MISHNA: And these are examples of women who may be divorced without payment of their marriage contract: A woman who violates the precepts of Moses, i.e., halakha, or the precepts of Jewish women, i.e., custom. The Mishna explains: And who is categorized as a woman who violates the precepts of Moses? This includes cases such as when she feeds him food that has not been tithed, or she engages in sexual intercourse with him while she has the legal status of a menstruating woman, or she does not separate a portion of dough to be given to a priest [ḥalla], or she vows and does not fulfill her vows.
§ The mishna stated: And who is considered a woman who violates the precepts of Jewish women? One who goes out and her head is uncovered. The Gemara asks: The prohibition against a woman going out with her head uncovered is not merely a custom of Jewish women. Rather, it is by Torah law, as it is written with regard to a woman suspected by her husband of having been unfaithful: “And he shall uncover the head of the woman” (Numbers 5:18). And the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: From here there is a warning to Jewish women not to go out with an uncovered head, since if the Torah states that a woman suspected of adultery must have her head uncovered, this indicates that a married woman must generally cover her head. The Gemara explains: By Torah law,
(18) After he has made the woman stand before the LORD, the priest shall bare the woman’s head and place upon her hands the meal offering of remembrance, which is a meal offering of jealousy. And in the priest’s hands shall be the water of bitterness that induces the spell.
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).
Midrash Rabah (Bamidbar 9:16)
“Why does the priest uncover her hair? Because it was the way of the daughters of Israel to have their heads covered. When he uncovers her hair, he says to her: “You have departed from the ways of the daughters of Israel, whose ways it is to have their hair covered, and you have walked in the ways of the gentile women, who walk about with their heads uncovered. Here then, now you have what you have wanted.”
הדרן עלך בתולה נשאת
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
MISHNA: With regard to a woman who was widowed or divorced, and is now claiming payment of her marriage contract that is not before the court, and she says: You married me as a virgin, who is entitled to two hundred dinars, and he says: No; rather, I married you as a widow, who is entitled to one hundred dinars, then, if there are witnesses that she went out of her father’s house to her wedding with a hinnuma or with her hair uncovered, in a manner typical of virgins, payment of her marriage contract is two hundred dinars.
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.
אמר ר׳ יצחק טפח באשה ערוה ... אמר רב חסדא שוק באשה ערוה שנאמר גלי שוק עברי נהרות וכתיב תגל ערותך וגם תראה חרפתך אמר שמואל קול באשה ערוה שנאמר כי קולך ערב ומראך נאוה אמר רב ששת שער באשה ערוה
Rabbi Yitzḥak stated: An exposed handbreadth in a woman constitutes nakedness.... Along these lines, Rav Ḥisda said: Even a woman’s exposed leg is considered nakedness, as it is stated: “Uncover the leg and pass through the rivers” (Isaiah 47:2), and it is written in the following verse: “Your nakedness shall be revealed and your shame shall be seen” (Isaiah 47:3). Shmuel further stated: A woman’s singing voice is considered nakedness, which he derives from the praise accorded a woman’s voice, as it is stated: “Sweet is your voice and your countenance is alluring” (Song of Songs 2:14). Similarly, Rav Sheshet stated: Even a woman’s hair is considered nakedness, for it too is praised, as it is written: “Your hair is like a flock of goats, trailing down from Mount Gilead” (Song of Songs 4:1).
וְאֵלּוּ הֵן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאִם עָשְׂתָה אַחַת מֵהֶן עָבְרָה עַל דַּת משֶׁה. יוֹצְאָה בַּשּׁוּק וּשְׂעַר רֹאשָׁהּ גָּלוּי. אוֹ שֶׁנּוֹדֶרֶת אוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעַת וְאֵינָהּ מְקַיֶּמֶת. אוֹ שֶׁשִּׁמְּשָׁה מִטָּתָהּ וְהִיא נִדָּה. אוֹ שֶׁאֵינָהּ קוֹצָה לָהּ חַלָּה. אוֹ שֶׁהֶאֱכִילָה אֶת בַּעְלָהּ דְּבָרִים אֲסוּרִים, אֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים וּנְבֵלוֹת, אֶלָּא דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָן מְעֵשָּׂרִין.
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.
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,
...
מָקוֹם שֶׁדַּרְכָּן שֶׁלֹּא תֵּצֵא אִשָּׁה לַשּׁוּק בְּכִפָּה שֶׁעַל רֹאשָׁהּ בִּלְבַד עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עָלֶיהָ רְדִיד הַחוֹפֶה אֶת כָּל גּוּפָהּ כְּמוֹ טַלִּית נוֹתֵן לָהּ בִּכְלַל הַכְּסוּת רְדִיד הַפָּחוּת מִכָּל הָרְדִידִין.
אלו יוצאות בלא כתובה העוברת על דת משה ויהודית ואיזו היא דת משה מאכילתו שאינו מעושר או אחד מכל האיסורים כגון דם או חלב שהכשילתו ואכלו על פיה ונודע לו אח"כ כגון שאמרה פלוני חכם תקן לי הכרי הזה או התיר לי חתיכה זו או טיהר לי הדם הזה ונמצאת שקרנית ודוקא שהוכחשה בעדים כגון שהעידו שבאותה שעה שאמרה שפלוני תקן לה שלא היה אותו פלוני בעיר וגם יש עדים שאמרה לו שהוא מתוקן ושהוא אכלו על פיה אבל אם אין עדים והיא כופרת שלא האכילתו או שמכחשת ההחכם שאומר שלא תקן לה והיא אומרת שתקן לה נאמנת ודוקא שהכשילתו ואכל על פיה אבל אם רצתה להאכילו דבר איסור ונודע לו ופירש או שהיא בעצמה אכלה דבר איסור לא אבדה כתובתה הוחזקה נדה בשכנותיה שראוה לובשת בגדי נדותה ואמרה לו טהורה אני ובא עליה יוצאת בלא כתובה הנודרת ואינה מקיימת תצא בלא כתובה דבעון נדרים בנים מתים קטנים ואיזו היא דת יהודית יוצאת וראשה פרוע אפי' אין פרוע לגמרי אלא קלתה בראשה כיון שאינה מכוסה בצעיף תצא כתב הרמב"ם אע"פ שמכוסה במטפחת כיון שאין עליה רדיד ככל הנשים תצא בלא כתובה ודוקא שיוצאת כן ברשות הרבים או במבוי המפולש או בחצר שהרבים בוקעים בו אבל במבוי שאינו מפולש וחצר שאין הרבים בוקעים בו לא תצא
(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.
(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.
(ז) ועתה בואו ונצווח על פרצות דורינו בעוונותינו הרבים, שזה שנים רבות שנפרצו בנות ישראל בעון זה והולכות בגילוי הראש. וכל מה שצעקו על זה – הוא לא לעזר ולא להועיל. ועתה פשתה המספחת, שהנשואות הולכות בשערותן כמו הבתולות. אוי לנו שעלתה בימינו כך! מיהו על כל פנים לדינא נראה שמותר לנו להתפלל ולברך נגד ראשיהן המגולות, כיון שעתה רובן הולכות כך, והוה כמקומות המגולים בגופה, וכמו שכתב המרדכי בשם ראבי"ה בסוף פרק שלישי, וזה לשונו: כל הדברים שהזכרנו לערוה – דוקא בדבר שאין רגילות להגלות. אבל בתולה הרגילה בגילוי שיער – לא חיישינן, דליכא הרהור. עד כאן לשונו. וכיון שאצלינו גם הנשואות כן, ממילא דליכא הרהור.
due to our many sins, it has become widespread that daughters of Israel have broken the barriers and go about without their hair covered. And although we scream about this, it does not help and the plague has spread… However, as far as the law is concerned, it seems that it would be permissible to pray and recite blessings in front of uncovered heads because ervah is specifically with things that are not usually covered, since we are worried about inappropriate sexual thoughts.
Rambam, hilchos ishis, p. 24.
“If a woman wears a wrap in public (mitpahat), but not a veil, she violates Jewish custom (dat yehudit) and forfeits her kesuva, even if her hair is covered with a kerchief.”
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.
Responsa Igrot Moshe, Even ha-Ezer, Vol. 1, 58:
The actually Talmudic prohibition is against Jewish women going out with their hair unkempt, so if only a few strands are visible one cannot infer that all the hair is unkempt. Therefore, these strands are not a problem. There is an amount called a tefah, which is about 8-10 cm, or half the width of the head. You are permitted to show just under 1 square tefah of hair. (2 finger widths.)
The Sages taught in a baraita: Kimḥit had seven sons, and they all served in the office of the High Priesthood, as High Priests or as his substitute. The Sages said to her: What good deeds did you perform to merit this? She said to them: In all my days, the beams of my house never saw the braids of my hair, as she was extremely modest and was strict about covering her hair even inside her own house.
(Zohar, parashat Naso 125b-126b)
"Disruption of spiritual consciousness will befall a man who allows his wife to expose her hair; this [the proper covering of a woman's hair] is one of the foundational principles of modesty. A woman who let's her hair be seen in order to appear attractive causes poverty to her home, spiritual inferiority to her children and causes a negative spiritual influence to reside in the home... If all this in one's own house certainly in public places and certainly other brazen acts of immodesty....
Therefore, a woman should cover her head when she is at home. And if she does so, what is the result? Children shall be like olive plants [round your table]” (Psalm 128: 3). Why “olive plants”? The olive tree does not lose its leaves in either winter or summer, and it is always given pride and place over and above other the other trees. So her children will be given pride and place over all other men. Moreover, her husband will be blessed in all things, with blessings from both the world above and the world below, with riches, and with children, and with grandchildren.”
Rabbi Nachman
"Her children will be superior to other children; moreover, her husband will be blessed with all blessings, blessings of above and blessings of below, with wealth, with children and grandchildren, etc."
For example, when you write that wearing a sheitel makes your head hurt, it is possible that:
- This is a falsehood of the evil inclination who does not want mitzvos to be performed and does not want Jews to be showered with blessings.
- If this is indeed true -- then this demonstrates that [your hair is too long and] you should cut it so that it be shorter. When you do so, your head surely won’t hurt when wearing a sheitel.
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXXIII, p. 264)
As to your inquiry about the difference between covering one’s hair with a sheitel and covering one’s hair with a kerchief:
The difference is extremely simple. When the hair is covered with a kerchief and one meets a non-religious friend or acquaintance, then quite often the kerchief "slides up" or disappears altogether into the pocket.
This, of course, cannot be done with a sheitel. Ultimately, keeping the hair constantly covered becomes second nature.
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. X, p. 186)
Lubavitcher Rebbe
When a Jewish woman walks in the street without a hair covering, there is not a discernible difference between her and others. However, when she wears a wig, one can tell that here is a Jewish religious woman... The difference between a wig and a kerchief is the following: It is easy to take off a kerchief, which is not the case with a wig. For instance, when one is at a gathering and wears a wig, then even if President Eisenhower were to enter, she would not take off her wig. This is not so with a kerchief which can easily be removed...