[Avodah] Tznius

[Prof. Levine]

At 09:23 PM 6/16/2011, Sarah Green wrote:
>I would like to thank Dr. Levine for the link to rulings of several Rabbonim.

>However, it should be pointed out that the Rabbonim from Eretz Yisroel have
>different guidelines than some of those in America.

>For example, a 'right-wing' Lakewood posek told me regarding necklines:
>The neck is vertical and need not be covered. The shoulder is horizontal and
>must be completely covered. For the sloping area in between, more 
>than half must
>be covered.

>I am also curious if anyone has a source for the collarbone guideline.

Please see http://tinyurl.com/23jj27a for the "Official Haredi Guide 
to Modest Necklines."

Moving from the neck to the feet, one sees the tznius requirement
that a woman must wear stockings (and not "see through stockings").
However, this is not universally accepted. According to some poskim if
a woman is wearing an ankle length skirt or dress, then her ankles and
feet need not be covered. I once asked R. Avigdor Miller if a woman
had to cover her feet, and he replied, "We are not noheg this way."
According to this, a woman who wears an ankle length skirt or dress
could wear sandals without wearing stockings.

In most of the proclamations about tznius one sees only the strictest 
view with no mention of the opinions that are more lenient.


At 09:23 PM 6/16/2011, R. Joel Rich wrote:
>> The following if from today's Hakhel email bulletin.

>A few questions on the handouts:

>1.who added the handwritten piece about always needing stockings, and
>what is the source?

I have the same question regarding who added this and would contact the
people who sent this out if I knew how to.

It seems to be an accepted opinion that a woman has to wear stockings
unless she wears an ankle length dress or skirt. I have posted some
parts of the sefer Halichos Bas Yisrael by Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Fuchs
at http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/areivim/covering_body.pdf that
deal with modesty. Please have a look at what is there.

The following is from the footnote on page 73:

Clearly, many opinions require a woman's dress to be ankle-length.

In spite of the weight of so many contrary views, most Jewish communities
today have adopted the more lenient definition of the Mishnah Berurah. It
is, however, a widely accepted practice to wear non-transparent stockings,
and a woman is obligated to do so in a community which follows this
practice.

Minchath Yitzchak, Vol. 6, No. 10, rules that a woman should wear
stockings at home because strangers or visitors may come at any
time. Nevertheless, HaGaon Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach writes, "According
to the letter of the Law, a woman is not required to wear stockings in
her husband's presence, yet she is still required to wear a dress that
accords with the minimum standards of modesty." According to Shevet
HaLevi, Vol. 5, No. 77, a woman who wears an ankle-length dress need
not wear stockings.

Yitzchok Levine