's That Beanie For?

Walking around Meah Shearim yesterday presented me with an obvious mode of identification, both in Israel and the Jewish world at large: head coverings. Though initially and primarily worn as a sign of reverence for G-d, and to remind the wearer that there is something greater above him, it has taken on many more meanings. For men who are religious, the type of yarmulke (kippah, whatever you prefer) they wears says alot about their religious and political ideas.

First, perhaps the most common yarmulke is the kippa srugah (knitted kippa). This one is worn by the Modern Orthodox types in America, and by the "dati leumi" (national religious) types in Israel. The wearers of the kippa srugah identify themselves as religious observant, but very much a part of the average American (or Israeli, British, Canadian, etc.) society. They are also almost always 100% supportive of Zionism, from both a religious and political perspective. Especially in Israel, the kippa srugah symbolizes the placement of the medina (state) above religious duty. These people tend to allow Zionism to take the place of real Torah, and often find themselves trying to justify their world outlook from a religious vision that many, if not most, say cannot be justified. These men almost universally do not wear a hat in addition to their yarmulke.


The second most common style is the black velvet yarmulke. The black velvet yarmulke is almost only worn by ultra-Orthodox men. The black velvet yarmulke not only stands as a symbol that religion and Jewish culture take priority over the general society in which the wearer lives, but also shows a bewildered approach to Zionism at the least, with many more being virtually completely opposed to the secular regime in Israel, seeing Zionism as an attempt to uproot and replace Judaism, and as out of line with the edicts of Jewish religious law. The wearer may be Chasidic, Litvish (European non-Chasidic ultra-Orthodox), or ultra-Orthodox Sephardic.


A third type of yarmulke is that worn by Yerushalmis. Yerushalmis are ultra-Orthodox European Jews, both Chasidic and non-Chasidic, who arrived in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) more than 100 years ago. There are those who wear this yarmulke only on Shabbos and holidays (many non-Chasidic Yerushalmis do this, as well as quasi-Yerushalmi Chasidim, like some Jerusalem-based Bostoners), or it can be worn all the time. Those who wear this yarmulke are completely removed from the secular society of Israel. Their language of preference is Yiddish, and Hebrew is only spoken if absolutely needed. They hold non-ultra-Orthodox Jews in contempt, and are wary of their presence in their neighborhoods. While walking through Meah Shearim and other areas where Yerushalmis live, one can find grafitti on the walls saying things like "Palestine (meaning all of modern Israel) for the Arabs".


There is a similar case with the particular ways in which women cover their hair. I may write about that very soon...