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<font size=3>At 05:58 AM 5/6/2010, Chana Luntz wrote:<br><br>
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<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">I do have to say that I find
RSS's approach somewhat puzzling in the light<br>
of Chazal though. One of the ten takanos of Ezra listed in Baba Kama 82a
was<br>
that peddlers should go from city to city for the sake of women's
adornments<br>
(tachshitei nashim, which Rashi explains as besamim - ie perfumes
and<br>
cosmetics). The gemora explains on Baba Basra 22a that this was so
that<br>
such adornments would be readily available to the Bnos Yisroel, and on
Baba<br>
Kama 82b that this was so that they not become repulsive to their
husbands.<br>
And indeed, one of the financial obligations of a husband enumerated in
the<br>
Mishna in Kesubos (66b) was to set aside money for "her
basket". And what,<br>
the gemora asks further on daf 66b - is her basket? - Besamim!- ie
perfumes<br>
and cosmetics. And further, it would seem from Kesuvos 48a that the
Beis<br>
Din is empowered, in the absence of a husband, to go down onto his
property<br>
in order to provide sustenance for his wife, such sustenance to include
a<br>
required provision for adornments (tachshitim - again Rashi,
besamim)<br>
because it can be assumed that he would not be happy to have his wife
become<br>
repulsive. And should a woman swear a neder that she will refuse to
adorn<br>
herself, and if she did adorn herself, she should be forbidden to
her<br>
husband, the Chachamim provided that she should be divorced immediately
and<br>
given her kesuba, because it could not be expected that in fact she
should<br>
not adorn herself because then she will be called repulsive (Kesubos
71(b)).</blockquote><snip><br><br>
I really see nothing puzzling regarding what Rav Schwab wrote and all of
the sources you have quoted regarding how married women should dress. Rav
A. Miller often said, "A woman should dress for her husband, not for
others." He meant that the finery should be reserved for the
home. Thus all of these adornments are to be worn in the home for the
husband, not in public.<br><br>
This means that a woman should look her best when she is at home with her
husband, not when she goes out in public. However, today, we often see
just the opposite. Women dress up when they go out, and wear clothing at
home that they would never let themselves be seen in when they go out.
<br><br>
YL</font></body>
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