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I've heard from some that Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's wife didn't cover her hair. I haven't managed to find a source for this. If there is a source, what is it, and if it's true, what was her reason?

Seth J
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    Not too many women covered their hair in the last ~200 years. (ashkenaz, at least.) – Double AA Apr 16 '13 at 01:00
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    I've heard from a student of the Rav's that indeed his wife did not cover her hair, despite his protestations. He apparently told his students (including this rabbi I heard it from) that women must absolutely cover their hair. One student apparently asked why, then, the Rav's wife did not cover hers, to which he responded (again, I'm reporting second-hand), "You win some, you lose some." – Seth J Apr 16 '13 at 17:10
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    @DoubleAA according to what are you making such a statement? All of Ashkanez Jews? Litvish? Chassidim? Poland? Hungary? Russsia? Germany? Where is your proof for this?! – Yehoshua Apr 16 '13 at 19:01
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    @Yehoshua Aruch Hashulchan (75:7): ועתה בואו ונצווח על פרצות דורינו בעוונותינו הרבים שזה שנים רבות שנפרצו בנות ישראל בעון זה והולכות בגילוי הראש וכל מה שצעקו על זה הוא לא לעזר ולא להועיל ועתה פשתה המספחת שהנשואות הולכות בשערותן כמו הבתולות אוי לנו שעלתה בימינו כך. So at least in mid/late-19th century Belarus and Lithuania, this was rampant. If anything, hair covering was even less commonly observed in the US in the early and mid-20th century, and, at least up until sometime during the mid-20th century, the wives of several gedolim did not cover their hair (including R' Soloveitchik's wife). – Fred Apr 16 '13 at 20:52
  • ... That's not to say those gedolim approved, but you can't exactly force your wife to cover her hair (and even if you could if would probably not be wise to try). – Fred Apr 16 '13 at 20:54
  • @Fred My Great-Great Grandfather's wife covered her hair. They lived in Poland. Thanks for pointing to the Aruch HaShulchan. I was giving DoubleAA a hard time since they give me a hard time when "generalizing" Sephardim (or saying "we" when clearly it's only an ashkanazi minhag or practice) – Yehoshua Apr 16 '13 at 21:00
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    @Yehoshua I was thinking of that Aruch haShulchan among others. I tried purposefully not to limit it to a super specific geographic area, while also recognizing there were individuals who did cover their hair, as did your ancestor. (IAE sourcing and precision standards are certainly lowered when only commenting.) – Double AA Apr 16 '13 at 23:08
  • Totally not arguing that this question should be closed...but is there a possible issue of loshon hara? – SAH Nov 14 '14 at 07:19
  • Very relevant is the Rav's discussion on the matter quoted verbatim in thinking aloud. He says unequivocally that a woman must cover all of her hair. – mevaqesh Feb 10 '15 at 01:20
  • Its naive to think you'll find a source that says this outright. To state it is Lashon Harah. But this something that is oft repeated in yeshivas among the bochrim. – Shoel U'Meishiv Feb 17 '15 at 16:17
  • I have heard this so many times with different variations,I would think this straight forward, never understood.I guess I should just ask a talmid – sam Feb 17 '15 at 17:29
  • @mevaqesh I'm glad we enjoy some of the same literature. What got to me was that the discussion was concerning her in her own house! He didn't just say it's a nice thing to do, Kimchis, etc. He basically is the only rabbi who has ever said that a woman is not allowed to have get hair uncovered in her own house. Now let's talk about Rebbatzin's Tanya's minhag:) – user6591 Feb 17 '15 at 20:51
  • @user6591 I haven't seen it in a long time. Are you sure he was talking about her own house? – mevaqesh Feb 17 '15 at 21:13
  • @mevaqesh quite sure. But I don't own a copy so i can't check it up. – user6591 Feb 17 '15 at 21:21
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    @SAH Reading the second comment it looks like a big toyeles, maase Rav regarding shalom Bais, torah has negative looking stories but you can see the positive in them – hazoriz Jan 06 '16 at 17:16
  • In the Rav thinking aloud by Rabbi Holzer page 114 it says that a woman must cover her hair, but he tells Rabbi Holzer you will find out what your wife will do (although the implication is that he's only talking about in the house, out of the house she obviously needs to). See also Nefesh HaRav page 255 – Eliyahu Nov 08 '16 at 14:38
  • @SAH There is no problem of l'shon hara, as per http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/76696/8775, http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/76882/8775, http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/43709/lashon-harah-for-anonymous-toeles/76871#76871, http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/59604/loshon-hara-to-a-therapist/76872#76872, and http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/43709/lashon-harah-for-anonymous-toeles/76871#76871. See also http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/47131/disagreeing-with-the-chofetz-chaim-on-loshon-hara. – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 01:30
  • @Eliyahu although the implication is that he's only talking about in the house, out of the house she obviously needs to Would you mind citing the relevant text to support that inference? – mevaqesh Nov 09 '16 at 01:34
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because shaming to a talmid chochem – kouty Nov 09 '16 at 12:24

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