Which Sheitels have Indian hair, now assured by R Sternbuch?

smile12345

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 9:47 am

I got the Ami Shavuos issue, but I haven't read any of their subsequent magazines. In that issue, they didn't actually post any findings - it was supposed to be put out as a follow-up. Can anyone post a copy of their follow-up feature regarding this? Curious what they came out with.

happysmile1

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 9:56 am

I have a friend that is Bobov and she told me that the Bobov dayan does not hold that the human hair is okay right now - please ask the Bobov dayan directly before saying this statement.

Rav Belsky (who was absolutely a giant in halacha) did give a heter 14 years ago but as Ami wrote in their extensive article, there is new info now and that is what Rabbanim are researching (Indian women dont seem to be cutting their hair only to shed the ego- there is a religious legend associated with the hair cutting that is well known in India). That is why Rav Shternbuch sent a shliach down now to India again and what he found is being sent to many Rabbanim- based on the new info he ruled that Indian hair is asur. There is also alot more Indian hair flooding the human hair market now more than ever before - and as is shown in the documentary "Just extensions" Indian hair is beautiful and many times relabeled as "European", "brazilian" "russian" etc..- Rav Shternbuch wrote this as well

We dont know yet how the American Rabbanim will pasken on the new info

Mommyg8

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 10:01 am

happysmile1 wrote:

I read the article, and I'm sorry if this is coming across as badmouthing Ami (I really like Ami magazine) this was one of the most vague and sloppy articles I have ever read. There was nothing there that was not just re-hashed a million times before. I can't begin to imagine why R' Sternbuch would pasken that there is new info - there IS no new info (at least not presented in that article), so somebody's hoodwinking someone, is what I think.

happysmile1

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 10:08 am

There is new info- the Ami article might have been confusing but there is clearly new info that was not known 14 years ago. The legend mentioned in connection to the hair cutting (tonsuring) in India might make the hair be halachically tikrovas avoda zora- in the legend a deity sacrifices her hair for another deity and Indian pilgrims believe that this is the reason behind the tonsuring (not only to shed the ego). They believe they are giving the hair to a deity. This legend is all over the internet if googled

This is why a shliach was sent down to India and Rav Shternbuch paskened again based on the new research done

Mommyg8

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 10:11 am

happysmile1 wrote:

I'm sorry for being so blunt - but that's baloney. It was so obviously just sensational and did not make any sense whatsoever. No, the Ami was not confusing, it was the fact that they used information that did not make any sense whatsoever and created an article out of it which is the problem.

And wow, information being all over google - that DEFINITELY means it's true! (Sarcasm intended).

happysmile1

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 10:27 am

Rav Shternbuch wrote that because of all the debate and misinformation circulating they resent a shliach down to India again now for two weeks to speak to pilgrims, barbers and priests

You don't have to follow his ruling (although many people do) but its not respectful to dismiss a Gadols research and psak- especially about such an important issue.

smile12345

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 10:39 am

happysmile1 wrote:

I don't think anyone is trying to dismiss it - it's just that you're pushing it as the only way. If other Rabbanim that we follow say it's okay then you have to accept that as well.

happysmile1

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 11:29 am

Rav Shternbuch is not against all wigs in general - he has written that long and immodest wigs are not okay

Of course what other Rabbanim say about the Indian hair should be respected too- if other current Rabbanim did research on the topic and paskened that the hair is mutar than women that follow that ruling of course have a valid reason for doing so.
This post was specifically started about the new psak by Rav Shternbuch about the indian hair- thats what I was commenting on

happysmile1

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 11:38 am

I was also commenting on the sheker in the human hair industry- which Rav Shternbuch writes about as well and is demonstrated in the documentary "Just Extensions" that someone mentioned.

A close friend of mine who is an experienced and respected sheitel macher told me that everyone in the industry knows that a lot of the hair is relabeled and most of the hair is processed hair (chemically treated to look really silky and shiny because raw hair is actually not very pretty and most women wouldnt want to wear a wig made out of raw hair) so there is no way to know where the hair is really coming from

Also the labels "European" "Brazilian" Russian" etc.. are used frequently but are really referring to the specific way the hair was treated- to look European, Brazilian russian etc...and not meant for the origin of the hair. Most hair ends up in China where the majority of the wigs are manufactured. There is no regulation in China and they will mix lots of different hair together and label it whatever the manufacturer wants! They even have "kosher" labels that can be sown on by request!

penguin

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 4:17 pm

I have my own ideas, mainly that there's an awful temptation to wear an overly provocative or attention-attracting sheitel because of the expensive human hair that's now available.

But, I also wish women could feel free to do what feels right to them (within the parameters of what their community holds to be halacha) rather than many feeling forced to wear a sheitel when that's not necessarily what they would wan to do - see for example, this poll.

OTOH, it would bother me IF people who have an agenda to stop women wearing overly long and ... sheitels are using Indian hair as an excuse. One issue at a time, please!

classycat

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 6:40 pm

In Sem we learned that wigs are especially for inside the house, not outside, so this whole takroves thing really bothers me because if we use it properly for our marriage relationships, oy yoy yoy. The actual issur of takroves is extremely chamur: it has to be completely destroyed! Then if you're into all the hashkofic stuff like me, the klipos are just unimaginable. Haven't worn my sheitels in months, and they're just synthetic! But there's up to 15% chance of them having this stuff in them! I think all the Rav Shternbuch stuff is about the hechsher, because there's only one hechsher, and they give it on samples of hair that have already been cut. When I spoke to a friend who was a sheitel macher before this whole thing came out 14 years ago, she insisted it's pretty ridiculous because most hair, especially processed, there's no definite way to tell where it came from. By the way, tried asking my local OR and he just said it was okay with a hechsher. I don't think the regular Rabbis really understand what the problem is. It's sheitel machers that are pushing the issue.