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

[Michael Poppers]

In Avodah V27#114, RnCL clarified her point:
> But even more telling is the bit I quoted (albeit in the middle of my
piece, so you may have missed it) namely:
<<< 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. >>>
> Now this is a case where the husband is off in midinas hayam [ie
overseas], and due to his absence, beis din is having to take on the role
of making
sure she has her basic essentials (by selling off his property to provide
them).  So there is absolutely no husband around to see and appreciate
these
ornaments.  And yet, it is so essential that a woman adorn herself with
perfumes and the like, that in the absence of her husband, that beis din
can
go down onto his property and sell parts of it off to buy them.
> This hardly sounds like a finery should be reserved for the husband, does
it? <

(RZS noted that the inclusion of tachshitin is apparently not l'halachah,
but I'm sure RnCL knew that :).  Let's work w/ the assumptions used by
RnC....)

Ensuring that the husband's k'suvah obligations (including "k'susah," that
her overall appearance [including body odor!] is proper/representative of
her status [per se and/or as his wife & as a member of their community and
K'lal, whichever fulfills "oleh imo v'einah yoredes imo"]) are fulfilled is
quite different than a wife dressing up (or perfuming herself) for the eyes
(or noses) of others, don't you think?  Thanks.

All the best from
--Michael Poppers via RIM pager
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