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It says in the halakha that a married woman may not go out into the public market place with "p'ruath rosh."

I have heard that this means "with uncovered head," but this does not seem to match up with the other uses of the term "p'rua" in the Gemara where it clearly means "disheveled/loosed."

In Masekheth Kethuboth (cf. Mishna, pereq 2, Gemara 15b-16b, 28a) it mentions a bethula coming out of the wedding canopy with her hair "p'rua" and goes on to explain that it means "loosed" and upon her shoulders and not simply "uncovered."

Additionally, the literal meaning of the word "p'rua" is "loosed/disheveled." So it seems that it begs the question that if Hazal meant to discuss hair which is either covered or uncovered why did they not simply employ the readily available terms of kisui and gilui, etc. Why did they choose a different word and give it an obscure meaning?

Yirmeyahu
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  • See Woman & the Mitzvot: The Modest Way, pp. 137-140, and especially footnote 46. – Fred Dec 15 '13 at 05:55
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    If I recall this is dealt with in Sreidi Eish, Even HaEzer 78. I'll try to look at it and provide a summary if no one else beats me to it. – Yirmeyahu Dec 15 '13 at 05:56
  • @Fred - he doesn't really prove anything - simply states that it must be so. Kind of circular. – Danny Schoemann Dec 15 '13 at 10:17
  • As they say, what is the havamina? What's the difference between loosed/dishevled and uncovered? – avi Dec 15 '13 at 17:03
  • @avi Braids? Ponytail? A bun? That sort of controlled hairstyle may not be a problem in public. – Double AA Dec 15 '13 at 17:57
  • @DannySchoemann He quotes the Sifre (Naso 11), as saying it means uncovering, and he quotes Sota (7a) as saying it also means disheveling. He then quotes Sota (8a) and Rashi (ad loc.) as saying that the verse is expounded as indicating a dual meaning of both uncovering and disheveling. So he doesn't just state it must be so. – Fred Dec 15 '13 at 18:00
  • @DannySchoemann Rashi on 8a: ופרע. בכל מקום לשון גילוי הוא:... סותר את שערה. מרבה בגילויה שסותר קליעתה – Fred Dec 15 '13 at 18:03
  • Of course, that Rash"i seems to be conclusive, but it does not actually answer the question. Rather, it begs the same as I have asked here. When we are perfectly aware of the literal definition of paruah, then why did Rash"i find it necessary to attribute to it another definition. Halakhically, it also causes some difficulties which seem to be removed if one understands it according to its actual meaning. –  Dec 15 '13 at 20:44
  • @Maimonist "Dishevel" is not the only legitimate literal definition of the word. It has two literal definitions. Rashi assumes that it means "uncover" in accordance with that opinion in the Sifre ( ופרע את ראש האשה... ד"א לימד על בנות ישראל שהן מכסות ראשיהן ). As such, he interprets the gemara as meaning that the kohein would only dishevel the sotah's hair as a means of further uncovering it (cf. Rashi, B'midbar 5:18, ופרע - סותר את קליעת שערה כדי לבזותה, מכאן לבנות ישראל שגלוי הראש גנאי להן). – Fred Dec 15 '13 at 22:14
  • The Sh'vus Ya'akov (1:103) suggests that the Talmud (K'suvos 72a) interprets the word as "dishevel", and that דת יהודית (rather than a Biblical injunction) prohibits married women from appearing in public with braided but uncovered hair: ואי לאו דמסתפינא מפרש"י והרמב"ם הייתי מפרש דהא דקאמר יוצאת וראשה פרועה היינו שסותרת קליעת שערה ומקשה פריעת ראש דאורייתא היא אם סותר את שערה לזה שפיר משני הש"ס דאורייתא קלתה שפיר דמי פי' מדאורייתא שאסור לילך פריעת ראש בשוק היינו ששערותיה סתורת אבל קלתה פי' מלשון קליעת שער שפיר דמי אבל דת ומנהג יהודית אפי' קלועין שערה ג"כ אסור לילך בגילוי באשת איש ובעולת בעל – Fred Dec 15 '13 at 22:46
  • @DoubleAA "RE: Braids? Ponytail? A bun? That sort of controlled hairstyle may not be a problem in public. –" Interesting. Gives a new twist (pun intended) to braids being "boneh" on Shabbat. :) – avi Dec 16 '13 at 12:53
  • I think you would enjoy reading the Seridei Eish mentioned above, who posits that there were two roots פרע, one with a 'ayin sound and one with a 'rayin sound with different meanings leading to your confusion even while Chazal's traditions kept them straight (IIRC). – Double AA Nov 29 '15 at 22:13
  • @ Double AA, @Yirmeyahu - Do you have the portion of the Seridhei Eish mentioned above regarding the two roots of para`? I cannot find it online anywhere and the MHRK edition is only available through a couple of sellers Stateside. I plan to order it this week, but if you had a scan of the relevant section, that would be awesome. Thanks. Kol tuv. –  Nov 30 '15 at 00:08
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    @Maimonist Here are images of S'ridei Eish III, §30: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. – Fred Dec 01 '15 at 23:58
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    @Fred - Wow, awesome. I will put these on my desktop within the hour. Very, very much appreciated. Kol tuv. –  Dec 02 '15 at 13:25

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