Comment

Comment by Rabbi Joshua Waxman on November 4, 2008 at 9:31pm

I would be prone to believe that Rav Eliashiv made this statement, even without hearing the shiur. I have heard similar ideas stated by Rabbi Falk, of a change in the types of sheitels. And similar statements in the past, from similar quarters. This is nothing new. Indeed, last year, in 2007, in my writeup of the subject on my own blog, I wrote:
some prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv, and Rabbi Nissim Karelitz have declared that even if one says that wigs are permitted, modern wigs are Biblically forbidden since they are attractive and look like hair.
This was based on this article on YNet from 2006:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3258868,00.html

So it is nothing new.

In that post on my blog, which I did not link to on GlobalYeshiva
http://parsha.blogspot.com/2007/10/wigs-are-permitted-part-ii.html
I took a completely different tack from the usual methods poskim have historically used to permit wigs (and a tack that I believe Rav Eliashiv would not consider, for methodological reasons). If you are interested in the reasoning I was only hinting to back then, feel free to read that post, and then feel free to agree or disagree.

Here, BTW, is some more anti-sheitel rhetoric from other rabbonim. I would ignore all of them as well, for various reasons:
http://dreamingofmoshiach.blogspot.com/2008/11/modesty.html

I would still follow my own poskim on this, as I believe that they are (and were) capable of paskening and need not be dismissed in favor of an admittedly great chareidi rabbi in Eretz Yisrael who has been declared by certain people to be "the" Godol HaDor. We have poskim here. And we have the Lubavitcher Rebbe's statement that wigs look *better* than the woman's own hair. And Rav Moshe Feinstein discussed wigs that would be mistaken for the woman's own hair. And this presumption seems to be the basis of the claim that *nowadays* it is erva -- because it looks like the woman's own hair. I also do not know that I agree with his distinction between the *gemara's* wigs and our wigs. It certainly is a useful and convenient teretz, akin to claims that until 60 years ago, the wigs were all made of straw. It is a nishtana hateva claim, which one can either adopt or not. I would also disagree with the erva claim, for various reasons, but you would not consider me worthy of taking on Rav Eliashiv, nor am I able to converse with his in person to dispute it.

On a related or unrelated note, you said that you believed that by the time of Rosh HaShana, events would occur (namely end-of-days) which would demonstrate the autistics were right such that we would not have to argue. Rosh Hashana has come and gone, and mashiach is not here. Do you agree that this is the case?

Kol Tuv,
Josh

Comment by Baruch Meir on November 4, 2008 at 9:26pm

I was hoping you didn't mean it in the harsher sense. Yes, I understand just what you are saying and I appreciate your skepticism.

For the record, I have found that the theyeshivaworld.com has been perhaps the most objective and accurate source of Jewish news that I have ever encountered. Perfect, no, but very good overall. Having said that, I'll add that one still needs to to "check it out." We can watch what we are saying, but we can't watch what others are hearing....and reporting.

Comment by Baruch Meir on November 4, 2008 at 7:49pm

Find someone who knows Yiddish, Reb Yisroel. I know you mean well, but your comment about misquotes usually doesn't hold water when you're given the original source to listen to, namely in this case, the actual shuir. It's when no source is given that we really need to be careful.

You say "which this one probably was", meaning a misquote. This is an irresponible statement, if you've read the original comment correctly. Whether or not this turns out to be a misquote, it is statements like yours that cause problems. Do your research first. Please be more careful in the future, not to make that kind of comment until you are on solid ground. Remember, this is the Gedol Hador with a reference to a tape of the actual shuir, not a 3rd or 4th hand comment. People may start to quote you in response to their personal objections to the original, and that would create an avera for you and for them, Heaven forbid.