[Avodah] Halachah regarding pants for women
Micha Berger
micha at aishdas.org
Wed May 25 13:18:54 PDT 2011
On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 03:49:01PM -0400, Yitzchak Schaffer wrote:
> Is anyone aware of halachic sources regarding women wearing pants? I am
> particularly interested in the question of tsenius, as opposed to
> whether pants are a beged ish. The Avodah archive search does not seem
> to be working.
Yeah, it hasn't worked for a while. AishDas.org 2.0 is in the works,
so I didn't bother attacking the problem.
In any case, RETurkel asked the same question, with the same emphasis
back in v5n88. See
<http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=P#PANTS>.
R Yitzchok Zirkind's and R Daniel Eidensohn's answers are of value (kedarkam
baqodesh), as they refer to sources.
RYZ <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol05/v05n089.shtml#10>:
WRT Pissuk Raglayim it was discussed a while back here, based on
the Rashi in Pesachim 3a (although there it is more pronounced),
As to the general issue, the following is a quote from the "Halichos
Bas Yisrael" by Rav Yitzchak Yaacov Fuchs (Targum press) 7:5 footnote
# 7.
" 7. The issue of women wearing pants is discussed at lentgh
in Minchath Yitzchak, Vol. 2, No. 108. The author concludes that
pants are forbidden for two reasons: they are immodest because they
outline the lower half of a women's body; and, they are considered a
male garment. According to Minchath Yitzchak, pants may not be worn
under ANY circumstances, and even pants specifically manufactured for
women are "men's clothing". See also Tzitz Eliezer, Vol. 11, No. 62;
Shevet Halevi, Yoreh De'ah, No. 63; Sdeh Chemed, Vol. 4, Ma'arekheth
Lamed 116, Yaskil Avdi, Vol. 5, Yoreh De'ah, No. 147. A number
of contemporary authorities take issue with Minchath Yitzchak,
maintaining that the injuction against weraing male garments does
not apply if the pants are specifically manufactured for women; the
only reason for prohibiting them is that they outline the lower half
of the body. According to these authorities, who include HaGaon
Rav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv and HaGaon Rav Chaim Pinchus Sheinburg,
womens pants may be worn where there is no issue of modesty - for
example, in a gym where there are no men present."
RDE <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol10/v10n003.shtml#07>:
[Quoting R' Harry Maryles:]
> It is my understanding that even RMF Matirs pants on women with the
> following conditions:
> I did not see a Teshuvah by RMF but I have been told by reliable people
> that this is his Shitah .
There have been a number of references to poskim who permit women
to wear pants - in particular Rav Ovadiya Yosef and now Rav Moshe.
[The citation from ROY ended up being to Yabiah Omer VI YD 14, where
he writes that pants are better than miniskirts. Not they're okay for
women's wear. RMF would permit wearing (non-beged ish) pants under a
skirt, or as traditional Moslems and Indian women do, as a shalwar kameez
(shalwar = loose trousers, kameez - long blouse) where there is another
covering that goes well below the top of the leg. Continuing with RDE...]
I would really appreciate knowing the source of such
pronouncements. The one Tshuva (Yabiya Omer (6 YD 14) I found of Rav
Yosef addressing the issue concerns "Which is worse - a mini skirt
or pants?" He concludes that mini skirts are worse. I don't see
that as a hetair to wear pants. Now we have another pronouncement
that Rav Moshe permitted pants - I was not able to find such tshuva
in the Igros. If Rav Moshe in fact poskened on the issue I would
assume it was in a similar context to that of Rav Yosef. [Names of
the reliable people who have testified to the existence of a hetair
would be greatly appreciated along with their telephone numbers].Thus
according to the evidence I have seen neither would be considered
the source of a hetair to wear pants.
Rabbi Bleich has a discussion of the issue in volume II of
Contemporary Halachic Problems. He notes that there are two issues
in the literature 1) "Does the wearing of such attire involve
a transgression of the biblical prophibition "A woman shall not
wear men's apparel..." 2) Does such garb violate halachic norms
of feminine modesty?..."Rabbi Yosef and Rabbi Hadaya do not view
the wearing of slacks as a violation of the prohibition against
donning male attire. Nevertheless, both decry the wearing of slacks
by women ...they maintain that wearing such garb constitutes a
breach of feminine modesty, particularly if the slacks or pants
are tight-fitting in nature.....Similarly argues Rabbi Yosef,
miniskirts are more objectionable attire than are slacks although
both are immodest dress. [A review in Journal of Halacha 1982 v4 also
concludes"It should be noted that Rav Ovadia Yosef does not permit
the wearing of slacks by virtue of questions of modesty and gentile
practies. The question posed to him was a 'lesser of two evils'
situation in a school setting where girls would otherwise attend in
far less appropriate skirts and dresses".] Ohr Someach February 18,
1995 Issue #56 Says that Rabbi Scheinberg permits wearing pants if
a knee length skirt is worn over them.
Apparently some poskim permit pants when there are no men present
since their is no problem of tznius.
For those who have been asserting the existence of major poskim
who permit pants, please provide the names and references of those
poskim who in fact say that there are no halachic objects to women
wearing pants (rather than it is not as bad as mini skirts or that
it can be worn under a knee length skirt).
>
> --
> Yitzchak Schaffer
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>
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Today is the 36th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org 5 weeks and 1 day in/toward the omer.
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