Women's Head Coverings
By Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
The issue of women covering their heads is one of modesty and respect
toward the men folk. It is not a symbol of cowering submission to the
opposite sex as some believe, for Netzari Jewish men cover their heads
too. There are many reasons:
1. It symbolic of submission to G-d a reminder that G-d is always
above them.
2. It is a symbol of modesty and piety.
3. It is not to distract the men folk. For G-d has made men visually
stimulated, and so as not to provoke lust in the men and to maintain
chastity among both sexes, women wear a head covering.
Hair is a very sexual stimulant to a man. In Judaism a woman's hair is
only meant for her husband to enjoy. I did not believe this for I grew
up in a western society wear the majority of women do not cover their
heads. I in essence became desensitized to it to some degree. Yet even
in this desensitized state I could still be aroused sexually by a
woman's hair. All it took was a sexy long haired woman to flip that
hair in public or on TV and that got my attention. Another example is
when I converted to Netzari Judaism; I was around women who covered
their head most of the time. So one day when I was at work in a
factory, where everyone wore ratty dirty clothes, everyone was hot and
sweaty, I saw a female employee walk by. She didn't have to flip her
head, her hair was flat and a bit matted, yet I caught myself doing a
double take and that is when it hit me that hair is sensual, and that
it is best for a woman to cover her head and that a woman's hair
should only be for her husband. G-d forbid someone is unintentionally
"turned on" by my wife in any way including her hair.
Rav Sha'ul, (Apostle Paul) was a master of the legalities of the Torah
and the halakah thereof (the way to carry it out in ones daily life).
He deals with this issue in I Corinthians 11 that men should not cover
their heads with a woman's head covering, and that a woman should
cover her head with the proper attire for the reasons stated above.
He also mentions the angels. Why? Because in Genesis 6 apparently the
fallen angelic race lusted after the daughters of mortal men, Rav
Sha'ul links part of this reason to the women not having their heads
covered and being a sensual attraction to these fallen beings. The
fallen angels end up cohabitating with the daughters of mortal men and
produced what the KJV says was Giants, and the Hebrew word is
Nephilim: Giant Fallen Ones; The human angelic hybrid. Yes, you do not
hear about this in Nominal Christianity and it sounds mythical and
fantastic, but this is a well established interpretation in Judaism. I
am not a theologian, scholar or scientist, just a simple Rabbi, so I
cannot explain the how of it all. But apparently this was also the
reason for the Genesis flood, to wipe out the Nephilim so the human
gene pool would be saved and the human race wouldn't become a lost
human demonic hybrid. This was only one of Satan's tactics to keep the
Gen. 3:15 prophecy of a coming redeeming Messiah from coming to pass.
But the word "angel" can also simply mean a "messenger" such as the
Rabbi. And Rav Sha'ul implored the women not to go about with their
head uncovered and distract the messenger of G-d.
I am so tired of the brazen negligence, lack of genuine concern and
respect in this society on behalf of the women, where a woman deems it
her "right" to wear immodest clothing; such as a halter top or
mini-skirt, and claim it is not her problem if a guy lusts after her.
This is denial of the way G-d hardwired us as sexual beings. G-d made
men visual stimulated and women emotionally stimulated. Please do not
get me wrong, I am by no means excusing a man who may rape a woman
partially on account of the way she dresses. But let us liken it unto
a person who goes out of doors without proper clothing and insect
repellent in a known mosquito infested area and gets eaten alive. They
only have themselves to blame because they could have covered
themselves with the proper clothing and insect repellent but choose
not to and the mosquitoes were just doing what they were hardwired to
do, seek out blood and carry it back to their young.
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