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Assuming that married women need to cover their hair today (I'm not going into that discussion), which communities accept that a sheitel is considered a covering?

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3 Answers

All Ashkenazim outside of Chassidim.There is also a Chassidic custom that a Hat and a wig are required.

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It's not just "all chassidim say no", is it? –  Shalom Aug 23 '10 at 14:15
no your question was "accept that a sheitel is considered a covering" Lubavitch for example is the strongest Advocates for Shaitels I know –  SimchasTorah Aug 23 '10 at 14:21
I heard from Rav Elyashiv's own mouth (recording) that the current shaitels that really look like beautiful real hair should not be permitted. he is pretty Ashkenazic and not Chassidish. –  Yahu Aug 25 '10 at 3:30
Right he accepts wigs Just not all of them. –  SimchasTorah Aug 25 '10 at 5:04
Truth be told that he did not use the word "current". I just assumed that because of the extreme implications a literal understanding of Rav Elyashiv's statement would have on the entire Litvishe Ashkenazic world and the fact that no one is rushing to indiscriminately forbid all sheitels based on his statement. –  Yahu Aug 26 '10 at 2:26
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I'm making this a community wiki, so please fill in as you can.

Are there communities that will wear synthetic but not human-hair?

You'll hear plenty of rabbis saying "a sheitel is no good if it looks too attracting", but that's subjective. I'm looking for yes or no, does a wig count as covering.

You'll also hear of rabbis who paskened they don't count, but often the community practice is otherwise.

  • American and Israeli yeshivish communities -- sheitels are the norm.
  • Yekkes, old-school or yeshivish -- sheitels are fine.
  • Chabad-Lubavitch -- I'd seen the quote from the Rebbe zt'l that sheitels are a good option ("kerchiefs can suddenly disappear into a pocket if you feel embarrassed"); is this both synthetic and human?
  • Israeli Dati-Leumi and Charedi Dati-Leumi -- sheitels aren't the norm; is that a halachic thing or a practical/sociological one?
  • American MO machmir -- accepted, if not loved.
  • Hassidic, non-chabad (חג״ת) -- was it the Belzer Rebbe who said sheitels don't count? Is that still Belz custom? Do other Hassidic communities all accept sheitels?

I know R' Ovadiah Yosef shlit'a says sheitels don't count; which non-Ashkenazic communities follow his psak?

  • Syrians?
  • Persians? (And Bukharians as well I assume?)
  • Spanish-Portuguese?
  • North Africans?
  • Others?
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Reb Ovadiah ussaly poskins for everyone one but here in America alot of syrians follow Rav abba Shaul who allows it –  SimchasTorah Aug 23 '10 at 14:32
never saw a source of any sefardic rav permiting it, you will need to be more specific and tell me where harav aba shaul permits it –  Avraham Mar 28 '11 at 23:23
He permitted it at least in his community. I know relatives of his who wear sheitels and they are bnos Torah, wives of B'nei Torah. –  Yahu Mar 29 '11 at 5:12
didn't mean geographically I mean where he wrote it –  Avraham May 24 '11 at 11:07
In Chabad-Lubavitch, the Rebbe strongly insisted that only Sheitels should be worn in public. Either synthetic or human hair are used, although human hair seems to be more fashionable. Many Lubavitch married women will wear tichels inside the home. –  follick Aug 12 '11 at 6:00
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I heard that RSRH holds that a woman is even yotzei covering her hair if she wears a sheitel that is made out of even her own hair.

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The Mishna Brura(75:15) infers and brings the Pri Migadim that even if a woman uses her own detached hair it is permissible in those places that do that. –  sam May 2 '12 at 5:07
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