Wigs and Avoda Zara

How a woman covers her hair after marriage is a deeply personal decision. An array of options exist, and each carries with it various social and cultural messages. One form of head covering, common in many communities around the world, is the use of a wig, or sheitel. In this article we will examine some of the halachic debate connected to the wearing of wigs, looking at issues that have arisen in the distant past, as well as new discussions, and see how the halachic discourse has stood the test of time. 

Halachic Discussion

The halachic discussion on wigs can be found as early as in the Mishna, where we find that it determines that a woman can wear a wig on Shabbat and it doesn’t count as carrying, as she is unlikely to remove it¹. The Shiltei Gibborim infers from this that it is permissible for a woman to cover her hair with the hair of someone else (ie, a wig or hair extension) as the hair that would be considered erva is only that which is actually attached to one’s own scalp². The Rema also agreed with this assertion³.

In some communities, wearing a wig is considered the more appropriate form of head covering, while others prefer a wrap or hat, due to the concern of maarat ayin. This issue has been addressed by many of the gedolim of our times. Rav Moshe Feinstein was not concerned by this issue, stating that observant women sometimes cover their hair with wigs is something people are generally aware of⁴. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was known to encourage women to cover their hair with wigs rather than other forms of covering, as he believed it to be a more sustainable form of hair covering, one which they would be less likely to remove or feel uncomfortable in⁵. Indeed, this is the common practice of Chabad women. 

In Sephardi communities, there has also been much debate on wigs. Some permit them, such as Rav Yaakov Chaim Sofer⁶. However, Rav Ovadia was famously against the wearing of wigs as a form of hair covering. He notes that the wigs discussed in the mishna and the Rishonim, were obviously not the woman’s own hair, while the wigs of today are incredibly similar to the ones natural hair, sometimes looking even more beautiful. Based on the principle of maarat ayin, Rav Ovadia ruled against them⁷. 

Wigs and Avoda Zara

Several years ago, a new halachic concern was raised regarding wearing wigs whose hair originated from India. India is home to a large population of Hindus, and Hinduism is a polytheistic religion- they believe and worship many gods, that is, they practice Avoda Zara. 

Avoda Zarah is one of the three cardinal sins. As with many mitzvot, we are commanded not only not to commit the sin, but also to distance ourselves from it. We are prohibited from having any benefit or involvement in it. The Talmud brings the example of one who is paid to transport wine used for idolatrous purposes – he may not keep his wages and even more so, is required to destroy the money so that no one will benefit from idolatry.

In one sect, from the Tirupati region, a ritual is performed where the hair of the worshipers is shaved in the temple as an expression of gratitude to their deities. This hair is then sold to wig makers, hence it landed up in the streets of Brooklyn and Meah Shearim. Our rabbis needed to understand if this hair was used in avoda zara, and if so, what would the status of the sheital now be? One might wonder- how could a Jewish woman wearing the hair be considered a problem? She is not using it for avoda zara herself- the opposite! She is using it for a mitzvah! In order to understand why this could be a problem, we need to understand the laws of Avoda Zara. 

Avoda Zarah is one of the three cardinal sins. As with many mitzvot, we are commanded not only not to commit the sin, but also to distance ourselves from it. We are prohibited from having any benefit or involvement in it. The Talmud brings the example of one who is paid to transport wine used for idolatrous purposes – he may not keep his wages and even more so, is required to destroy the money so that no one will benefit from idolatry⁸.  If the hair of these women is indeed used in idol worship, wearing the hair would be gaining benefit from idolatry. 

Some rabbis hold that the hair itself is not an object of idol worship. But even here problems persist, and it may be considered tikrovet avoda zara– an item used to worship avoda zara, something that was involved in the avoda. While our sages debated if this level of prohibition is a deorayta or derabanan, the accepted halachic approach is that it is at the Torah level⁹. 

One important distinction is that an object donated to avoda zara may be used for a Jew’s benefit (for example, gold or silver that had been donated to a Hindu temple), and this does not fall into the category of tikrovet avoda zara. Our rabbis debated that if the shaven hair of the devotees was considered just a donation, or the object of idolatry itself. If the actual shaving of the head was an act of idolatry, or the hairs were used in worship, we could not use them. If it was not the act itself but rather just a donation to the temple, they would be permissible.

In the initial discussion, Rav Eliayshiv, basing his answer on information provided by an academic on the practice, ruled that the hair was not used for avoda zara, but rather that it was a donation. Later he revoked this ruling, based on further understanding of the practice. Rav Kaganoff, in his review of the discussion, brings the following quote to explain the experience of the devotee who comes to donate her hair: “‘Rathamma has made the two-day journey to India’s largest Hindu temple with her family and friends to fulfill a pledge to her god. Provide us with a good rice crop, she had prayed, and I’ll sacrifice my hair and surrender my beauty.’¹⁰

From here we see that for Rathamma, her shaving of her head was an act of worship- a prayer, a deal she makes with her deity. It is not just a donation to the temple. 

Rav Shtenburch also ruled against using Indian hair for sheitels as he considered the hair to be tikravot avoda zara. He further holds that even just owning such a wig would go against the prohibition of “Nor shall you bring an abhorrence into your house.”¹¹ 

Does the Majority Always Rule?

Sheitels are often composed of different types of hair, and one may not know where the hair comes from. In the case where one is concerned that there may be some Indian hairs in their sheitel, but are not sure, does one have to destroy the sheitel? Does it matter if the majority of the wig is European or other materials? 

In the case of avoda zara, the halachic concept of bitul, nullification, does not exist, due to the stringency of the prohibition. Hair that is tikrovet Avoda Zara will remain such, whether it is bleached and dyed, and mixed in with other hairs. Therefore, if we know for sure that a wig contains idolatrous hair, it would need to be destroyed. If however, one is not sure, there are leniencies to rely on, namely that the absence of ‘bitul’ for avoda zara is a Rabbinic ruling and based on the halachic principle of safek derabbanan lekulah, a women may wear the wig. 

As with every halachic question, it is important to consult with a halachic authority. 

Take Aways

Above we briefly examined two aspects of sheitel wearing; the first is more general and highlights the communal significance of how a woman covers her hair, and how that plays into halachic views of the subject. Seeing that wig wearing goes back to the time of the mishna, shows that women throughout the ages have grappled with this mitzvah and the best way for them to do it. 

The second question of avoda zara and its relevance to sheitals shows a remarkable intersection between the mitzvah of hair covering and the mitzvah to not commit idol worship. It is not intuitive that a connection between these two commandments would exist, and yet we see, one does. 

Rav Kagonoff concludes his review of the issue with the following words: 

“Who could imagine that in the modern world, shaylos about the laws of avodah zarah would affect virtually every frum household. It goes to show us how ayn kol chodosh tachas hashemesh, there is nothing new under the sun (Kohelet 1:9).”¹²

Through both of the points related to our discussion, we can understand how timeless our Torah is, how relevant each aspect of it is to even our modern lives. 

1. Mishna, Shabbat 6,5 ↩︎
2. Shiltei Gibborim to the Rif, Shabbat 29a in Rif pagination ↩︎
3. Shulchan Aruch OC 75:2 Rema ↩︎
4. Iggerot Moshe EH II:12 ↩︎
5. Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Likutei Sichot 13, p 189 ↩︎
6. Kaf Ha-chayyim OC 75:19 ↩︎
7. Responsa Yabi’a Omer EH 5:5 ↩︎
8. Mishnah, Avodah Zarah 62a ↩︎
9. Rambam, Hilchos Avodah Zarah 7:2 ↩︎
10. https://www.yeshiva.co/midrash/39604
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11. Devarim, 7:26 ↩︎
12. https://www.yeshiva.co/midrash/39604
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For further reading see: https://www.deracheha.org/head-covering-4-how/#wigs