Arts 1 Entertainment

Dissecting A Mitzvah

New book investigates the commandment
for Jewish wives to cover their hair,
and the whys and the ways they do so.

The woman in question is a suspected adulteress
and the uncovering (some minority interpretations
translate the word paruah to mean unbraid or
dishevel, not uncover) of her hair is orchestrated to
hen author Lynne Schreiber, newly
be an embarrassing echo of things she would have
observant and engaged to be married,
done in an adulterous relationship.
decided to follow the mitzvah to
From this one verse and ensuing rabbinic inter-
cover her hair after her wedding, she
pretations, the laws and customs instructing mar-
sought in vain for books on the subject.
ried women to cover their hair are drawn.
"Everything I do in my observance is new," says
the Oak Park resident.
Rabbi Reuven Spolter sees an increase in the
"The way I approach things is that I want to
number of married women observing this mitzvah
learn everything I can about it and
in his congregation, Young Israel of Oak Park.-
then decide what's right for me.
"I am excited about
But I couldn't find a halachic (reli-
Lynne's book," he says,
s NN
gious) book with any of the laws
"because it represents
or even something academic writ-
hair covering in such a
ten by a rabbi."
positive, nuanced man-
Voicing her bewilderment to an
ner. It gives people who
acquaintance, she was told, "Well,
never cover their hair a
you're a writer. Write a book!"
lot to think about. It
Schreiber recalls laughing at the
gives a glimpse into some
e
challenge, but she ultimately fol-
of the challenges and
lowed the suggestion.
benefits that women find
k e
Her book, Hide 6. Seek, Jewish
when they perform this
Women and Hair Covering (Urim
mitzvah."
iinj 1 Lir (70Vi,rit113
Publications; $24.95), includes
The challenges are
essays by two dozen women, six of
great. A woman's hair
them local: Esther Posner and
defines her, beautifies
Susan Tawil of Southfield; Miriam
her. And because of its
Apt, Khaya Eisenberg and Mirjam
power to attract atten-
Gunz-Schwarcz of Oak Park; and
tion, observant Jews con-
metro Detroit resident Julie
sider a married woman's
Hauser. Former Detroiters Yael
hair to be erva (sensual),
Weil of Los Angeles and Rachel
equal in its erotic poten-
(Karlin) Kuhr of Tel Aviv also con-
tial as other private parts.
"The goal of this book is not to tell
tribute.
But how does a
women,how to cover their hair, but to
In addition to the stories of
woman
relate to herself
get all of us thinking and talking —
women who have embraced the
once her hair no longer
and learning," writes Schreiber.
mitzvah of hair covering, the book
frames her face? What does
also includes challenging essays call-
it mean to keep her hair
ing into question both halachic
hidden from all public
view, rarely to let it be mussed by the wind or
interpretations of the mitzvah and the customs that
warmed by the sun?
have grown up around it.
How does one cover? With a shaitel (wig) or a
hat? A scarf? A shaitel topped by a hat lest one's
Biblical Source
shaitel is mistaken for actual hair? What about a
snood?
The commandment for a married woman to cover
Some sources say a hat that allows a tefach, a
her hair arises from one slender verse in Torah.
hand's breadth of hair, to show is permissible while
Numbers 5: 18 (Parshat Naso) reads, "And he [the
others forbid even that.
priest] shall uncover the head of the woman."
The most liberal advocates of hair covering mere-
Debra B. Darvick is a Birmingham-based freelance
ly require a married woman to braid her hair or
writer. Her book, "This Jewish Life: Stories of
keep it secured by barrettes. And in the strictest of
Discovery, Connection and Joy," will be published
communities, married women shave their heads and
by Eakin Press in May.
then cover them with scarves.

DEBRA B. DARVICK
Special to the Jewish News

IV

"

.3/14

2003

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Schreiber includes in her book a touching essay
by a woman who follows this strictest interpretation
of the law as well an essay by Erica Brown that calls
for serious discussion on why many Orthodox
women either do not or have ceased to cover their
hair.

A Sensitive Subject

Few rabbis returned repeated calls from the Jewish
News to discuss the issues surrounding the mitzvah
of hair covering.
Likewise, very few women agreed to speak on
record, saying they felt the entire topic was too per-
sonal to discuss in a public forum. Others said they
feared censure from their community or being mis-
understood by the public at large.
Even in Schreiber's book, five of the women who
wrote used pseudonyms.
Several others did explain their reasons for cover-
ing — or not covering — their hair in interviews
with the Jewish News .
Jill Greenbaum of Southfield, who belongs to
Young Israel of Southfield, an Orthodox shul, is
among numerous Orthodox women in her congre-
gation who do not cover their hair.
"I live my life a certain way," she told the Jewish
News. "I keep Shabbat; I keep kosher — but I do
wear pants. As far as covering my head, it's not
important enough for me to take it on, and it's not
important enough to my husband. But I respect
people who do."
Laya Crust, an artist who lives in Toronto, says
she "did some very basic looking into it" (whether
or not to cover her hair) when she got married.
In Jewish sacred writings, "it seems there are only
two places that say anything about a woman's head
covering," she says. "In Tanach (the Bible), from
the passage in Naso, it is assumed married women
covered their hair; therefore we have to cover our
hair.
"Historically, women did cover their hair at that
time, in that place, but it was nothing to do with
rabbinic law or Torah law. It was the way people
dressed."
A second passage is in the Talmud, Crust says. It
concerns a woman named Kimhit, whose sons all
became Kohanim.
"She was asked why she has this honor," Crust
relates, "and she replied, 'Even the beams of my
roof haven't seen the hair on my head.' But that's
not even from Torah — it's in Talmud."
Crust and her husband, Les Lightstone, have six
children and attend an Orthodox shul. The family
keeps kosher and is shomer Shabbat (Sabbath
observant).
However, she says, "I want more proof that this is
what God intended for us."

Worth. The Sacrifice

For use Roberg of Oak Park, "a shaitel is a sign of
dependability. [It] says, 'Here lives somebody you
can depend on.' I wear this in observance of God's
commandments. It's a big sacrifice to wear a shaitel,
no question."
Raised in pre-war Germany, Roberg lived a secular