Why do women have to cover their hair with a wig or scarf after getting married?
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“Why do women have to cover their hair with a wig or scarf after getting married?”
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Payot is usually seen in the Orthodox Jewish community, as they follow traditional rules more closely than Reformed Jewish people. According to Jewish tradition, men are forbidden from rounding the corners of their heads. Many people have interpreted this to mean that haircutting should be restricted.
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But in most areas of Eastern Europe and the Middle East it was considered sufficient to cover the greater part of the hair, and this in fact is all that halacha requires. In any case, there is no doubt that some covering of the hair, however symbolic, is called for. The rabbis understood from this passage from the Torah, then, that head or hair covering was a law for the "daughters of Israel" (Sifrei Bamidbar 11) direct from God. Unlike other religions, including Islam that have girls cover their hair before marriage, the rabbis gathered that the significance of this sotah portion means that hair and head covering only applied to married women. In the deeply pious Hassidic communities that emerged in Eastern Europe during the 18th century, it was even common for women to cut off all their hair after their wedding and wear a headscarf, called the tichel.
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The rabbis of the Talmud considered beards attractive — referring to them as hadrat panim, the splendor of one’s face. According to a passage in the tractate Bava Metzia, the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yochanan was considered a beautiful man, yet he was not included on a list of rabbis whose beauty reflects that of the biblical patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). The reason, the Talmud offers, is that Rabbi Yochanan did not have a beard. Some Jewish men, particularly Hasidic ones, refrain even from trimming their beards. Although there is no prohibition on trimming one’s beard with scissors, those who avoid it seek to avoid even approaching violating the Torah prohibition on shaving. This practice is influenced by Kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) traditions, which regard the beard as holy.
Johnson was wearing his usual headgear and covering, but the referee said it was not in compliance with state rules. Johnson was given 90 seconds to decide whether he would allow his hair to be cut or to forfeit the match. In Judaism, Orthodox women cover their hair beginning when they get married. How women cover their hair is a different story, and understanding the semantics of covering the hair versus covering the head is also an important aspect of the halakha (law) of covering. Today, Orthodox Judaism encompasses a vast terrain of religious outlook and practice. Some 62 percent of American Orthodox Jews identify as ultra-Orthodox (haredi), a group whose adherents are typically marked by their distinctive black hats (for men) and scrupulously modest attire (for women).
While many interpret the rules as a total ban on hair cutting, others think razors specifically are what you are supposed to avoid. Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews have unique ways in which they wear their hair. First it will explain about women, and then it will explain about men. Now, this last point might seem counterproductive if you clicked on that first link, where you’ll see that, according to the Sefer HaChinuch, the purpose of payes is to distinguish us from our neighbors. The reality is that sometimes our styles align with what’s popular in the society around us, while other times they conflict. For example, hemlines go up and down; sometimes they align with our halachic practices and other times they don’t.
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Most of the rules regarding Jewish men’s hair focus on its removal. Much of the Ultra-Orthodox culture and rules seem unusual in today's Western society. Become a Superfan by following us on your favorite social channels and like, comment, share our content to help Jew in the City reach more people.
In the case of women, too, there is, in addition to a general requirement of modesty of dress, a specific one concerning covering the head. This is an ancient law, already hinted at in the Torah, that has been observed among Jews all through the ages. In some communities, even unmarried women have been known to keep their hair covered, though this custom never became widespread. The law is not related to that requiring men to cover their heads, and it is even more stringent. The fact that a married woman covers her hair whenever she leaves the house is a sign of her special status.The form in which this practice is observed varies from one community to another. In some countries, pious women go so far as to braid their hair in addition to covering it.
Apart from Rabbi Pinto, several prominent Orthodox shuls in Pico-Robertson jointly decided to stay closed that Shabbat. Some Jewish men who usually do shave nonetheless allow their facial hair to grow during periods of mourning. This is traditionally done for 30 days following the death of a close relative.
Was this a case of an adult (ab)using his authority to pressure a teen into making an important decision? Hair carries a great degree of significance in many religious cultures. Whether it’s worn long or short, covered or uncovered, shaved off or never cut, the way in which one wears his hair may not be only a matter of self-expression, it may well be an expression of one’s faith. Andrew Johnson, a high school wrestler at Buena Regional High School in New Jersey, was told that he could not compete at a December 19 meet in Atlantic County with his dreadlocks.
They tend to have more children — 4.1 on average for Orthodox Jews between the ages of compared to 1.7 for all Jews in that age range. According to Pew, 83 percent of Jews under 30 who were raised Orthodox are still Orthodox. While many Orthodox men refrain from cutting their facial hair altogether, others will use scissors to trim their beards and mustaches for hygienic reasons.
But before the barber takes his scissors out, family, friends and rabbis take turns snipping. The first cut is at the spot where tefillin will be placed at Bar Mitzvah, some say. And a wonderful way to tangle custom with mitzvah is to donate long locks to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children with alopecia areata, an incurable disease that causes hair loss. These Ultra-Orthodox customs mainly pertain to keeping the hair covered.
If you’ve ever come across an orthodox Jewish man, you may have noticed that he has curls hanging down the sides of his head. It is only in the last generations that women have achieved such equality in Western society. More than 70 years ago, basically anywhere in the world, women would have been in the home cooking, cleaning etc rather than working outside the home. These types of gender roles (which are generally still widely practiced in many parts of the world) would have been seen as totally normal.
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