[Avodah] Rav Shimon Schwab on how Jewish women should dress

[Prof. Levine]

At 05:58 AM 5/6/2010, Chana Luntz wrote:


>I do have to say that I find RSS's approach somewhat puzzling in the light
>of Chazal though. One of the ten takanos of Ezra listed in Baba Kama 82a was
>that peddlers should go from city to city for the sake of women's adornments
>(tachshitei nashim, which Rashi explains as besamim - ie perfumes and
>cosmetics).  The gemora explains on Baba Basra 22a that this was so that
>such adornments would be readily available to the Bnos Yisroel, and on Baba
>Kama 82b that this was so that they not become repulsive to their husbands.
>And indeed, one of the financial obligations of a husband enumerated in the
>Mishna in Kesubos (66b) was to set aside money for "her basket".  And what,
>the gemora asks further on daf 66b - is her basket?  - Besamim!- ie perfumes
>and cosmetics.  And further, it would seem from Kesuvos 48a that the Beis
>Din is empowered, in the absence of a husband, to go down onto his property
>in order to provide sustenance for his wife, such sustenance to include a
>required provision for adornments  (tachshitim - again Rashi, besamim)
>because it can be assumed that he would not be happy to have his wife become
>repulsive.  And should a woman swear a neder that she will refuse to adorn
>herself, and if she did adorn herself, she should be forbidden to her
>husband, the Chachamim provided that she should be divorced immediately and
>given her kesuba, because it could not be expected that in fact she should
>not adorn herself because then she will be called repulsive (Kesubos 71(b)).
<snip>

I really see nothing puzzling regarding what Rav Schwab wrote and all 
of the sources you have quoted regarding how married women should 
dress. Rav A. Miller often said, "A woman should dress for her 
husband, not for others."  He meant that the finery should be 
reserved for the home. Thus all of these adornments are to be worn in 
the home for the husband, not in public.

This means that a woman should look her best when she is at home with 
her husband, not when she goes out in public. However, today, we 
often see just the opposite. Women dress up when they go out, and 
wear clothing at home that they would never let themselves be seen in 
when they go out.

YL
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