Why do Jewish people wear wigs?

Question

My best friend in 6th grade was Jewish, his mother wore the most god awful wig that looked like something the cat brought up. I also used to live in a predominately Jewish neighborhood and its just something I noticed.

Answer 1

First of all, most Jewish people do not wear wigs. However, some married women who are Orthodox or Ultra-Orthodox will wear a wig as a headcovering because it is believed that the sight of her hair may be sexually arousing. This was based in early Talmudic times when to expose the hair was considered a humilitation. (Numbers 5:18). If fact, at one point, to appear in public without your head covered was grounds for divorce. Also, some Orthodox women will shave their heads before marrying based upon Deutoronomy 21:12, which describes what a women should do should be taken captive in wartime and become her captor's wife. The removal of the hair and covering her scalp (or hair) by a wig or a cloth was a symbol of her married status. Some very Orthodox women will also cover the wig with a cloth so as not to imply to men that the wig is really their hair and to lead to arousal or the misconception that they are not married.

This is covered in The Second Jewish Book of Why, by Alfred J. Kolatch. Jonathan David Publishers, Inc. Copyright 2000.

Answer 2

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RE:
Why do Jewish people wear wigs?
My best friend in 6th grade was Jewish, his mother wore the most god awful wig that looked like something the cat brought up. I also used to live in a predominately Jewish neighborhood and its just something I noticed.

Answer 3

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The law is that a married woman (it's married Jewish women, not al Jewish women) are supposed to cover their hair. Some women choose to wear a sheitel (wig), which according to some authorities is proper, and according to some is not (their objections are probably the same as yours). That being said, there are some factors to consider: 1) A regular wig almost never looks as nice as a woman's own hair (and it never looks "exactly the same"). There's something about a woman's hair that, for whatever factor, is a key factor in her own sensuality. 2) A lot of wigs are made from real human hair, and some of them are in fact very nice, and VERY expensive. It happens that some women end up covering up with hair that looks even better than their own. Many poskim (Jewish legal authorities) who encourage the wearing of sheitelach, discourage this sort of extravagance. Again, the rule is that she must keep her hair covered - there is no rule saying she can't cover it up in a way that it still looks like hair. A more interesting question, I think, is whether a man wearing a toupee is fulfilling the commandment to keep his head covered (men aren't obligated to cover their hair, but they are required to wear a headcovering), even though it may appear he is not. Personally, I kind of agree with you that it seems silly, but it is permitted. My hope is that the woman I end up marrying is down with headscarves and the like, partly because of the reasons we've discussed, partly because it would save me thousands of dollars, and partly because I think they can look quite nice, while maintaining a proper Jewish sense of decorum. That being said, since she's the one who will have to deal with it every day, I'll leave the decision to her, the same way she wouldn't tell me what kind of yarmulke I have to wear. Now, as for the second part of your question: "If the person that gave the hair died doesn't it make it wrong to wear that person's hair?" This question assumes that the hair was alive when the person who cut it was alive, and it died with her. That's an interesting, if weird, assumption. The hair never was alive. In fact, two parts of the human body that are associated with klipah (a type of spiritual impurity linked to death) are the hair and the finger/toenails. The property that these things all share in common is that they are dead. They grow out of living tissue, but they themselves are not alive in any sense of the word. It doesn't hurt to get your hair cut, unless you're a terrible barber - your hair doesn't have blood pumping through it, or nerve endings with which to feel. So, seeing as the hair is already dead to begin with, it doesn't make sense that when the person to whom it was once attached dies, that suddenly the hair should become "deader". I mean, if someone donated a kidney to someone else, and one day the kidney donor died, would the the person who received the organ experience kidney failure? All that being said, would it be shave the hair from the head of a dead body and fashion a wig from it? I can't give a definitive answer because I am not a rabbi, but I would guess that this would not be permitted. And even if it were permitted, you shouldn't do it because it's creepy and weird. I hope you find this information helpful.

Answer 4

There's a big misconception out there that Jewish married women are not supposed to look good, and that's why they cover their hair. Well, it's not true. In fact, some women look better in their wigs than they did with their natural hair. Like many things in Judaism, this is based on Judaism's spiritual understanding of life. 1. Hair is sensual (I don't care how beautiful a wig looks, it never has the appeal that natural hair does). Judaism celebrates the intimacy between man and wife and wants the couple to promote that specialness. So, if her hair is only available for her husband to see, it makes it special to both of them (of course, the same goes for other sensuous parts of her, or for that matter his, body too). 2. Kabbalah has a deeper, more subtle take on this: Hair has a powerful spiritual significance. Jewish men are taught to grow their beards, women cover their hair, the Nazirite of ancient times would grow his hair as a sign of dedication to G-d, the Levites had to shave all their hair before service in the Temple, Samson's power was associated with his locks, the prophet Samuel never cut his hair and Joseph was criticized by his brothers for combing his hair too often. All that alludes to the fact that hair has spiritual relevance. Hair is like a spiritual conductor that can attract either positive or negative energy. A woman's hair is holy, it's a spiritual conductor. Marriage is a very holy experience, so once a woman is married, her hair is reserved for bringing spiritual energy into that marriage- and she keeps it clear from picking up negative energy on the street.

Answer 5

Only Will has a clue. It is the same theory as why Muslim women are all covered up. Some very religious married Jewish women wear a wig to make them LESS attractive to other men.

Answer 6

Some married Orthodox Jewish women wear wigs as a way to modestly cover their hair.

Answer 7

The hair-covering was never intended to make a married woman look ugly. Beauty is a divine gift, and Jewish tradition encourages both men and women to care for their appearance and always look presentable. Jewish tradition also encourages modesty; not in order to detract from our beauty, but rather to channel our beauty and attractiveness so it be saved for where it belongs -- within marriage.

By covering her hair, the married woman makes a statement: "I am not available. You can see me but I am not open to the public. Even my hair, the most obvious and visible part of me, is not for your eyes."

The hair-covering has a profound effect on the wearer. It creates a psychological barrier, a cognitive distance between her and strangers. Her beauty becomes visible but inconspicuous; she is attractive but unavailable.

Answer 8

According to Jewish Law (Halacha), which is observed by most Orthodox Jewsand some Conservative Jews, married women are supposed to cover their head/hair. Some women cover their hair with a wig. Usually the wigs are quite nice, but I guess not always. Some women cover their hair with hats, scarves, bandanas.

Answer 9

My mother wears a wig and it doesnt look horrible, they actually look really nice. Maybe the girls mom couldnt afford a nice wig, so hers was bad... It also depends idf u get european wig, custom wig, costume wig... Jewish married women wear wigs for modesty

Answer 10

religious Jews wear wigs because their heads need to be covered due to modesty reasons. The prettiest way is to do it naturally...