Head Coverings

[anisavta]

This is a very good video on head covering.
"What to Wear on My Hair?" - Jew in the City Episode 1 - YouTube

 

[ananda]

Is there any Scriptural commandment to cover one's head?

Not in the Tanach ... Head coverings for males is rabbinic law, and not stated in the Tanach.

Thank you ChavaK

 

[JRSut1000]

Head coverings for ALL males or JUST for the levitical priests?

Concerning women, I dont see it anywhere in Torah. I myself have struggled with the headcovering debate multiple times. I tried it for a while but I dont wear one anymore. I dont find it mandatory. I think if more people would wear it, I certainly wouldnt mind but as I dont see it in Torah I wont worry about it for now.

If you (devri) decide to wear one, that's perfectly fine. I do think it's a matter of conscience and culture.

 

[Desert Rose]

..............Denax I'd say go ahead and wear the snood. Start a trend. First time I went to Israel and brought back several pretty scarves, I felt awkward because I was the only one wearing them to shul. I thought I was out of place - until I prepared for my next trip and several of the ladies put in their order with me and wanted me to show them how I tied them.

thats a great idea. I'd LOVE to wear them to work if it was acceptable nowadays... rolling of bed with 40 min to get to work and having curly hair? it doesnt see a comb until evening, just make a bun stick a pencil in it

I wouldnt say i envy ultraorthodox ladies that wear it all the time - the israeli ones I rather pity, american ones I dont know enough to determine what they are. But women of old surely were smarter! So much time and effort is saved on not having to hassle with hairstyling by wearing headcover.

 

[Devri]

thats a great idea. I'd LOVE to wear them to work if it was acceptable nowadays... rolling of bed with 40 min to get to work and having curly hair? it doesnt see a comb until evening, just make a bun stick a pencil in it

I wouldnt say i envy ultraorthodox ladies that wear it all the time - the israeli ones I rather pity, american ones I dont know enough to determine what they are. But women of old surely were smarter! So much time and effort is saved on not having to hassle with hairstyling by wearing headcover.

AMEN!!! Bad hair days??? No more!! My husband has even come to the point where he will pick one our for me to wear for the day. (Makes him feel involved I guess). I found a pattern, started making them and have MANY! I feel "snooderific" hahahaha!!

 

[ChavaK]

Yes I do consider them the same

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't sure what the NT says, to me head covering
is similar to what a man wears, covers the top of the head but not the hair.
For women, it's hair covering, which of course includes covering all the
hair. Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

However, I've seen Messianics that wear a scarf on the head but have most
of their hair exposed. That's why I wanted to clarify your view.

 

[zaksmummy]

I dont wear any head covering except when its cold

 

[ChavaK]

I dont wear any head covering except when its cold

Since it's not expressly stated in the Tanach covering the hair is required,
I don't think it's an issue for non-Jews. Keeping the head covered when
it's cold (or rainy) is practical!

 

[Devri]

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't sure what the NT says, to me head covering
is similar to what a man wears, covers the top of the head but not the hair.
For women, it's hair covering, which of course includes covering all the
hair. Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

However, I've seen Messianics that wear a scarf on the head but have most
of their hair exposed. That's why I wanted to clarify your view.

There are Messianics in my congregation that do the same but I do what I feel in my spirit is correct. I cover my entire head.

 

[Devri]

I dont wear any head covering except when its cold

It's all personal. It's like...to some people having wine with dinner is just fine. To me, it is not. Some people think it's ok to smoke...to me it is not. Is it right for me to impose my beiefs on others merely because I believe it? I don't think so. Every person must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. So, if you feel it is not necessary to wear a head covering then for you it is not necessary.

 

[yedida]

When I first began this walk I wore a snood and/or a scarf, but I honestly got tired of explaining that I was not Muslim (that was people's first thought) nor Jewish. Added to that, is the fact that unless the temp around me is very very cool I overheat with anything on my head or feet (I can't even keep shoes on, and most of the time not even socks) and go into bad asthma attacks.
Most people grow out of asthma, somehow for me, it tends to get worse and worse as the years go by (probably the COPD in conjunction with the asthma). Anyway, that kind of took care of the issue for me. I don't put anything on my head or try to cover my hair at all now, except once in a while during worship services till I begin to overheat.

 

[ChavaK]

When I first began this walk I wore a snood and/or a scarf, but I honestly got tired of explaining that I was not Muslim (that was people's first thought) nor Jewish.

Exactly....I have a friend who switched to hats because she got tired of
explaining she wasn't a Muslim and she wasn't a cancer patient.
To me, tzunius includes not drawing attention to yourself, which
I think wearing a snood or scarf does.

 

[xDenax]

Does it bother you what people think?

Yes, it does.

Still, I didn't wear them out in public, only to synagogue. But then things changed and I started feeling different when I wore them.

I wouldn't cover my hair all the time time. Neither my community nor Rabbi requires it, my husband hates it it and I don't feel the need to do it.

 

[xDenax]

This is the snood I have. It's not completely solid so I wouldn't wear it just anywhere if my purpose was to cover my hair entirely. For me, it's fine. It itches my ears though so I need to come up with something to fix that.

 

[xDenax]

Now, I like to do this in the winter but because of my fibromyalgia I'm always really achy. Unfortunately, the weight of the bun causes pain in my head, neck and back. I've only been able to do this a few times and by the time I get home I'm hurting quite a bit so I gave up. I was able to find a pretty winter hat so that works. I need another one I think.

 

[anisavta]

Very pretty. Perhaps a satin ribbon sewn as a border around the front?

 

[ChavaK]

This is the snood I have. It's not completely solid so I wouldn't wear it just anywhere if my purpose was to cover my hair entirely. For me, it's fine. It itches my ears though so I need to come up with something to fix that.

It's very pretty! I would think something like that would
be fine to wear in public because it doesn't look "snoodish".

 

[ChavaK]

So much time and effort is saved on not having to hassle with hairstyling by wearing headcover.

Plus, older ladies don't have to worry about coloring their hair

 

[anisavta]

Tznius.com - Modest Clothing, Headscarf and Jewish Clothing

Crown and butterfly are my favorite ways to wear scarves.

 

[xDenax]

It's very pretty! I would think something like that would
be fine to wear in public because it doesn't look "snoodish".

I actually have worn it in public to run errands, etc. I get concerned that I will come across as thinking I'm better than the other women who do not cover their head or hair. Maybe that's silly but that's been my issue with wearing it to services. It comes back to that drawing attention to oneself thing. If nobody else wears them, I will stick out. Now, like you said the one I have doesn't look "snoodish" so I would hopefully not stick out as much.

The way my hair is falling out I am not surprised if eventually I start wearing wigs.