Women Wearing Tzitzis
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Women Wearing Tzitzis
Although women don’t wear
Tzitzis,[1]
there were a few that did.
The Gemara[2]
tells us that R’ Yehuda would affix Techailes (Tzitzis) to the four-cornered
cloak of his wife. R’ Amram Chasida also placed Tzitzis on his wife’s cloak.[3]
The Levush[4]
writes even though by other מצות עשה הזמן גרמא; positive commandment governed by time
like Succa and Lulav women are accustomed to performing and saying a Bracha…, by
Tzitzis they are not accustomed to except by one out of a thousand like Michal
Bas Shaul and the like. Therefore they shouldn’t wear Tzitzis.
It is said that the first Rebbitzen
of the Ohr Hachaim (1696-1743) wore Tallis and Tefillin like Michal Bas Shaul.[5]
It is also related that the second wife of the Ohr Hachaim as well did this.[6]
The Maharil[7]
(1365-1427) writes …although I saw women who wear Tzitzis and one of them live
in our neighborhood,[8]
it seems that it is strange, it is considered Gaava and they are called הדיוטות.
Let us conclude with the comments of Targum Yonasan on לא יהיה כלי גבר על אשה;[9] male garb shall not be worn on a woman- לא יהיה גוליין דציצית ותפילין; a woman shouldn’t wear Tzitzis and Tefillin.
[1] See Orach Chaim 17:2
[2] Menachos 43a
[3] Succa 11a. R’ Yehuda and R’
Amram Chasida held that Tzitzis is a מצות עשה
שלא הזמן גרמא; positive commandment not
governed by time, and as such, women are also obligated in it (See Rashi s.v. לפרזומא and Tosafos to Succa 11a,
s.v. דרב עמרם).
[4] Hilchos Tzitzis 17:2
[5] Sefer Maaseh Tzadikim 1:2,
authored by R’ Avraham Halevi Ibn Shushan. Also see the Sefer Ner HaMaarav p
217 authored by R’ Yaakov Moshe Toldano (1880-1960), Av Beis Din of Cairo and
Alexandria, Egypt.
[6] Sefer מסעות ירושלים, מאמר סדר יום שני הערה 11. See,
however, שו"ת ים הגדול, 40,
authored by R’ Yaakov Moshe Toldano, who writes that he is puzzled concerning
the Ohr Hachaim’s wife wearing Tefillin, as it goes against what it says in
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 38:3 that we protest against a woman who wants to
wear Tefillin… So, how could the Ohr Hachaim not protest against his wife doing
this? (see אוצר פלאות התורה,
Bamidbar, pg 554)
[7] שו"ת מהרי"ל החדשות, Siman
7
[8] This was Rebbitzen Bruna and
he didn’t protest since she may not listen and on something like this Chazal
said מוטב שיהיו שוגגין ואל יהיו מזידין;
(Beitza 30a) it is preferable that they be unintentional violators and not be
deliberate violators (Maharil, Minhagim Hilchos Tefilin, 4).
[9] Devarim 22:5
