[Avodah] Wearing Tefilin On A Toupee

[garry]

> On 7/12/2011 5:51 AM,From: "Prof. Levine"<llevine at stevens.edu>
>>
>> If someone wears a toupee, must he take it off when putting on
>> Tefilin Shel Rosh? The Tshuvas HaRashba (1:30), which is not in
>> accordance with the other Rishonim, proves from the Yerushalmi that
>> having a Chatzitza, a separation between your head and your Tefilin
>> Shel Rosh, is not a problem.  It is only a problem by Tefilin Shel
>> Yad.  However, says Rav Menashe Klein (Mishneh Halachos 6:8), that at
>> best the Rashba only holds this B'Di'eved and even so he concedes
>> that the Rishonim before him disagreed.  Furthermore, the Rashba says
>> that his opinion is L'Halacha but not L'Maaseh.
>>
>> Another possible heter says the Mishneh Halachos is a Pnei Aryeh (6)
>> who says that if you put white powder in your hair, it is not a
>> Chatzitza since it is for beauty, and anything put in the hair for
>> aesthetic purposes in not a chatzitza.  Similarly, says Rav Menashe
>> Klein, maybe a toupee, which is meant to enhance your appearance, is
>> also not a chatzitza.  However he dismisses this argument saying that
>> you cannot compare powder, which disappears and a toupee, which is 
>> very thick.
>
Unlike users of powder, many people who wear toupees are very 
embarrassed about it.
Before requiring them to show it to the world  whenever they daven with 
a minyan on weekday morning,
kavod habriot should be considered.  This is a mitzva aseh,
and although I don't know whether the prohibition of a chatzitza is 
d'oraita,
  it sounds from the discussion that it's d'rabbanan, and disputed as well.