Igrot Kodesh · Letter 3592 — Tzedakah

B"H

1st day of Rosh* Tammuz* 5715

Brooklyn

Blessings and greetings,

The Halachah* and its source concerning the hair of an unmarried woman appear clearly in the Tur* Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim*, chapter 75. You should also consult the commentators on the Shulchan Aruch* Even HaEzer*, chapter 21, paragraph 2.

One can explain the distinction (between a married woman, who covers her hair, and an unmarried woman, who does not) in the following manner. The verse "He shall uncover the head of this woman" alludes to a married woman, as indicated in Tractate Kesubos* 72a. Moreover, it is stated in the introduction to the Rambam's* commentary on the Mishnah* that a controversy is not conceivable regarding what has been accepted in every generation since the era of Moshe Rabbeinu*. You should consult, on this subject, the Yerushalmi* Pesachim*, which says at the beginning of chapter 6: "There cannot be two Sabbatical years."

In this matter, the custom of unmarried women in every era is clearly established (they have never covered their hair). Moreover, according to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, expressed in the Sifri* on the verse Bamidbar* 5:18, one finds an allusion in the Torah* to the fact that unmarried women do not cover their heads.

According to the revealed teaching of the Torah*, the reason for all of this is as follows. Tractate Eruvin* 100b states that the married woman covers her head in order to atone for the sin of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which she caused her husband to commit — and which therefore does not pertain to an unmarried woman.

Obviously, no objection can be raised based on the blood of Niddah*, as the Tractate Eruvin* states at the same reference, because that is a physical phenomenon, a natural manifestation, which is not the case for covering the head.

ג'תקצב

ב"ה, אדר"ח תמוז, תשט"ו
ברוקלין.

שלום וברכה!

... הדין המקור לדין שערות הבתולות - מפורש הוא בטושו"ע או"ח סע"ה. ועייג"כ נ"כ שו"ע אהע"ז סכ"א ס"ב.

הטעם להחילוק י"ל, דהרי ופרע את ראש האשה (ראה כתובות עב, סע"א) בנשואה כתיב. והעיקר, עדמש"כ בהקדמה לפיה"מ להרמב"ם - שבענינים המקובלים מדור לדור מימות מרע"ה אא"פ להיות בזה מחלוקת (וראה עד"ז בירוש' פסחים רפ"ו: והרי א"א לשני שביעת כו') והרי בהנ"ל ראו מנהג הבתולות מדור לדור. ולדעת ר' ישמעאל (ספרי לבמדבר ה' יח) זכר במקרא שהבתולות הולכות מגולות. פנימיות הטעם ע"פ נגלה י"ל דכסוי הראש באשה בא כעונש על חטא עה"ד (עירובין ק, ב) שהשכילה את בעלה, ולכן אינו בבתולה. ומובן דל"ק מדם נידות (עירובין שם) - כי זהו הענין שנעשה בטבע הגוף, משא"כ הנ"ל...

ג'תקצב
נדפסה בלקו"ש ח"ח ע' 285.