Sheitels (Wigs)

A Sheitel is a head covering made of natural or synthetic hair, which is currently common among most women in the Charedi community. This custom began approximately 500 years ago, and over the years has become a widespread halachic discussion.

The Mitzvah of Head Covering for Women

In the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Ketubot, Chazal derive from the pasuk "and he shall uncover the woman's head" that the woman's head was covered to begin with, hence establishing that it was the custom of Bnot Yisrael to cover their heads. Since this custom is mentioned in the Torah, Chazal considered it as an issur from the Torah.

From Chazal's language "d'oraita hi," most poskim understood that the obligation of head covering is from the Torah, even though this mitzvah wasn't included in the count of mitzvot. However, some poskim, led by the Shut Terumat HaDeshen in the name of the Rambam, wrote that the issur is d'rabbanan, and the Talmud's intention is that this din is hinted at in the Torah.

In Masechet Eruvin, Chazal teach that the custom of women covering their heads began with Chava Imeinu, who was punished for the chet of the Eitz HaDaat and was cursed with several curses, among them "to be wrapped like a mourner." Later poskim also wrote reasons according to Kabbalah for why a married woman needs to cover her head.

The Din of Dat Yehudit

In the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Ketubot, cases are detailed where a husband can divorce his wife without paying her ketubah. Among other things, matters written or hinted at in the Torah are called "Dat Moshe" in the language of the Mishnah, and matters founded on the custom of Bnot Yisrael are called "Dat Yehudit."

From the din of Dat Yehudit, Chazal prohibited a woman from going out with a "kalta" without additional covering over it. The Rambam and Shulchan Aruch understood that a 'kalta' is a mitpachat (headscarf), and without a redid covering her head and most of her body, the husband must divorce her without a ketubah.

"If she goes out to the marketplace or to an open alley or to a courtyard where many pass through, and her head is uncovered and she doesn't have a redid like all women, even though her hair is covered with a mitpachat... in any of these cases she leaves without a ketubah... he is not forced to divorce her, nevertheless it is a mitzvah for him to divorce her."

Nevertheless, poskim in recent generations permitted head covering with a mitpachat or hat, explaining that the din of Dat Yehudit is the current custom of kosher Bnot Yisrael, and when the custom changes, the din changes, whether leniently or strictly, according to the custom.

A few poskim permitted even revealing "two finger-widths" (3-4 cm) of the head, relying on the Shut Maharam Alashkar. However, most poskim strongly disagreed with them, and proved that the Maharam Alashkar did not permit revealing the head itself but only the hair that extends outside the covering. Regarding covering the head with a sheitel, the poskim are divided.

The Sheitel Controversy

The use of sheitels began thousands of years ago. In a burial cave in Mitzrayim, dated to the time of Matan Torah - approximately 3400 years ago, a wig made of natural hair was found, styled according to the customs of that time, appearing completely natural. Even about 2000 years ago, the sheitel is mentioned in the Mishnah and Gemara, but at that time it wasn't used as a head covering for all women but rather as an adornment for kallahs or a solution for women with defects who had white or thin hair. In the time of the Talmud, women would leave a braided plait outside their head covering, and those women with defects would use a plait made from a sheitel.

The custom of covering the head with a sheitel first began in the Sephardic community in Italy, about 500 years ago. The Rav of the community was Rabbi Yehoshua Boaz Baruch, author of the sefer "Shiltei HaGiborim," and in his sefer he addressed the custom and wrote to permit covering the head with a sheitel. Afterwards, the custom spread throughout the world.

The first and main poskim who disagreed with him, in seforim published decades after his passing, were the Maharam Katzenlenbogen, Beer Sheva, and Yaavetz, and they held that according to the Rambam there is an obligation to cover the head with a mitpachat and over it a redid, and therefore there is no difference between a mitpachat and sheitel, as both are forbidden according to the opinion of the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch.

After them came additional poskim who mentioned additional reasons for the prohibition. The reasons for prohibition are because of marit ayin - that the observer won't know how to distinguish between a sheitel and natural hair, and will think the woman isn't covering her head; because of dat yehudit - referring to the fact that in their time only a few women wore sheitels, and it was a breach of the common custom to cover with a mitpachat; and because of pritzut - that a woman wearing a sheitel causes hirhurim for men who see her.

When the custom of wearing sheitels spread to additional places in the world, poskim wrote that the reasons of those who forbid were no longer relevant, for several reasons:

• The early authorities who forbade sheitels argued there was no difference between a sheitel and mitpachat, since a "redid" covering was needed. But when we permit mitpachot today according to current custom, there is no prevention to also permit sheitels according to the custom, which is 'dat yehudit' that changes according to time and place.
• The prohibition of marit ayin doesn't apply when the custom has spread, and the observer can assume that the woman is covering her head with a sheitel.
• There is no hirhur with hair that is commonly exposed, as the Rishonim wrote regarding unmarried women's hair. And when many women cover their heads with sheitels, it has become commonplace without pritzut.
• The prohibition of "bechukoteihem lo teileichu" doesn't apply when the custom has spread among Bnot Yisrael, and the intention of the sheitel wearer isn't to be similar to non-Jewish women but to be like all Jewish women, particularly since today it has become a symbol of the Charedi woman.
• Those who forbade sheitels only forbade it d'rabbanan, therefore we can say "safek d'rabbanan l'kula" in this dispute among poskim.

The Controversy Today

Today most poskim permit a married woman to cover her head with a sheitel according to the custom of generations that has spread throughout the world, however there are also those who forbid it, and the most prominent among them is Rav Ovadia Yosef.

In Chabad Chassidut

Regarding the question of whether one can cover the head with a sheitel, or whether a woman must cover her head with two coverings - a mitpachat and over it a "redid" (shawl), the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya, established in his sefer "Shulchan Aruch HaRav" that one can cover the head with a sheitel:

"A woman's hair that is customarily covered is ervah, because it brings to hirhur, and it is forbidden to read [Shema] or daven opposite it as explained, even if it is his wife. But unmarried women whose custom is to go with uncovered heads, and also the hair of women that typically extends outside their covering in some countries, it is permitted to read opposite them, since because they are common they do not bring to hirhur. And a sheitel, even if it is customarily covered, it is permitted to read opposite it, and it is also permitted to uncover it and there is no prohibition of going out with an uncovered head, which is forbidden from the Torah for a married woman." — Orach Chaim, Siman 75 Section 4

The last two Chabad Rebbeim, the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe, even instructed unequivocally that women should cover their heads specifically with a sheitel.

The Frierdiker Rebbe wrote: "Surely you received my letter with mazal tov blessings. In your letter you write that you hope to Hashem that He will help you that your home will be chassidish, indeed every blessing needs a vessel... and the general conduct should be that the wife of a Tomchei Tmimim student must wear a parik [sheitel] no matter how difficult this may be for her, but it cannot and must not be otherwise... after all the length I am telling you in the briefest of brief, that your wife must wear a sheitel, and it cannot be otherwise."

And the Rebbe instructed all Chabad Chassidut women to wear a sheitel, wherever they are, without exception: "From today onwards, all of them, without exception, should unite with the N'shei Anash women who wear a sheitel."

The Rebbe explained his view in dozens of letters and sichos, and the main reason in his words was that this is the preferred covering from a halachic perspective, since today it is not customary to wear a "redid," and the common mitpachat does not cover the hair properly, whereas the sheitel covers the hair well, and also doesn't slip from the head:

"Regarding the actual matter of wearing a sheitel, and not sufficing with a hat and mitpachat, the necessity for this is explained in several places. And we see tangibly that wearing a hat and even a mitpachat leaves part of the hair uncovered, at least for a short time, meaning they transgress the great prohibition, as ruled in Shulchan Aruch."

An additional reason for preferring the sheitel over a mitpachat is that one can remove it or push it up, and with a sheitel there is no reason to do this: "Regarding a sheitel there is no choice to remove it... which is not the case regarding a mitpachat where she knows she has a choice, that she can push it up more and more, or sometimes remove it completely."

The Rebbe also instructed that every woman should convince her friend to wear a sheitel. The Rebbe emphasized that even if someone promises to cover well with a mitpachat, she should be instructed to wear a sheitel. The Rebbe spoke about the need for the most beautiful sheitel, so that all other women will also want to cover their heads with a sheitel.

In the first years of his nesius, the Rebbe performed kiddushin for his chassidim. One of the famous conditions for the Rebbe's agreement to perform kiddushin was that the kallah would wear a sheitel all her life and not a mitpachat.

Additional Poskim

Many rabbonim from all circles and communities share the Rebbe's view on this matter, having written to prefer wearing a sheitel in our times over a mitpachat or hat. Among them are Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), Rav Chaim Kanievsky, the Lithuanian godol hador, Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul, Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef and among the leading Sephardic poskim, Rav Shalom Messas, among the Sephardic gedolei hador and Rav of Moroccan Jewry, Rav Binyamin Zilber, member of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Raavad of the Eidah HaChareidis, Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh, Rav Moshe Feinstein, the main posek of American Jewry, and many others.

Rav Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi, Rav and Av Beis Din of Kfar Chabad, published a special letter stating:

"B"H, Erev Rosh Hashanah 5768. To Anash residents of the Kfar. Regarding head covering for married women, which recently has seen a terrible breach - I hereby notify: 1. It is understood and obvious that wearing a mitpachat or hat, when even a small part of the hair is exposed - this is against Shulchan Aruch! 2. According to the Rebbe's instructions, a woman must wear only a sheitel! These matters obligate each and every one without exception. Therefore: A resident of the Kfar may not leave her home without wearing a sheitel, and I see this instruction as part of the Kfar's regulations! May we merit to be written and sealed for good, as per the Rebbe's holy promises that through wearing a sheitel one merits children, life, sustenance and parnassah."

Concerns About Indian Hair

A small portion of the hair marketed worldwide originates from India (about thirty percent at most). Most Indian hair used for sheitel production (about eighty percent) comes from poor women who sell their hair for money. However, about twenty percent comes from the Indian temple, where pilgrims shave before entering the temple to the avodah zarah, as part of a purification ritual. The poskim were concerned about this hair due to the issur of tikrovet avodah zarah.

This concern was first raised by Rav Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch in 5728. His conclusion was to be machmir, but he did not make a final ruling. Various other poskim dealt with this issue over the years, with different opinions emerging. In 5764, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who in 5750 had permitted sheitels made from Indian hair, retracted and prohibited them following testimony he received from Rav Aharon Dovid Dunner about hair cutting in India.

Those Who Permit Indian Hair

In 5750, following appeals from gedolei harabbanim in Eretz Yisrael and abroad, Rav Yaakov Aharon Shapira from America investigated the matter and sent his conclusions to gedolei harabbanim. Based on his conclusions, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and Rav Shimon Schwab permitted hair imported from India.

Even in 5764, when Rav Elyashiv prohibited Indian hair, most poskim disagreed with him and wrote that there was no concern of tikrovet avodah zarah with this hair. Rav Shmuel Halevi Wosner and Rav Nissim Karelitz called for "trying" to replace hair that definitely came from India. Many other prominent poskim published extensive halachic responses permitting Indian hair.

When the matter arose again in 5778, gedolei Yisrael sent Rav Gershon West to India to investigate. After spending several days there and speaking with Hindus, he concluded that their words had no value as they had no understanding of what they were doing, and they would lie and answer questions according to what the questioner wanted to hear. Therefore, one should only refer to what is written in their religious texts.

Further reading

• Mendi Dickstein, "Storm in the Hair", Beit Moshiach weekly, Issue 1323, pages 32-36 (2022)