Women of various backgrounds cover there hair for various reason and in various ways. Many, like myself, do it for religious reasons. Some do it for fashion (sometimes you just have to look fabulous from head to toe), and others out of necessity.
In Judaism, Torah observant women cover their hair once they are married. Hair covering is done out of a respect for the sanctity of marriage and as a way of saving the fullest extent of ourselves for our husbands. This mitzvah (religious obligation) can be accomplished in many ways and to varying degrees. Jewish women commonly wear; tichels, hats, snoods and even sheitels. While technically this mitzvah is a commandment, it is still ultimately a choice and for many women choosing to cover their hair can be a bit of a struggle.
Lets look a little closer at each category:
-Sheitel
A Sheitel is the Yiddish word for a wig. While the custom of covering ones hair out of modesty dates back to the time of the Torah, the allowance for using a wig is only a few centuries old and is still highly debated today. Some branches of Judaism feel a wig is sufficient to carry out the mitzvah while others, namely the Sephardic Jews (Jews originating from Spanish lineage), do not hold that covering ones hair with a wig is permissible at all. Even still there are some sects of Chassidic Jews (ultra orthodox) who will go as far as to wear a hat over their wig so as to not appear as though they are going with their hair uncovered. Here are a few of the Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-Wigs by far afford the greatest anonymity in a world that is not always so friendly to Jews.
-A full wig can conceal more hair than a scarf or hat might accomplish.**
-They can often be quite stylish or attractive which allows the wearer to feel good about them selves and encourages them to keep the mitzvah.
Cons:
-As many of the nicer Sheitels are made from real human hair, they can be quite expensive ranging anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.
- As breifly mentioned above, wearing a Sheitle can me misleading and give the impression that one isn't covering their hair.
-Previously mentioned as a Pro, some sheitels can be so stylish and so attractive that they can make the wearer look more attractive than if they were to go with their hair uncovered.**
**I would like to take a brief moment here to clarify a few things. Firstly and most importantly, the point of covering ones hair out of modesty is NOT to make the wearer appear ugly or unattractive, but rather to make the individual LESS attractive to others a means of protecting the marriage.
Secondly I had previously mentioned a "full wig" under the "pros" list which would imply there is an alternative. That alternative is a half wig called a "fall". Jewish law states that a tefach (the -ch here prounouced as a sort of flemmy k sound) or approximately one hand breadth of hair is permitted to show. With a fall, the front portion of a woman's hair is exposed and the transition from her hair and the wig can be covered with a wide headband, a hat or even her hair pinned back over the wig.
-Hat
I'm sure most of you know what a hat is so in lieu of any lengthy explanation I will share with you a photo of this super cute hat my Aunt just made for me!
(This lady is crazy talented with a pair of crochet hooks)
She also made these cute holiday hats for Cancer patients
-Snood
A Snood is a hair net like knit cap. Not usually as attractive as an ornate scarf or wig, it is a quick and effective means of covering ones hair. Often times a beret can accomplish the same look. Snoods, like the one pictured below can be found online at websites like www.doubleheaderusa.com. They also carry an array of pre-tied scarves, berets and Israeli tichles.
Snood. Digital image. Double Header USA. N.p., n.d. Web. <http//:www.doubleheaderusa.com>.
-Tichle
A fun name for a fun accessory! Tichel (pronounced like tickle but with a little phlegm for the -ch part) is the Hebrew word for a kerchief or scarf. Any scarf can be used and there are different methods for different shaped scarves. For beginners I would recommend starting with a square scarf folded in half to form a triangle and then worm as one might wear a bandanna. Once you've got the hang of that, rectangular scarves are the next step. They require a little bit more practice and finesse but can produce some pretty stunning results.
Tichels are definitely my preference. I love coordinating the scarves with my outfit (though lately I find myself slecting my outfits to match my scarves), accessorizing with headbands or using multiple colored scarves. While I may stand out a bit, I feel like my scarves allow me to express my creative artistic side while still fulfilling the mitzvah. I get most of my scarves from second hand stores or on sale at places like Target, Marshals and TJ Max. In order to achieve the looks below I wear something called a volumizer underneath the scarves, which helps provide more area to wrap the rectangular (sometimes called oblong) scarves around.
Ultimately, one should use which ever method makes them feel the most comfortable because this will not merly lead to compliance of an obligation, but rather the joyful observance of a very special mitzvah. This concludes our foray into the custom of Jewish hair covering. Please share your experiences in the comments below!
No comments:
Post a Comment