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

[Prof. Levine]

At 05:58 AM 5/6/2010, David Riceman wrote:

>RYL, citing RSS:
> > In general, from Yeshayahu's rebuke of Jewish women's flaunting of
> > their clothing, jewelry, and beauty enhancements, it is quite clear
> > that such mode of behavior is highly unbecoming a Jewish woman. A
> > Jewish woman should present herself not merely as a "woman," but
> > rather, as a human being with a tzelem Elokim, who belongs to the
> > Jewish nation, and is possessed of a neshamah that is holy...
>
> > Unfortunately, in our times, showy dressing, and cosmetic and beauty
> > enhancement have become normal and acceptable behavior. Even very
> > "frum" girls and women dress and beautify themselves in a way that is
> > designed to attract attention to themselves as women...
>
>It was not a new phenomenon, it was a practice known to Hazal: One of
>Ezra's takkanos was permitting perfumiers free access to Jewish towns,
>and one of the reactions to Hurban HaBayis was restrictions on the
>wearing of jewelry. From the first we can deduce that, contra RSS
>(and contra my own allergic reactions), perfumes are a positive thing,
>and from the second we can deduce something analogous about jewelry.
>
>David Riceman

The new phenomenon that Rav Schwab is talking about is that women 
"flaunt" "their clothing, jewelry, and beauty enhancements" in 
public. As I wrote in response to Chana Luntz's post, Rav Schwab is 
telling us that all of these beauty enhancements are to be used for a 
woman's husband, and should not be for public display.

This does not mean that a woman should not be presentable in public. 
However, she should make herself especially beautiful for her 
husband. And again, we often see just the opposite. Some women are 
dressed to the hilt in public and wear frumpy clothing when at home.

YL
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