(יח) וְהֶעֱמִ֨יד הַכֹּהֵ֥ן אֶֽת־הָאִשָּׁה֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ וּפָרַע֙ אֶת־רֹ֣אשׁ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וְנָתַ֣ן עַל־כַּפֶּ֗יהָ אֵ֚ת מִנְחַ֣ת הַזִּכָּר֔וֹן מִנְחַ֥ת קְנָאֹ֖ת הִ֑וא וּבְיַ֤ד הַכֹּהֵן֙ יִהְי֔וּ מֵ֥י הַמָּרִ֖ים הַמְאָֽרֲרִֽים׃
(18) And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal-offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal-offering of jealousy; and the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that causeth the curse.
ופרע. סוֹתֵר אֶת קְלִיעַת שְׂעָרָהּ, כְּדֵי לְבַזּוֹתָהּ, מִכַּאן לִבְנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁגִּלּוּי הָרֹאשׁ גְּנַאי לָהֶן (כתובות ע''ב):
ופרע AND HE SHALL PUT IN DISORDER [THE WOMAN’S HAIR] — i.e. he pulls away her hair-plaits in order to make her look despicable. — We may learn from this that as regards married Jewish women an uncovered head is a disgrace to them (Siphre).
מתני׳ ואלו יוצאות שלא בכתובה העוברת על דת משה ויהודית ואיזו היא דת משה מאכילתו שאינו מעושר ומשמשתו נדה ולא קוצה לה חלה ונודרת ואינה מקיימת ואיזוהי דת יהודית יוצאה וראשה פרוע וטווה בשוק ומדברת עם כל אדם אבא שאול אומר אף המקללת יולדיו בפניו רבי טרפון אומר אף הקולנית ואיזוהי קולנית לכשהיא מדברת בתוך ביתה ושכיניה שומעין קולה:
ואיזוהי דת יהודית יוצאה וראשה פרוע: ראשה פרוע דאורייתא היא דכתיב (במדבר ה, יח) ופרע את ראש האשה ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל אזהרה לבנות ישראל שלא יצאו בפרוע ראש דאורייתא קלתה שפיר דמי דת יהודית אפילו קלתה נמי אסור אמר רבי אסי אמר ר' יוחנן קלתה אין בה משום פרוע ראש הוי בה רבי זירא היכא אילימא בשוק דת יהודית היא ואלא בחצר אם כן לא הנחת בת לאברהם אבינו שיושבת תחת בעלה אמר אביי ואיתימא רב כהנא מחצר לחצר ודרך מבוי:
MISHNA: These are to be divorced without receiving their kethubah: a wife who transgresses the law of moses or [one who transgresses] jewish practice. And what is [regarded as a wife's transgression against] the law of moses? Feeding her husband with untithed food, having intercourse with him during the period of her menstruation, not setting apart her dough offering, or making vows and not fulfilling them. And what [is deemed to be a wife's transgression against] jewish practice? Going out with uncovered head, spinning in the street or conversing with every man. Abba saul said: [such transgressions include] also that of a wife who curses her husband's parents in his presence. R. Tarfon said: also one who screams. And who is regarded a screamer? A woman whose voice can be heard by her neighbours when she speaks inside her house.
GOING OUT WITH UNCOVERED HEAD. [Is not the prohibition against going out with] an uncovered head Pentateuchal; for it is written, And he shall uncover the woman's head, and this, it was taught at the school of R. Ishmael, was a warning to the daughters of Israel that they should not go out with uncovered head? — Pentateuchally it is quite satisfactory [if her head is covered by] her work-basket; according to traditional Jewish practice, however, she is forbidden [to go out uncovered] even with her basket [on her head].
R. Assi stated in the name of R. Johanan: With a basket [on her head a woman] is not guilty of [going about with] an uncovered head. In considering this statement, R. Zera pointed out this difficulty: Where [is the woman assumed to be]? If it be suggested, ‘In the street’, [it may be objected that this is already forbidden by] Jewish practice; but [if she is] in a court-yard [the objection may be made that] if that were so you will not leave our father Abraham a [single] daughter who could remain with her husband! — Abaye, or it might be said, R. Kahana, replied: [The statement refers to one who walks] from one courtyard into another by way of an alley.
(יב) וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא דָּת יְהוּדִית הוּא מִנְהַג הַצְּנִיעוּת שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאִם עָשְׂתָה אַחַת מֵהֶן עָבְרָה עַל דָּת יְהוּדִית. יוֹצְאָה לַשּׁוּק אוֹ לְמָבוֹי מְפֻלָּשׁ וְרֹאשָׁהּ פָּרוּעַ וְאֵין עָלֶיהָ רְדִיד כְּכָל הַנָּשִׁים. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשְּׂעָרָהּ מְכֻסֶּה בְּמִטְפַּחַת. אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה טוֹוָה בַּשּׁוּק וּוֶרֶד וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד פָּנֶיהָ עַל פַּדַּחְתָּהּ אוֹ עַל לְחָיֶיהָ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשׂוֹת הָעַכּוּ''ם הַפְּרוּצוֹת. אוֹ שֶׁטּוֹוָה בַּשּׁוּק וּמַרְאֵית זְרוֹעוֹתֶיהָ לִבְנֵי אָדָם. אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מְשַׂחֶקֶת עִם הַבַּחוּרִים. אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה תּוֹבַעַת הַתַּשְׁמִישׁ בְּקוֹל רָם מִבַּעְלָהּ עַד שֶׁשְּׁכֵנוֹתֶיהָ שׁוֹמְעוֹת אוֹתָהּ מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל עִסְקֵי תַּשְׁמִישׁ. אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מְקַלֶּלֶת אֲבִי בַּעְלָהּ בִּפְנֵי בַּעְלָהּ:
What is meant by "the Jewish faith"? The customs of modesty that Jewish women practice. When a woman performs any of the following acts, she is considered to have violated the Jewish faith:
a) she goes to the marketplace or a lane with openings at both ends without having her head [fully] covered - i.e., her hair is covered by a handkerchief, but not with a veil like all other women,
b) she spins [flax or wool] with a rose on her face - on her forehead or on her cheek - like immodest gentile women,
c) she spins in the marketplace and shows her forearms to men;
d) she plays frivolously with young lads,
e) she demands sexual intimacy from her husband in a loud voice until her neighbors hear her talking about their intimate affairs, or
f) she curses her husband's father in her husband's presence.
א"ר יצחק טפח באשה ערוה למאי אילימא לאסתכולי בה והא א"ר ששת למה מנה הכתוב תכשיטין שבחוץ עם תכשיטין שבפנים לומר לך כל המסתכל באצבע קטנה של אשה כאילו מסתכל במקום התורף אלא באשתו ולק"ש אמר רב חסדא שוק באשה ערוה שנאמר (ישעיהו מז, ב) גלי שוק עברי נהרות וכתיב (ישעיהו מז, ג) תגל ערותך וגם תראה חרפתך אמר שמואל קול באשה ערוה שנא' (שיר השירים ב, יד) כי קולך ערב ומראך נאוה אמר רב ששת שער באשה ערוה שנא' (שיר השירים ד, א) שערך כעדר העזים:
R. Isaac said : A handbreadth of a woman [if exposed] is nakedness. For what purpose? Is it a question of gazing upon her? Behold Rab Sheshet said : Why do the Scriptures enumerate the female ornaments worn outside together with those worn under the garments ? This is to tell thee that whoever gazes upon the little finger of a woman is as though he had gazed at her nakedness ! Nay, [the statement of R. Isaac refers] to his wife and for the purpose of reading the Shema'. Rab Hisda said : The calf of a woman's leg is to be regarded as nakedness; as it is said, "Uncover the leg, pass through the rivers" (Is. xlvii. 2) and it continues, "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen" (Is. xlvii. 3). Samuel said : A woman's voice is to be regarded as nakedness ; as it is said, "For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely" (Cant. ii. 14). ab Sheshet said: A woman's hair is to be regarded as nakedness; as it is said, "Thy hair is as a flock of goats" (ibid. iv. 1).
Ravad
[It is forbidden] only in a hidden (tzanua) area, but her face, hands, and feet and her speaking voice and the hair outside her plaits (michutz latzamata) that is not covered are not causes for concern, because he is used to them and not distracted.
(ב) הָעוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר מֵחֻקּוֹת אֵלּוּ הֲרֵי הוּא חָשׁוּד עַל הָעֲרָיוֹת. וְאָסוּר לָאָדָם לִקְרֹץ בְּיָדָיו וּבְרַגְלָיו אוֹ לִרְמֹז בְּעֵינָיו לְאַחַת מִן הָעֲרָיוֹת אוֹ לִשְׂחֹק עִמָּהּ אוֹ לְהָקֵל רֹאשׁ. וַאֲפִלּוּ לְהָרִיחַ בְּשָׂמִים שֶׁעָלֶיהָ אוֹ לְהַבִּיט בְּיָפְיָהּ אָסוּר. וּמַכִּין לַמִּתְכַּוֵּן לְדָבָר זֶה מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת. וְהַמִּסְתַּכֵּל אֲפִלּוּ בְּאֶצְבַּע קְטַנָּה שֶׁל אִשָּׁה וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לֵהָנוֹת כְּמִי שֶׁנִּסְתַּכֵּל בִּמְקוֹם הַתֹּרֶף. וַאֲפִלּוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ קוֹל הָעֶרְוָה אוֹ לִרְאוֹת שְׂעָרָהּ אָסוּר:
(2) One who engages in these behaviours is suspected of committing Arayos. And it's forbidden for a person to intimate with his hands or feet or to hint with his eyes to any of the Arayos or to laugh with her or to engage in light-headedness. And even to smell her perfume or to gaze at her beauty is forbidden. And one who engages in this deliberately receives lashes of rebelliousness. And one who gazes even at the little finger of a woman intending to derive sexual pleasure is comparable to one who looks at her genitalia. And even to hear the voice of an Ervah or to look at her hair is forbidden.
מתני׳ האשה שנתארמלה או שנתגרשה היא אומרת בתולה נשאתני והוא אומר לא כי אלא אלמנה נשאתיך אם יש עדים שיצאת בהינומא וראשה פרוע כתובתה מאתים
A woman became a widow or was divorced. She says, “I was a virgin when you married me” and he says, “Not so, rather you were a widow when I married you”, — If there are witnesses that she went out with a hinuma, and with her head uncovered, her ketubah is two hundred [zuz.]
וראשה פרוע - איצטייבליד"ה שערה על כתיפיה כך היו נוהגין להוציא את הבתולות מבית אביהן לבית החתונה:
"And her hair uncovered" 'esjevelede' (disheveled), her hair on her shoulders. In this manner it was customary to bring virgins from their fathers' homes to the wedding hall.
(ב) שֵׂעָר שֶׁל אִשָּׁה שֶׁדַּרְכָּהּ לְכַסוֹת, אָסוּר לִקְרוֹת כְּנֶגְדּוֹ: הַגָּה: אֲפִלּוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲבָל בְּתוּלוֹת שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לֵילֵךְ פְּרוּעוֹת הָרֹאשׁ, מֻתָּר: הַגָּה: וְה''ה הַשְּׂעָרוֹת שֶׁל נָשִׁים שֶׁרְגִילִין לָצֵאת מִחוּץ לְצַמָּתָן (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַשְׁבָּ''א) וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שְׂעַר נָכְרִית, אֲפִלּוּ דַּרְכָּהּ לְכַסּוֹת (הַגָּהוֹת אַלְפָסִי הַחֲדָשִׁים):
(2) The hair of a woman that it is her practice (lit. way) to cover it, it is forbidden to read [the Shema] in front of it <rema> even his wife <rema>. But virgins that it is their practice to go with an uncovered head, it is permitted. <rema> And so too is the law with the hairs of women that regularly come out of their barriers and certainly foreign (detached) hair even if it is her practice to cover.
Responsa Igrot Moshe Even HaEzer part 1 no. 58 (summarized)
The Torah does not prohibit a married woman from uncovering part of her head, as long as most of it is covered...
The head is considered one of the normally covered parts of the body. It is immodest for her to uncover more than a handbreadth of her hair in public because "a tefach in a woman is ervah" and "hair in a woman is ervah" as stated in the gemara in Brachot.
R' Yehuda Henkin, Responsa on Contemporary Women's Issues, Women's Hair Covering
Jewish practice (dat yehudit) depends on the time and place...Accordingly, the details of dat yehudit recorded in the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch mirror the customs of their times. This has both a stringent and a lenient side to it. The stringency is that if, in a particular place or time, women cover all of their hair even outside their tzamah, this becomes mandatory Jewish practice...
The leniency is that if at a particular time and place women expose more than a handbreadth of hair, or even hair down to their shoulders, this too becomes legitimate Jewish practice...However, this line of reasoning can only serve to justify women who already uncover more than a handbreadth of their hair, but not to permit them to initiate such a practice lechatchila. It is not god-fearing to seek out leniencies when there is no pressing need for them, and a modest woman should behave like other modest women...
But in all cases a married woman must cover most of her head in public so as not to violate Torah law, which no custom can abrogate.
