Why must Jewish women cover their hair, but are still allowed to wear wigs? Isn that hypocritical?
No, not really. Bear in mind that the Law that a woman must cover her hair applies only once she has gotten married. A woman who has never been married may keep her hair revealed. Thus we see that it is very different than all the other parts of a person’s body. A woman may not reveal her own hair, but she is not required to look ugly. While a woman may not attempt to attract any man other than her husband, she is not required to look frumpy. A woman is encouraged to feel good about herself, and if she feels like dressing nicely there is no problem with that, as long as she keeps to the Laws of Tznius (modesty, chastity, etc.). For a longer discussion of this and similar subjects, visit Kresel’s Reader’s Response Page.
