Jerusalem – Rav Ovadia Yosef Slams Charedi Women Who Are Wearing ‘Sheitels’

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    FILE - An Ultra Orthodox woman carrying a model wearing a wig crosses a street in Jerusalem. Photo by Nati Shohat /Flash90.Jerusalem – In his weekly address this Motzei Shabbos, Rav Ovadia Yosef chose to avoid the Palestinian issue completely and discuss an entirely different topic: sheitels, instructing women to cover their hair with a hat or a kerchief during Aseres Yemei Teshuva instead of wearing a sheitel.

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    The Rav singled out women of Gerrer Chassidus saying, “A women wears a sheitel. Why? There are Gerrer Chasidim who are lenient in this issue, as if Gerrer Chassidim are the whole world. This is not correct. Poskim have specifically said that wearing a sheitel is forbidden and is a very serious matter.”

    The Rav further cited rabbonim, from both the Ashkenazic and Sefardic worlds, that have forbidden sheitels, including the Vilna Gaon and the Chasam Sofer. “These great Rabbonim, their words don’t matter? Be warned: married women have an obligation to cover their hair with either a hat or a kerchief. Aseres Yemei Teshuva are coming, and you will be tested with this. It is vital that you act appropriately.”

    To further support his words, the Rav told a story of a couple who went to Rav Yisroel Abu Chatzeira, the Baba Sali for a bracha.

    The Baba Sali asked the husband, “Why is your wife wearing a sheitel?”

    “This is what people do,” responded the husband.

    “This is what people do?” retorted the Baba Sali incredulously.

    He turned to the woman and said, “Listen to me. When you get to the next world, they will burn you. They will start to burn you from your sheitel and then they will burn you completely.”

    Rav Ovadia Yosef continued, exhorting his listeners to be stringent during the upcoming Aseres Yemei Teshuva not only exchanging their sheitels for a hat or a kerchief but in other matters as well.

    “A man buys meat. Does he know what kind of meat he is buying? As long as it says kosher, he thinks it is good enough. He doesn’t make sure the meat is Basar Chalak, that it is meat that has Beis Yosef shechita. During the rest of the year, he can be forgiven for this, but during Aseres Yemei Teshuva, how can a person be so lenient? Yes, a person can do teshuva, but that is akin to someone who goes to purify himself in the mikvah while holding an impure insect in his hand. At least during these nine days of the year, a person should be careful to preserve this mitzvos to their fullest.”


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    79 Comments
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    Bukharian
    Bukharian
    13 years ago

    the major problem with todays sheitels is that they look much more prettier than their own hair, which attracts the opposite sex, the more expensive they are the more stylish you find it to be, it defeats the purpose of women and it’s tzienut regulations, what is wrong with covering your hair with tihel? i find it is much more sense just like many sefardim women do it.

    lovejerusalem
    lovejerusalem
    13 years ago

    I don’t believe that baba sali said that, and for the record the lubavitcher rebbe encouraged people to wear a shaitel, as it does not fall back like a kerchief, maybe it is sfardi minhag not to wear a shaitel, Elul is the time to focus on the good of yidden, not c’v the opposite

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Does he only take his foot out of his mouth to put the other one in?? When he says to a woman: “When you get to the next world, they will burn you. They will start to burn you from your sheitel and then they will burn you completely” he insults not only the heilege Gerrer Rebbe,Z’l, but all of the Gerrer chassidus and many other chassidus whose reabbonim have said a shteitel is mutar. Time for Rav Yosef to quietly retire and live out his remaining years in peace and QUIET.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Someone is trying to embarrass the rav. Chocnhom Ovadia would never have made such stupid comments. Perhaps one of his gabboim misquoted him but this is not funny and is a big chillul hashem since his comments contracdict the psak of most other gadolim and his lashon horah about the Gerrer is disgusting.

    benvin
    benvin
    13 years ago

    Could be that his words are referring to something entirely different which we don’t understand.

    Greener
    Greener
    13 years ago

    To No. 3:
    Nobody is misquoting Ovadia Yosef. These motzoei shabat talks are publicly broadcasted. 250 years ago there were no sheitels. Sheitels is a “chidush”. So for No. 1 to say it is a “sfardi minhag” not to wear sheitels is silly. For most of our history there were no sheitels to wear. Sheitels are a corruption. How about men wearing a toupee instead of a yarmulka?

    13 years ago

    Each to his own. The Rebbe told Lubavitch women & anyone who asked to wear a sheitel & that’s what I do. If other Frum Yidden hold by other Gedolim/Rebbeim/Poskim that’s their business.

    But to say we’ll burn? I’m shocked! Since the school debacle, things have gone from bad to worse with Rabbi Yosef’s exhortations. If his followers do this, good luck to them; they SHOULD listen. Meanwhile, I have to comb my sheitel out so it’s nice for Yom Tov.

    charliehall
    charliehall
    13 years ago

    This is not new. Rav Ovadiah has been consistent in his opinion that wigs are asur for decades. We think that a woman is more frum when she wears a wig; that isn’t true because when she covers with a hat or scarf she is in accordance with more halachic opinions.

    13 years ago

    ? Is the sheitel made from the hair of a male or a female?
    Was “the donor” living or dead?
    Is this custom a form of following in the ways of the Egyptians?
    What is wrong with covering the hair with a hat or scarf?

    chelm
    chelm
    13 years ago

    another pressing issue in the jewish community .

    ShatzMatz
    ShatzMatz
    13 years ago

    People outside our faith deride us for our “chelemer” minhag of wearing a shatel. If you believe that women are obligated to cover their hair, then it is plain silly to think that a shaitel fulfills the obligation. Today’s shaitels are much nicer than their natural hair. Strangers who don’t know better and comes into Boro Park are always bewildered that people in this neighborhood all have great hair. I once heard a muslim imam deriding us yidden for this silly custom. The way he said it made us sound like the biggest fools and the sad thing is that I could not disagree with him.

    Shmuli
    Shmuli
    13 years ago

    There are many Gedolim today who have pasknd that women should wear a shaitel, as opposed to a hat or kerchif. Do as your rav recommends! My wife has never set foot out of our home without a shaitel on her head, and please G-d she never will.

    charliehall
    charliehall
    13 years ago

    #5 ,

    It isn’t really true to say that 250 years ago there were no wigs; the became popular among non-Jews in western Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Four of the first five US Presidents wore wigs. Like fedora hats, this is a non-Jewish custom that we adopted.

    X
    X
    13 years ago

    He was certainly taken out of context. However if he wasn’t I don’t understand his need for mixing in to what Ashkenazim do. We have our own Rabbanim and Gedolim just as he is the Sephardi Gadol. If Rav Shteinman said this I would be shocked but I would take it seriously.

    NeveAliza
    NeveAliza
    13 years ago

    I think everyone agrees here that there are different views within the Poskim, different customs in different Jewish communities and an evolution (with a little “e”) over the generations. The issue is how the Halcha is transmitted.
    There is a famous משל of a Gadol who was well respected, very learned and had a huge following. Eventually, however, every time he opened his mouth something brash, insulting, and embarrassing came out. His followers began to question his judgement. I forgot the נמשל.

    ysgib
    ysgib
    13 years ago

    Rav Moshe Feinstein’s wife wore a sheitl. That’s good enough for me.

    Greener
    Greener
    13 years ago

    Hey, #17 , Charliehall, you say, “Four of the first five US Presidents wore wigs.” If I am not mistaken all the first 5 presidents of the USA were MEN. As were all those weird looking English noblemen and judges who wear those ridiculous things on their heads. The current discussion is about WOMEN. Ovadiah Yosef would not complain about you wearing a wig – he would probably plotz laughing.

    Glassman
    Glassman
    13 years ago

    Before the war, when the Satmar Rebbe was the Rabbi of a city, he would speak about shaitels. In his chassidishe kloiz, he said “it is forbidden to wear a shaitel”. Whereas in the main shul he said “women must go with a shaitel”. When today’s Chabad women wear tichels, quite a few of them leave some hair sticking out. It’s quite probable that is why the Rebbe preferred a shaitel because that guarranteed complete covering. It all depends which type of community

    mnmys1987
    mnmys1987
    13 years ago

    R. Ovaidah Yossef seems ignoring that when a community has a Minhag that has been approved by Talmidei Chakhomim, they shouldn’t bother that other communities act differently or hold different views. this is Torah. He may disagree with wearing a Sheitel and quote any Godol he wants, the fact is that there is no unanimity in that matter and other Poskim and Talmidei Chokhomim held and hold differently. Did you know that some put on tefilins on Yom Tov with a Brocho while other don’t, and some other put on tefilins on Yom Tov but b’li brocho? Each view is supported by different Poskim, therefore it’s Torah! Minhag Yisroel Torah!

    mnmys1987
    mnmys1987
    13 years ago

    Does Rabbi Yossef know that a hat does not cover hair at all?!

    scmaness
    scmaness
    13 years ago

    the lubavitchter rebbe did wear toupee when he was in france’s university the tests,as they did not allow a head covering,the rebbe studied at home,if a woman would like to feel good and encourage other women to cover her hair then a wig is the best,times have changed,as you can see with our youth

    DonielS
    DonielS
    13 years ago

    1. The Gemara at the end of Sanhedrin talks about the Sheitels of the Tzadikot of an Ir Hanidachat – so (1) sheitels not not new and (2) Tzadikim let their wives wear them.

    2. Rav Eliyashiv is quoted forbidding SOME overly girly-looking sheitels. There’s a video of him talking about “when Reb Yitzchak Blazer (aka Rav Itzele Peterburger b.1837 d.1907) came to Jerusalem his wife wore a sheitel”. So the Gedolim of previous generations did allow it.

    3. Keep in mind that if you forbid sheitels then many married women will go around bare-headed. Is that better?

    Maran HoRav Ovadia Yosef shlita is talking to HIS audience and that has no bearing on the rest of us.

    amicable
    amicable
    13 years ago

    seriously, this is all complete and utter nonsense, and i suspect he knows this.

    What about more important things like more Honesty in business and money-dealing, paying workers on time, (as one who is in a service business, it is apparent to me that conservative and reform jews pay on time more consistently than orthodox), conquering one’s anger, having a more spiritual connection i.e. more kavvana during davening, less loshon hora, being Mevatter (‘letting go/more easygoing’) more often in disputes, being more generous, etc.

    I find it absolutely incredible when I see people I know, farfrummte people, writing out tzedaka checks like it was nothing for $360+….what a beautiful thing. But that beautiful thing is disgusting when the same individual will pay a true debt of $400 six months late. It shows he is only willing to satisfy his own needs – – it makes this individual feel good to give to a poor person so he gives freely. But paying a legitimate debt (whether it be to the Window guy, the Plumber, or his/her Accountant or Lawyer) does not make him feel good, so paying that late is ok. Well it’s not OK.

    Its R”H people. Wake up.

    anon1m0us
    anon1m0us
    13 years ago

    My wife wears a shaitel and if she burns for it, I’ll be right next to her roasting marshmellows together.

    ps. Does a neshama have a shaitel?

    Greener
    Greener
    13 years ago

    Hey, Scmaness No. 29, you write, “the lubavitchter rebbe did wear toupee when he was in france’s university”. That is not surprising. He was 100% bald already then – a lot of bald people wear toupees.

    simplelogic
    simplelogic
    13 years ago

    Anyone who suggests that a sheitel is a new chidush doesn’t know what he or she is talking about. It is a befireshe gemara in Nazir daf 28 umed 2 right before the mishna. In fact this is one of the main sources that the daas hamatirim cite as evidence that it is ok to wear a sheitel. The daas huosrim disagree and say there is ne reiye from that gemureh. Secondly, it make a huge difference whether the women who wears a sheitel shaves her head or not. If one shaves and has no hair anyway a sheitel is mutar for her according to vast majority of rabanim. If one does not shave then she is in a more of a dangerous territory of going with open hair and therfore is required by rov poskim to wear a tichel rather than a sheitel. Las but not least, would be nice to hear something about tznius in general from ovadye yosef and especcialy to his sephardic community. Anyone who is remotely familiar with how they look these days would think that their rabanim are either blind and don’t see what they look like, or are just plain rotten and don’t care tell them to mend their ways. Let him first talk about issues that are prohibited not by some but by ALL rabanim and by ALL poskim since they day we stood on har sinai.

    Sociologist
    Sociologist
    13 years ago

    For something that is tangentially derived from the Torah and is probably not das Moshe how it has taken on such halachic ramifications is amazing. People shoould get worked up over bigger issues, like stealing, slander and lashon harah..

    Dr. E
    Dr. E
    13 years ago

    When I was first married, my wife wore sheitlach. When we had to start paying Yeshiva tuition and parnassa was tight, I told my wife that it was more important to pay full tuition and ensure that our kids’ Rabbiem and Moirois get paid than continuing to buy sheitlach we can’t afford and asking for tuition breaks. I told her that she could rely on the fact that many of the wives of the Litvishe Roshei Yeshiva in Europe did not cover their hair.

    ShatzMatz
    ShatzMatz
    13 years ago

    to 32
    Actually, yes. It probably is better for a woman to go uncovered than to go with a shaitel. First of all, as I stated above, a shaitel is made up to look much better than her hair. it can be longer a more alluring. Secondly, by putting on a shaitel she is doing an avaireh ‘bkum veasay’. By going uncovered it is only ‘shev veal taaseh’.

    No heter can be derived from the fact that the mishna and gemara mention ‘peas nuchris’. Obviously, those wigs were worn beneath a veil in public. The gemara has a cheshash that a woman will take it off on the street to show her friend. Which woman would take off her shaitel in public?! It is obvious that in those days it was worn under a veil. It had nothing to do with tznius. It was worn by woman who had lost their hair due to desease or severe lice infestation.

    13 years ago

    In my opinion taking sheitels out of the equation will only cause problems between husband and wife. Nowadays were the tava is greater then it’s ever been husbands may look elswere if there not attracted to there 25 year old wife who looks like a 75 year old Bubby. It can cause more serious problems then, gasp! A woman actually looking attractive for her husband at all times wich may gasp! Help him refrain from ever thinking about another woman in an innapropriate way. But it’s all good as long as the rampant child molesting and money laundering are a non issue, trying to make ones wife look as unattractive as possible and gasp! Concerts will be the issue of all issues.

    basmelech
    basmelech
    13 years ago

    I believe it is most probably wrong to wear a sheitel, especially today’s sheitel which look nothing like the horse hair sheitel of yesteryear. However I think a lot of women who would prefer going sheitelless, only wear sheitels because of peer pressure and if everyone would stop wearing a sheitel they would gladly do so, (like me). I wish more mainstream rabbonim would speak out against sheitel wearing. It is true that wearing a sheitel covers the hair better than a head covering which exposes the hair, but, that does not mean sheitels are better. Women should be more careful about letting their hair show.

    ExpatriateOwl
    ExpatriateOwl
    13 years ago

    Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s statements do not represent the position of the Israeli government!

    CommonSense
    CommonSense
    13 years ago

    The reason why we cover hair has nothing to do with beauty.

    There’s a certain intimacy of ones own natural hair..it’s considered an ervah.

    The Torah has nothing against women looking beautiful.

    According to some of the comments I’m reading here..one might say that since the average middle aged woman looks far better dressed in their fancy gowns then without clothes at all..then aren’t they defeating the purpose??

    13 years ago

    Baruch Hashem, I am not a follower of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, but a follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl, and Rav Moshe Feinstein, z’tl on this issue. It is a shame that a leader would choose to cause machlokes among klal yisroel, especially before Rosh Hoshana. It has been said that before Moshiach becomes, there will be many Rabbis that will prevent him from coming, C”V. Today’s Jewish leaders or rabbis must encourage achdus to end galus. Issues that will only cause machlokes will only prolong it, c’v.

    Lonelyking
    Lonelyking
    13 years ago

    My 2 cents is simple. All of the posters so far are totally missing the point. It’s funny, actually.
    To understand better, there is no doubt, there are different poskim. And don’t we say this and this is the word of the Living God?!!
    Imagine, Chabad – who accidentally talks to a vastly larger amount of people — would start to say, it’s assur to shave, assur to trim, assur chalav akkum, you genius litvisher poster all going to burn in Hell!
    What utter nonsense! Chabad, with the Rebbe’s instruction intentionally would not say that shaving, trimming, chalav stam is assur. It will not challange anybody in their minhag, as long as it is daas Torah!
    A lot of different poskim approved of sheitels. For one, my wife said to separate from the aravim y’shz sefardic women should not be wearing mitpachat, that makes the difference that we are Yidden not so easy to see. A tzniusdik woman in a shaitel is always considered Jewish, since goyim today do not dress tzniusdik in general.
    All in all, posters don’t think you are poskim, that anyone cares or follows your psek-in-vin-comment!
    A gut gebenchte Yohr, please try to stop being right(er) over your fellow Yid!
    We need achdus, acceptance less fire of burning and more fire of ahavat yisrael!
    Am yisrael chai!

    chamdas
    chamdas
    13 years ago

    I’d like to hear from ovadya yosef how people who make hisgares b’eimas & are saying that all Palestinians should be killed burn in hell, does the devil start from the mouth he spewed the hate or from the brain where he first thought of it.

    13 years ago

    “You wiil burn”

    And he knows this, how?????

    josebar
    josebar
    13 years ago

    I am looking at a pix of the Chofeyz Chaim and his wife ,shes wearing a sheitel–case closed- A Rav who was imployed by the Zionist Government has NO daas Torah for Torah Yidden–Good yomtov

    13 years ago

    to shatzmatz,because an iman has a certain opinion re sheitels that should bother me!!!! i’m incredulous! the bottom line is each of us has our own rabonim.you do what your rav says and i try to do what my rav says and we can still have derech eretz and ahavas yirorl for each other.

    13 years ago

    can’t people take into consideration how hard it is for a newly-married woman to cover her hair at all? as a man, I can’t. I also can’t imagine why all these people don’t even try. why? its not “mehudar” enough for them

    13 years ago

    to #38 ,och un vay !don’t brag about your OWN decision that tzneeus is less important then other things.tzneus is foundational to the existence of klal yiroel!!!

    13 years ago

    hey #29 and35,you have no idea what your talking about! it’s better to remain quiet then speak and prove your foolihness .

    Emes-
    Emes-
    13 years ago

    Could Rav Ovadya perhaps be talking about sheitals that are attracting and not attractive. Many great Rabbis feel feel this could be a difference. Another point, a sheital usually covers all the hair and a hat or scarf possibly shows hair. This opinion was held by mant great Rabbies.

    Glassman
    Glassman
    13 years ago

    (Reply to 47) “It says saar beisha erva”

    shlomozalman
    shlomozalman
    13 years ago

    You got to love it when the shoe is on the other foot. All the holier than thou Bais Yaakov girls rant and rave about their heilige tznius, no shells, four inches, blah blah…,and of course the ultimate in tznius, the sexy human hair sheitel, available from your I-demand-a -size-two-for-my-son shvigger. For them, there is no other legitimate opinion.
    So now here comes Rav Ovadiah once again (to those who know, this is old stuff for him) and lets them know that as far as he’s concerned, they are the ultimate in pritzus.
    How does the shoe feel, little tzadeikises?

    13 years ago

    You are not just talking about a Rav giving an opinion here. His words, if truly they are attributable to him, are careless, offensive and reflects extremely poorly on hos character. I am sorry but a persons title or position does not automatically mean that he deserves respect. Have we become non-thinking automatons. Do we not have enough sechel that one a Rav maligns an entire groups of holy yidden including the great Rebbes of gerer and Lubavitch and others, people much greater than he could ever be, that we say we can’t question him or show disrespect. He has disrespected himself there really is nothing that we should have to add except that it clear that the standard for Jewish leadership is sickening.

    13 years ago

    This is not a mere matter of a Rav giving an opinion. His words are disgusting.

    Rifka
    Rifka
    13 years ago

    To all those who say that sheitels look nicer than hair, so what? Is there a prohibiton for women to look nice? I would say, quite the contrary, a woman is supposed to look as beautiful as possible, within the confines of tsnius.
    Hair is begeder of erva, even ugly hair is not allowed.

    independent_mind
    independent_mind
    13 years ago

    1. for a woman to cover her hair is first and foremost a CHOK!!! for those of you who are going to laugh and say i dont know, check it out first!
    2. the mekor from the torah that a woman needs to cover her hair is in parshas sota. it doesnt even command the hair covering, the chachomim learn from the passuk that she needed to uncover her hair before she drank from what the cohein gadol prepared for her.
    3. if we accept that it is a chok and the reason given that its for tznius is only a probable EXPLANATION and not de facto REASON then who is to say how she shoudl cover her hair?
    4. saar isha erva is not the same status as the body of a woman. they womans body is an erva from when she is a young girl, its a physical erva. the hair is a SPIRITUAL erva and not attractive like body parts of a woman, that is why a woman shoudlnt go with tight clothes so you shoudl see her PHYSICAL erva, yet her hair which she must only cover once she is married has an entirely different status and thus must be COVERED but no one is to say how.

    having said that, for the sephardic community it has been assur from far back to cover with hair, so we cannot laugh at them

    sane
    sane
    13 years ago

    The wives of the American Gedolim wore sheitlach.