[Avodah] Q&A: Isn’t Wearing a Wig Over Hair Pointless?

[Micha Berger]

A while back I suggested that the reason why women cover their hair is
because of a gezeiras hakasuv from a pasuq about sotah -- "ufarah es
rosh ha'ishah" (Bamidbar 5:18). As it says in Kesuvos 72a "roshah parua'
deOraisa hi".

What then about "sei'ar be'ishah ervah" (Berakhos 24a)? I suggested
that's a /consequence/ of the issur deOraisa. Because it's supposed
to be covered in public, uncovered hair becomes a sign on intimacy,
a statement that "you're not stam 'public'." And that would explain
why sei'ar is different than the other items in the gemara's list
in only applying to married women, unlike shoq and qol.

See earlier versions of this discussion, 
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=W#WOMANS%20HAIR%20COVERING
a number of threds with similar names starting at
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=W#WOMEN%20COVERING%20HAIR
and <http://j.mp/V0JLxV> or
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/getindex.cgi?section=M#MORE%20ON%20MARRIED%20WOMEN%20SHOULD%20NOT%20WEAR%20WIGS

In any case, if this way of explaining the two gemros is correct, then
we're talking about a gezeiras hakasuv, and there is no way to pasqen
from a taam hamitzvah.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Take time,
micha at aishdas.org        be exact,
http://www.aishdas.org   unclutter the mind.
Fax: (270) 514-1507            - Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, Alter of Kelm