Head Chabad Rabbi Wants "Immodestly" Dressed Women Photographed

"Some women come to bring their children to school without a shaitel (wearing a tichel instead)," he said, also noting the insufficient lengths of sleeves and skirts. T"he point is not to embarrass these ladies in a any way. We just want to the Kfar to have a chassidishe environment and the Rebbe emphasized wearing a shaitel." Rabbi Ashkenazi said his wife will be going through the photos and personally inviting women seen in the photos for a a personal 'pep talk'.

 

Kfar Chabad Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi told COLlive his plan to have untznius women photographed is not to embarass them.
COLlive

Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi, Rov of the Kfar Chabad village in central Israel, has had it with local women who are not adhering to the chassidic dress code.

The rabbi and author of acclaimed halachic compilations has gathered the principals of the girls schools and preschools this past Motzei Shabbos to discuss tznius standards.

"Some women come to bring their children to school without a shaitel (wearing a tichel instead)," he said, also noting the insufficient lengths of sleeves and skirts.

During the meeting he suggested hiring a female photographer who would photograph women in questionable clothing when they drop off their kids at school.

In a phone conversation with COLlive.com on Monday, Rabbi Ashkenazi said his wife will be going through the photos and personally inviting women seen in the photos for a a personal 'pep talk'.

"My Rebbetzin will look at the photos. If she does identify who is in it, she will then speak to them about the importance of modesty," he said.

Asked why he chose this course of action, the rabbi answered: "Do you have any other suggestions for me? I have written a letter a few times without any results."

He added that "the point is not to embarass these ladies in a any way. We just want to the Kfar to have a chassidishe environment and the Rebbe emphasized wearing a shaitel."

Kfar Chabad, the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the Holy Land, was founded by the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, on Iyar 21 of 1949.

Residing in the village is dependant on an appointed committee, and residents are required to sign an agreement to follow a set of rules and regulations.

The Mayor of Kfar Chabad, Binyomin "Yami" Lifshitz told the haredi website bhol.co.il that the issue "was not merely immodest clothing, but rather chassidic standards of dress."

First of all, there are real halakhic issues with wearing a sheitel, wig. Many haredi poskim prefer women do not wear wigs, preferring instead that they completely cover their hair with a tichel, a type of beret-like cap made out of malleable material.

In fact, one of the prominent authorities who rules this was is the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, who was a well-known halakhic (Jewish law) authority.

Most hasidic groups require women to wear a wig with a hat worn on top of it.

Yeshivish (i.e., non-hasidic haredim) rabbis generally allow wigs but prefer tichels, and many women from yeshivish communities were tichels except for special occasions or when working outside the haredi community.

Sefardim, following the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, will not wear wigs at all.

All Chabad rebbes before the last one wanted women to wear tichels, not wigs.

Modern Orthodox do any of the above or, if their hair is not long, do not cover it at all. In Israel, Orthodox Zionist women heavily favor tichels.

Many major halakhic authorities bad wearing wigs that make a woman's hair look more attractive than it really is. Human hair wigs are especially frowned own.

As you can see from the above, no one besides Chabad under the last rebbe wants women to wear wigs but not tichels.

Why?

Because there is no halakhic support for the Rebbe's position.

The Rebbe was not a posek (authority on Jewish law), and halakha wasn't something he was overly concerned with. (Before you knee jerk Rebbe-defenders get all worked up, remember there are a number of letters in the Rebbe's own hand where he wroites that he is not a posek.)

At any rate, his position on wigs was to encourage women to wear them because otherwise many would not regularly cover their hair at all. That was also his rationale for allowing wigs that are far and above more beautiful than a woman's real hair.

While the halakhic validity of his opinions can (and probably should be) be debated, one thing seems absolutely clear: Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi has turned wearing a wig as opposed to a tichel into some bizarre type of affinity test for Chabad women, and has attached to that accusations of immodesty that do not apply.

None of the wives of the first three Chabad-Lubavitch rebbes would be properly and modestly dressed according to Rabbi Ashkenazi.

And that speaks volumes about Rabbi Ashkenazi's qualifications as a posek or as a town rabbi.

 

Comments

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Wigs are useless with regards to modesty.

The concept of covering the hair is to make a woman seem less attractive, therefore not raising anyone's attention, or turning heads.

But the wigs are often nicer and sexier than the womens natural hair, hence the original purpose is rendered non valid.

[Adam Neira]

I do not believe a woman has to wear a wig. A woman can if she wants to but she must not be compelled to. I really don't care less what sort of clothes people wear either. Modesty is in the eye of the beholder as much as the beholden. Swimming is a case in point. There is nothing better swimming in the sea on a nice summer's day. For a man normal bathers and for a woman a one piece or a bikini is very comfortable to wear. They allow freedom of movement. You can also be at the beach and be surrounded by people in bathers/bikinis and not be “turned to lustful thoughts”. I really do think that some people are ashamed of their bodies and thus hide behind a certain type of dress/uniform as part of a sect’s ruling which is an excuse. The prophecies are crystal clear that when the Messianic Era is up and running people will not be ashamed of their bodies.

[Steven]

Adam if you or others want to go the beach with lots of bikinis around that's your choice, (swim between the flags :) but don't try to raionalize your actions (freedom of movement) or legitimize what is plainly not allowed.

[Adam Neira]

To Steven,

I'm not rationalising. Once you reach a certain point of self actualisation you view others differently. Untraumatised children will relate to each other in a non sexual manner but will obviously be curious about the physical appearance of others. An evolved person can separate and delineate the thoughts and perceptions they may have about another.

Let me explain...

A wise therapist who has done a lot of self healing knows how to empathise with another human being. They can actually "see" the deeper levels or layers of a person. Calcified, untrained, wooden adults fail to realise such depths. Empathy is one of the most underestimated qualities of humankind. People respect charm, intelligence and chutzpah but empathy is sadly neglected. We actually need more people on the world stage with great empathetic skills.

How this relates to being on the beach with your family and their being people in bathers/bikinis near you is that it is possible to look at another person and respect a healthy body yet still be able to switch off/move on from/transcend any inappropriate thoughts. This can be done without lying to yourself or kidding yourself. It is not like putting the Yetzer Hara in a cupboard and pretending it is not peeking through the cracks. When you are self actualised enough the Yezer Hara loses its power very quickly. It takes practice and discipline to reach this state of being. This perspective may be beyond your comprehension. It is hard to know how someone higher on the mountain sees things. I am happy to sit with anyone and explain more about the subject of perception. The conceptual landscape of the Redemption is connected to the spiritual landscape. We are in the first fifteen years of the terraforming.

Again the prophecies are crystal clear that at a point in history all human movement and interaction will be pure, innocent and free. Prophecy is immutable.

[Seraphya]

Never mind the fact that many Rabbis wives didn't wear any form of hair covering in the past...

I think he really just wants to sell these photos as a Haredi version of playboy

[seymour]

maybe his wife is a lesbian and is just looking for a playmate

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Sounds like mordechai ashkenazi believes in progressive revelation. That is a pretty liberal concept. Or maybe we should think of it as a brit hadasha

[David]

The Rabbi should not even be looking at the ladies in order to see their state of dress (or undress as he claims).

[Steven]

Adam, having or not having 'inappropriate thoughts' is irrelevant. You are just not allowed. You can say that that halachah is not for you, but it still remains.

[Pierre]

A Charedi rabbi I knew of in an early jewish day school in California that had a moderate dress code (knee-length skirts and mid-bicep sleeves for women), used to stand by the door greeting students - if a young woman had a skirt with a high slit in it or a shirt that was too open or had a low top button, he'd smile, hand them a safety pin and say something like "I'll let you decide where you think it should go". He had the derech eretz and respect enough towards the students that he let them take part in the decision to abide the dress code their parents agreed to, when they sent THEM there.

[A. Nuran]

It makes hijab seem a lot more reasonable. Just wrap a scarf around your hair. Easy. Quick.

[rebeljew]

"noting the insufficient lengths of sleeves and skirts"

I can see it now. Two rabbis in striped shirts run out with a chain suspended between two posts. They stretch the chain. Then one runs in front of the camera and signals, oh my, it is just an inch short. Thus, the woman will have to punt.

[hair coverer]

shmarya, you are a total am haaretz. continue bashing the rebbe, who cares. just shows how you have zero idea of the different minhagim

[shish]

Shmarya,

I agree with this:
"Rabbi Ashkenazi has turned wearing a wig as opposed to a tichel into some bizarre type of affinity test for Chabad women, and has attached to that accusations of immodesty that do not apply."

However, I take issue with your halakhic defense of tichels over wigs. Regardless of which form of head covering is halakhically superior, they are both vestiges of a chauvinistic and puritanical culture. Tichels are equally offensive as wigs, irrespective of whether or not they have greater weight in the halakhic sources. By defending tichels as halakhically superior, you give the impression that tichels are preferrable to wigs, when in fact both are equally unacceptable. Analogously, if a modern beit din were to theoretically execute a Sabbath desecrator via strangulation (rather than the halakhically prescribed punishment of stoning), the beit din should not be criticized for merely violating halakha, but instead the beit din should be criticized for primitively executing such a person at all (I am aware that a beit din does not have sanction to carry out such punishments nowadays...that's besides the point)

Rabbi Ashkenazi should be criticized not for deviating from the halakhic ideal, but rather for unnecessarily using an already chauvinistic practice to further oppress and offend women (and anyone who cares about women) by taking measures to publicly embarrass those that don't adhere to his particular brand of puritanical law.

[masha]

In Lakewood Yeshivos (not sure if in all, but the ones I'm familiar with) mothers are also not allowed to pick up their kids in a tichel - only a shaitel.

[fakewood]

Even more important is for seventh grade boys to only wear button down white shirts for the rest of their lives.

[Mike Powers]

The late Mrs. Mussya Schneerson would herslef be in big trouble with the head rabbi of KF.

[Meowwwwww]

More reason to send your kids to public school.

[Shmarya]

Posted by: shish | August 31, 2011 at 09:53 AM

I'm not commenting here on the the mandate to cover hair or the misogynistic reasons that often lay behind it.

I'm just trying to put Ashkenazi's opinion in its proper halakhic context.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for people who note that others outside Chabad now demand shaitels be worn in public rather than tichels, that comes from the misplaced and ahalakic fear that hair might slip out of a tichel an be seen.

Throughout rabbinic Jewish history, women covered their hair with scarves, with hoods, and with tichels.

Wigs were extremely expensive before mas production. The other options were not.

All of those other options have the potential to allow a bit of hair to show. But this was never considered to be a halakic problem, at least until fairly recently.

The point of covering the hair was to clearly demonstrate marriage, and to make what otherwise could be very beautiful much less so.

That some rabbis today err and think that a stray lock of hair is a greater halakhic problem than a very sexy wig (which, btw, can also sometimes allow a lock of hair to show) only reinforces the level of ignorance prevalent in today's rabbinic leadership, especially their lack of knowledge and understanding of the historical context of the halakhot they rule on.

At any rate, derech hamakom, the common practice of the place, also plays a role in this halakha, and in Israel, wearing a tichel is the norm, not the exception. It is the gold standard, so to speak, while a wig – especially a stylish one worn without a hat – is far less acceptable and is considered by all leading halakhic authorities to be far superior than wigs.

Therefore, all across Israel many women are out in public wearing tichels. Israelis are very used to seeing this, and there is no embarrassment or shame in wearing a tichel – which completely removes the Rebbe's reasoning for wearing a wig.

Ashkenazi is clearly wrong, and he erred because he approached the issue like a cultist rather than as a posek (rabbi who decides halakha).

[Shmarya]

shmarya, you are a total am haaretz. continue bashing the rebbe, who cares. just shows how you have zero idea of the different minhagim

Posted by: hair coverer | August 31, 2011 at 09:47 AM

No.

But your response does show that you don't know the halakha or its history.

[shish]

Posted by: Shmarya | August 31, 2011 at 02:55 PM

Your points are well taken. Rabbi Ashkenazi, and all other rabbis who endorse wigs over tichels, certainly has a corrupt sense of law and society.

However, my point remains that the MAIN problem with Rabbi Ashkenazi's photograph-taking policy is not that he thinks wigs are superior to tichels, but rather that he would seek to publicly embarras anyone for violating his puritanical brand of halakha.

Similarly, if Rabbi Ploni-Almoni decides tomorrow that, as a means of persuading women to start wearing tichels, he is going to announce on a loudspeaker the names of all women who dare to wear wigs, he should be condemned just as strongly as we condemn Rabbi Ashkinazi, irrespective of that fact that tichels are more halakhically and traditionally sound than wigs.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

this wig bit as an obligatory head covering, is a chabad special, like their special shape menora.
in a hundred year, if they survive, people speaking of the peculiarity of the chabad religion, they will say that their talit is different, their menora is different & they wear indian wigs!

[Shmarya]

Similarly, if Rabbi Ploni-Almoni decides tomorrow that, as a means of persuading women to start wearing tichels, he is going to announce on a loudspeaker the names of all women who dare to wear wigs, he should be condemned just as strongly as we condemn Rabbi Ashkinazi, irrespective of that fact that tichels are more halakhically and traditionally sound than wigs.

Posted by: shish | August 31, 2011 at 03:31 PM

That would be true except that Kfar Chabad is a Chabad village. Its population is 99% Chabad.

So he's enforcing group rules on members, not group rules on random women.

[Yissy-CA]

Glad to see this picked up. If you look over collive you will seen a recent increase in the number of articles dealing with tznius. Youg women are being targeted as premier "problem" because most do not hold by the satanic chumrot, in my opinion.

[Keilim Shonim]

You know, I long ago stopped saying the b'rachah of "sh'lo asani ishah" because I feel it is based on and perpetuates misogynist philosophical perspectives. In light of the increasing attacks against women, however, all I can say is, "Baruch sh'lo asani ishah!" Here, I mean it in the sense of birkat gomel from the growing insanity of hareidi misogyny.

[Mendy Hecht]

Well, look, there are a couple of factors and variables at play here: religious, psychological and social, for starters.

In no particular order:

1. Human beings are governed by the laws of psychology and sociology thus by nature become accustomed to an endless number of routines both personal and communal. Any deviation from the normal, whether you're secular or you're religious (and especially if you're religious), any deviation from the norm, from the comfort zone, will trigger an emotional reaction.

2. Rabbi Ashkenazi is an older man who is used to things being a certain way.

3. Rabbi Ashkenazi is also an old-school type who grew up in a generation where everyone would be okay with this kind of tactic. What he has yet to be apprised of is the fact that women in this Orthodox community dressing "problematically" are merely exhibiting symptoms of underlying feelings--usually anger or frustration at some level for any number of things. In other words, if you're dressing out of line, you're really rebelling--and the issue is not addressing the externals like skirt length, but the real internal issues like happiness and fulfillment.

[ruthie]

pierre...
that sounds like a kind and wise teacher

[qubit]

יברכך שניאורסאהן וישמרך
ירא שניאורסאהן פניו אליך וחנך
ישא שניאורסאהן פניו אליך וישם לך שלום

[Lois Stavsky]

I've recently begun following this blog. I can't say that anything I read surprises me all that much -- but I wonder about a. the paucity of females who respond to these posts and b. the nastiness apparent in so many of those who do respond. Re this post: It seems a new height of absurdity has been reached. I suspect that someone in this rav's family is in the "sheitel" business. It must be quite a lucrative one.

[Maskil]

Shmarya,

At any rate, his position on wigs was to encourage women to wear them because otherwise many would not regularly cover their hair at all.

This was the case of the Rebbe's first letter ofn the issue in the ultru-conformist 50s. In the 60s the Rebbe wrote another letter (also published by the Rebbe) stating that now the society has reached a status of counter-culture and taht the previous concern certianly no longer exists. However, he notices that the wig is capable of covering all the hair on the head more efficiently and fully endorses wearing wigs rather than head scarves - yes, in halachic contrast to that which was forbidden by his predecessor and namesake, the Tzemach Tzedek.

Be aware of both letters.

[Adam Neira]

To Steven,

Do you believe in the Twelfth Article of Faith ?

How is the Messianic Era going to unfold ?

I am telling you right now that in the future everyone will be able to go to the beach in a reasonable choice of dress and there will be no problem. Thus the halakha will be overruled.

You like many people have got some conceptual blocks. You are suffering from cognitive dissonance. The only thing stopping the Redemption, which has been going on for awhile now, from really forging ahead is the intransigence of various authorities. They are like the horse salesman ignoring the rise of the motor car in 1920. G-d is an intelligent designer and there are a multitude of things in the Jewish world that need improving. Ditto the non-Jewish world. This is not apiskoros. Either the prophecies will be allowed to unfold or they are going to remain blocked. As an example Isaiah's prophecy of swords into ploughshares can be measured mathematically.

G-d uses various cosmic equations to test humankind. Like a caring, old professor he drops in from time to time on his students in the class room and sees what they are up to. Call this one the Isaiah Equation. Notes. H = Human Population in billions expressed as single digit (i.e. Currently 6.92) W = Number of nuclear weapons on Planet Earth E = Total global expenditure on weapons. P = Predisposition/Attitude of people in positions of power to solving conflicts through violence. (10 is high 1 is low) M = Is Moshiach present on Planet Earth. (Yes = 100 No = 0) S = Financial support in US Dollar terms of actual Messianic Command Structure. I = Chance that Isaiah's prophecy is unfolding.

Now from this you will note that at a certain fixed point in time certain moves will need to be made.

When will properly farmed and slaughtered pig be declared kosher ?

If you are having trouble with these arguments of mine then you really have a problem with the concept of prophecy. It is true that trying to light up the darkened minds of some people is very difficult. Like taking just one lit match into a cavernous underground tunnel.

Please take note...

Prophecy is immutable.

Where are we on the divine timetable ?

(a) Jesus or M.M.Schneerson have not returned yet in a second coming.

(b) Moshiach has not been born yet.

(c) Moshiach is fraudulent concept with no bearing to today so the idea of prophecy is moot.

(d) Moshiach is alive and breathing right now on Planet Earth doing his work of establishing sovereignty but is not getting the support he needs.

(e) Moshiach is alive and breathing right now on Planet Earth doing his work of establishing sovereignty and is getting all the support he needs.

(f) Moshiach is a type of tasty Polish stew best served in the depths of winter.

(g) Moshiach is a metaphor for a Messianic Age and does not require an actual person on the scene.

(h) Moshiach is best represented by the State of Israel or the Jewish people as a whole.

[Anon Please]

LET THEM BUY WIGS!!!
- If the chabad nutcases are so pro wigs, let them raise the funds and give them out for free.
I am so disgusted with this ludicrous initiative. There are so many more important things.

[AztecQueen2000]

Explain to me how a two-thousand-dollar (average cost) wig that makes the wearer look better than G-d made them in any way defines the characteristic of "modesty."

[I'm from missouri]

I was once told that the covering of womens' hair according to chassidus was more than a matter of tzinius. It had something to do with the hair itself. Anyone ever heard of this?

[ronininja]

Prophecy is immutable. Really? Prophecy or postdiction?

[A E ANDERSON]

When I was in Tomchei Tmimim in Kfar Chabad, Motty Ashkenazi was regarded as an intelligent moderate. I suppose that by contemporary haredi standards, he is. After all, he's not calling for the establishment of مطوعين‎ (religious police), or official tzitzit inspectors. Indeed, Kfar Chabad, once a moshav, is a voluntary faith community whose residents choose the Sefer Mingahei Chabad way of life. Think of it more like a large, co-ed haredi monastery.

Still, Chabad has always been known for its moderation in dealing with such matters. Humras are accepted because one has reached or is striving for a higher spiritual level. Perhaps some of the women just aren't holding at Motty Ashkenazi's lofty celestial perch. Even so, I hardly think changing their kerchiefs for wigs, or lengthening a sleeve or hemline here or there will matter as much as a perek tanya ba'al peh, the Habad version of reciting "Ave Maria" over the rosary beads.

I say too much Bnei Beraq has likely rubbed off on the rabbi and clouded his thinking. Or maybe he just wants to be Father Confessor to the wayward נקבות of that neo-shetel in the Lydda Valley. Or maybe he gets kickbacks from the sheitel machers.

[batyahgirl@yahoo.com]

I was once told that the covering of womens' hair according to chassidus was more than a matter of tzinius. It had something to do with the hair itself. Anyone ever heard of this?

Posted by: I'm from missouri | September 01, 2011 at 11:03 PM

Yes, some have the notion that a woman's real hair, that is, attached to her scalp, possesses some special seductive allure. If she took her real hair, cut it off, and made a sheitl out of it, that would be permissable. Got that? If you do, you're a talmud chochum!

[esther]

batya, this is the same argument iranian extremists used in the 80's religious revolution "women's hair have rays that seduce men"

if this seductive power emanated only from the hair, we wouldn't have female singles around us, got it?

wigs have become from tziniut accessorie to "lets compete who is more powerful"... it's totally sick.

a woman can chose cover her hair in order to reveal her whole persona to her husband only, while the rest of society will get just part of who she is, just the social part. this is the best explanation i got so far. but... "special seductive allure" to hair attached to the scalp?

never read anything worse than this.

[RY]

Just to throw in a thought... The tichels that the women wear in Kfar Chabad really *aren't* tznius. If they were wearing Yerushalmi tichels that actually covered their hair and stayed on the their heads, I don't think Ashkenazi would be having such an issue. Sure, it would still be against minhag hamakom, but it would be tznius. But... the tichels they're wearing there are the cheap type that slip back and fall completely off if their 2 year old tugs on it or if the wind picks up. I kinda understand where he's coming from on that end. Sure he could say "You must be wearing a sheitel or yerushalmi tichel" but that's way outside minhag at that point.

Just adding some observations to think about...

[Shmarya]

ust to throw in a thought... The tichels that the women wear in Kfar Chabad really *aren't* tznius. If they were wearing Yerushalmi tichels that actually covered their hair and stayed on the their heads, I don't think Ashkenazi would be having such an issue. Sure, it would still be against minhag hamakom, but it would be tznius. But... the tichels they're wearing there are the cheap type that slip back and fall completely off if their 2 year old tugs on it or if the wind picks up. I kinda understand where he's coming from on that end. Sure he could say "You must be wearing a sheitel or yerushalmi tichel" but that's way outside minhag at that point.

Just adding some observations to think about...

Posted by: RY | September 03, 2011 at 10:41 PM

Yup.

Boy, all those Chabad women are running around dressed untzniusly just to save 5 bucks on a tichel.

Either that, or you've just posted one of the lamest excuses ever.