Piety, Purity, and Pain: The Head Shaving Ritual for Women in Ultra-Orthodox Communities and Its Underlying Concept of Halachah.

Within the Hungarian and Galician Hasidic communities, women customarily shave their heads shortly before their weddings. Henceforth, they meticulously adhere to this practice, preserving a shorn appearance throughout the duration of their married lives. This practice has long stood at the center of...

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Publicado en:Modern Judaism: A Journal of Jewish Ideas & Experience Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 108 - 136
Autor principal: Brown, Iris
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA May2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Piety, Purity, and Pain: The Head Shaving Ritual for Women in Ultra-Orthodox Communities and Its Underlying Concept of Halachah.
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        au: Brown, Iris
        affil: Ono Academic College , Israel
      su:
        Ultra-Orthodox Jews
        Shaving
        Piety
        Ritual
        Asceticism
        Lust
        Self-sacrifice
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          Ultra-Orthodox Jews
          Shaving
          Piety
          Ritual
          Asceticism
          Lust
          Self-sacrifice
      keyword:
        custom
        hair
        Halachah
        Hasidic women
        head shaving
        ultra-Orthodoxy
      ab: Within the Hungarian and Galician Hasidic communities, women customarily shave their heads shortly before their weddings. Henceforth, they meticulously adhere to this practice, preserving a shorn appearance throughout the duration of their married lives. This practice has long stood at the center of a halachic and quasi-halachic discourse. An analysis of the arguments presented reveals that the halachic and kabbalistic foundations of this custom are extremely tenuous and largely dependent on homiletical interpretations. Although the precise origins of this practice remain elusive, its proponents have elevated its normative status, venerating it as an ancient and sacred tradition. This study endeavors to comprehend the underlying motivations driving the preservation efforts of this custom. The analysis herein demonstrates that the observance of this custom aligns three fundamentally non-halachic principles: a zealous commitment to minhag (custom); a "lust for asceticism," historically associated with select Hasidic groups since that movement's inception; and a demand for self-sacrifice, perceived as an ideal within greater ultra-Orthodox society. This study concludes that the normative standards emanating from these avowed non-halachic principles are regarded within ultra-conservative circles as an indispensable element of the Halachic system, thereby integrating these principles into their broader halachic worldview.
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    language: English
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