Who wore wigs? | Imamother

Elfrida

Sun, May 17 2020, 5:55 pm

Both men and women were wearing wigs in the mid eighteenth century, and they were so fashionable that if you couldntvafford one, you did your best make your hair look like a wig. By around 1800 full wigs were going out of fashion, and after that people tended to use all kinds of added false hair.

There were always a few Jews in high position in society, who would have followed fashion. The trends would eventually have filtered down to the shetls. Some women would have started wearing sheitals. They were probably condemned for being so modern.

amother

Sun, May 17 2020, 6:43 pm

Interesting, but really? I'm thinking horse hair wigs, not poofy white powdered ones. Worn by women in poor shtetls. I'm curious if it was done in specific countries, or minhag in some communities more than others.

amother

Sun, May 17 2020, 7:32 pm

amother [ Firebrick ] wrote:

My grandmother who was a Holocaust survivor from Poland told me that the women wore wigs but they all had the same style - pulled back into a bun.

I just looked again at the picture of my great-grandmother and you're right, that's the style. I don't know anything about her, I thought maybe the sheitel could give a clue.

CiCi

Sun, May 17 2020, 8:02 pm

It seems that Jewish women in Europe started wearing wigs in the 16th century in Italy.

It seems that Jewish women in Europe started wearing wigs in the 16th century in Italy.

Rabbi Yoshua Boaz ben Shimon Baruch from the 16th century, also known as the Shiltei Giborim, who was originally from Spain, (and likely later lived in Italy,) ruled that wearing wigs was allowed and his ruling was included in the Shulchan Aruch. (However wigs at that time looked like wigs. I'm not sure he would've approved of wigs that look exactly like hair. Certainly I highly doubt he would've approved the very long and promiscuous looking wigs.)

Last edited by CiCi on Mon, May 18 2020, 12:15 am; edited 2 times in total

amother

Brunette

Sun, May 17 2020, 8:11 pm

CiCi wrote:

It seems that Jewish women in Europe started wearing wigs in the 16th century in Italy.

Rabbi Yoshua Boaz ben Shimon Baruch from the 16th century, also known as the Shiltei Giborim, who was originally from Spain, (and likely later lived in Italy,) ruled that wearing wigs was allowed and his ruling was included in the Shulchan Aruch. However we must remember that wigs at that time looked like wigs. I'm not sure he would've approved of wigs that look exactly like hair. Certainly I highly doubt he would've approved the very long and promiscuous looking wigs.

You don’t have to be sure what he would have approved of.
We have rabbis in our generation who tell us what they approve of or not, so need to try to go into the minds of Rabbis of previous generations and “interpret” what you think they thought.

Also, why are you trying to derail the thread?
OP didn’t ask about it from a religious standpoint.
She just wants to know WHO wore them 🙄

CiCi

Sun, May 17 2020, 8:48 pm

amother [ Brunette ] wrote:

It's just that the only way to do research when Jewish women started wearing wigs in Europe was through finding the source of how wigs came into halachik discource in Ashkenazi Rabbinical sources. That was the lead and that was my mindset, it sort of was entertwined in my mind. I also don't want it to seem as if I am mentioning that a Rabbi in the 16th century approved of all kinds of wigs as many women are wont to jump to that conclusion...

Last edited by CiCi on Mon, May 18 2020, 12:16 am; edited 2 times in total

CiCi

Sun, May 17 2020, 9:49 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Thanks everyon

Thanks for saying thanks Smile

Many times I answer questions and I'm puzzled that those posting the questions don't bother to say "thank you" to all who replied.

Thanks for being a mentsch.

amother

Sun, May 17 2020, 10:17 pm

CiCi wrote:

Thanks for saying thanks Smile

Many times I answer questions and I'm puzzled that those posting the questions don't bother to say "thank you" to all who replied.

Thanks for being a mentsch.

I do appreciate it and I will try to see if I can learn more from the shiltei giborim, so yes thanks again Smile

CiCi

Sun, May 17 2020, 10:43 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I do appreciate it and I will try to see if I can learn more from the shiltei giborim, so yes thanks again Smile

Wow, thanks. I felt silly for writing the historical halachik background because it "doesn't fit into the theme of thread"...but I appreciate that you appreciate it.

amother

Sun, May 17 2020, 10:46 pm

CiCi wrote:

Wow, thanks. I felt silly for writing the historical halachik background because it "doesn't fit into the theme of thread"...but I appreciate that you appreciate it.

Nah, more information is always good. I had no idea sheitels went that far back!

forgetit

Sun, May 17 2020, 11:05 pm

There is actually mention of wigs (for women) in the gemara, and discussion about whether it constitutes clothing that can be carried on Shabbos or not. It is also mentioned in discussion about the obligation to destroy objects of people in cities that worshiped avodah zarah (the discussion is about whether a wig is an object or personal possession).
There is also evidence that it was human hair that was used, not horsehair or any other substitute.
So, while it may not necessarily have been everyday wear for most women, it definitely was in existence, and used by Jewish women.
If you want detailed sources I can ask DH for help.

Last edited by forgetit on Mon, May 18 2020, 10:28 am; edited 1 time in total

ShishKabob

Sun, May 17 2020, 11:29 pm

forgetit wrote:

There is actually mention of wigs (for women) in the gemara, and discussion about whether it constitutes clothing that can be carried on Shabbos or not. It is also mentioned in discussion about the obligation to destroy objects of people in cities that worshiped avodah zarah (the discussion is about whether a wig is an object or personal possession).
There is also evidence that it was human hair that was used, not horsehair or synthetic.
So, while it may not necessarily have been everyday wear for most women, it definitely was in existence, and used by Jewish women.
If you want detailed sources I can ask DH for help.

This! Thank you!
the Gemara also discusses the personality of those women that were occupied with this. Something to the affect of effusive speech or something like that. When you get the source you can check that out also!

amother

Blonde

Mon, May 18 2020, 10:10 am

Actually in the times of Gemara women did not wear wigs outside as head coverings. They only wore them inside the house to cover hair that was grey, or thinning and balding. It was meant to beautify themselves for their husbands. It was never worn outside as a head covering. When the women went out they fully covered the wig with a material head covering.

amother

Blonde

Mon, May 18 2020, 10:18 am

For thousands of years Jewish women wore cloth head head coverings.
Wigs started to be worn after there was a decree in Europe that Jewish women have to walk around outside without head coverings. The Rabbanim at that time made the difficult decision to allow Jewish women to wear wigs rather than walk around bare headed.
The wigs than were very wiggy and straw like and even so many Rabbanim at that time didn't agree with this decision and screamed about it- many Rabbanim asured wigs halachically and hashkafically. The reform movement also helped facilitate the use of wigs. Wigs were considered something worn by not religious people and a practice taken from the non jews. They were not a religious "Jewish" head covering.
This info can be found in the book "Adorned with Dignity" by Mrs. Chana Toby Friedman

Chayalle

Mon, May 18 2020, 10:19 am

amother [ Brunette ] wrote:

I have a very RW yeshivish cousin who was in E"Y at a time when she saw tons of pashkivilin stating that women should not wear wigs (sort of like I feel right now about a certain advertising publication in Lakewood that I think I'm gonna skip looking at from now on...) She asked a family member of R' Chaim Kanievsky what the Rav holds, and was told he holds it's a valid headcovering. The end.

IOW wearing a sheitel is called covering your hair. He did not say if it's like this or like that...he just said it's a valid head-covering.

(that doesn't mean he holds it's tzanuah as a beged...but the woman wearing a wig is covering her hair.)

amother

Blonde

Mon, May 18 2020, 10:25 am

When Jewish people started coming to America many of the women didn't cover their hair. Rabbanim in the US allowed the wigs as a leniency (in Europe many Gedolim were against the use of wigs)- it was hard to wear a wig in the US in the early to mid 1900s. The wigs were very unattractive and it was with much mesiras nefesh that Jewish women covered their hair.
But wigs were always a leniency - they were never considered the traditional head wear of the Jewish women.
And of course with all the new technology wigs totally changed and don't look like wigs anymore. Today many Rabbanim talk about how problematic wigs are as they don't look like head coverings at all and go against the whole purpose of the mitzvah of kisui rosh which is to lessen ones attractiveness outside as a married women
It's really a fascinating topic