There was one point in Jewish history when the Samech Tet was promoted from Mashkhit to Chief Executive Mashkhit (CEM). He then began enjoying even more prestige among the Malakhei Chabalah. This came to be with the advent of the Jewish wigs scam, what some communities call Sheitel (in Yiddish) or Pe’ah (in Hebrew). This should’ve been a modern funny midrash to tell at Shabbat table, but it’s not.

It’s astonishing how, despite all our achievements as a people, we let something so demeaning (to both men and women) and so despicable become established Halacha, when it was never meant to be even considered.

Continue reading this article and we will explore the magnitude of the Jewish wigs scam.

The origins of the Jewish wigs

The Gemara (Ketuboth 72) writes that women have to cover their hair.

We know this also from the Sotah proceedings in the Beit HaMikdash where the Kohanim would tear off a woman’s hair covering. Interestingly enough, the Gemara in Sotah explains that they’d start from her chest and then move on to the hair because Halachically speaking, the hair is a more “attractive” place than the chest and we move from the most lenient to the most severe place. Kabbalistically, hair is a place where dinim are more concentrated.

Wigs were created somewhere around the 16th century in Europe. Soon after its introduction into the woman’s market, it didn’t take long to become part of everyday fashion. Rabbis were somewhat reluctant to approve it as a proper way for women to cover their hair, but many in the Ashkenazi camp gave their Haskamot. Since then it seems like it was impossible for women to give up their “sheitels” and so it was sanctioned and became part of “tradition”. Nowadays it’s become commonplace and even Sephardi women sometimes wear wigs.

Either way, except for a few places in the Gemara, we find no mention of wigs in Scripture.

Kabbalistic side of women covering their hair

The Arizal teaches us in many places that men are rooted in the Partzuf of Zeir Anpin and women are rooted in the Partzuf of Nukva. Because men’s spiritual makeup is rooted in chessed, they need to cut down their dinim in the hair. However, women are rooted in gevurot, which are the source of din itself, and therefore don’t need to cut their hair short, but only to cover it. I’d venture to say that hair is literally part of a woman’s being while the same wouldn’t apply to men (being extraneous to us) but that’s just me.

Rabbi Yehuda Ftaya writes in his commentary on the Torah, Minchat Yehuda, that female demons have no hair (they are bald), while male demons have long hair. In order not to assume their form (and attract them), men keep their hair short, while women are enjoined to cover their hair, but never cut it entirely as some Chassidic groups do. This explains why many satan-sympathizing men (like rock stars) keep their hair long and like to do the satanic hand sign of holding the 3rd and fourth finger down with the thumb.

Poskim and the Psak Halacha

You can see at the end of this post I bring a list of almost 100 poskim that completely reject wigs. To this day I haven’t met a single Mekubal who sanctions wigs, which means you could also add another 30-40 other Sephardic Poskim to the list based on Kabbalistic tradition (like the Ben Ish Chai).

You would think that people would accept Poskim’s authorities when it comes to such a crucial issue, but sadly this is not the case. Can a large part of the Jewish People have gotten it wrong completely?

Are you even married?

My wife once told me she was speaking with her neighbor friend about the Jewish wigs scam. The neighbor said she once got into a discussion about whether a certain woman in the street was married or not, because she, a woman, couldn’t tell if that was real hair or a wig. My wife also had this doubt in mind when she saw another woman on the bus.

Isn’t it amazing? Women can’t tell if other women are married. I wonder if the sages would approve of this nowadays. Isn’t the whole point of covering your hair to… I don’t know… signal to other men a woman is not up for grabs? That she’s to be left alone and only spoken to in cases of absolute necessity?

Girls spend years in the Seminary, learning about the importance of modesty, keeping their hair tied back, being careful to keep their Tzniut buttons up (or else), and understand a woman’s role in life. Suddenly she gets married and she is free to look like a Barbie doll. Suddenly it doesn’t matter that your newly acquired marital status should ideally engender even greater Tzniut and a woman feels entitled to parade herself with her glistering hair flowing with the wind.

Married Jewish women cover their hair with Mitpachot and that’s the way it should be. Or do you think our holy Imahot had wigs? Maybe some of the wives of Tannaim? Does anyone imagine these holy women wearing wigs? If the image you get of women back in the days is of them covering their hair with either a mitpacha or shawl, and men wearing full beards (a subject for another article), make no mistake this idea in the collective consciousness is not a mistake. It’s just the way things should be.

Sorry, you are not rich enough for Heaven

A second argument against Jewish wigs is that they are reserved for women of high financial means. Think about it: what percentage of women here in Israel can shell out 6.000 NIS (at least) on a wig? In the US, the cost of wigs can go up to US$ 25.000.

And all that for what? To look gorgeous, of course! You don’t want to just look nice for your husband, you also have to attract onlookers that will fantasize about you at every corner and be the center of attention.

Hashem in His Infinite Mercy gives equal opportunities for spiritual growth for everyone. One needs to make the proper effort and a person’s Tikkun has to be available for him at a reasonable price. Hashem doesn’t ask you to have a US$ 2.000 etrog or US$ 10.000 tefilin just like he never expected you to fight a Sumerian tiger barehand to bring it to the altar. If you can afford the price, then great, but this can never be the basic requirement.

And so, this obviously cannot entail spending exorbitant amounts of money to buy a wig, since “everything is in the Hands of Heaven, except the fear of Heaven“.

Imagine that: a poor woman goes to Shamayim and the judging angel tells her: “Sorry, you didn’t reach your full potential because you didn’t buy a wig!.

How idiotic would that be?

Instead of spending 25-100 NIS for a nice mitpacha to fulfill halacha to the fullest, a woman would be required to save a huge amount of money to have ONE wig. Then, of course, you have the maintenance costs and need to buy ANOTHER one for Shabat and Yom Tov (because, you know, it’s hiddur mitzvah!), and change it to a new one every 2-4 years.

Does this make sense?

Can a woman of average financial status afford that?

Are you 70 or 17?

There’s something very depraved about the idea of trying to look like a 17-year-old girl when you are 70.

I believe there’s dignity in growing up and having gray hair and looking your age. You know, makes youngsters respect you for your wisdom and all.

But what of women who are 70 and look like they are 17? Does this make sense in a conceptual sense? Do Jewish tradition endorse this objectification of women’s beauty and idolization of youth by any means necessary?

A woman can be wearing a “Jewish wig” and look like she’s 17 from the side, only to be later revealed she’s actually much older. At this point, it’s not like we needed anything else to reject the Jewish wigs scam.

The Mafia over Jewish wigs

The simple fact is: Jewish wigs are made from Tikrovet Avodah Zarah and are biblically forbidden for any benefit whatsoever

We would be remiss to ignore the fact that the Jewish wigs market is dominated by a mafia. These mafias take care of the entire supply chain after the hair is cut from the Indians, as you can see from the following neat documentary from Rabbi Yaron Reuven:

Watch it and come up with your own conclusions about the great Jewish wigs scam.

Though there really isn’t much to think about.

Wigs are forbidden, period. There’s no heter whatsoever for them, there’s never been any heter and there will never be any real heter because the whole thing is a demeaning scam.

And for the record, here’s an abridged list of Poskim that forbid wigs: