Tznius in Hashkafa

Topics

• The Meaning of Tznius
• Tznius as a Middah
• Different Minhagim at a Chuppah
• The Gray Areas Require Guidance
• Derech Bnos Yisrael
• Protest Requires Judgment
• Personal Discomfort Is Not a Psak
• Intellectual Honesty in Psak Halacha

Transcript

## The Meaning of Tznius

Questions of tznius are often complicated. The basic halachos of clothing provide definite guidelines concerning what must be covered and the proper length of a garment. Once we move from the measurements of clothing to questions of conduct and public behavior, however, it becomes much more difficult to declare categorically, “This is tznius,” or, “This is not tznius.” Much depends upon the circumstances, the setting, and the culture of the community.

That itself is part of the meaning of tznius. A bathing suit worn at a swimming pool is understood within the context of that setting. The identical bathing suit worn in the street would be entirely different. The garment and the people have not changed; the setting has changed. In the street, such conduct breaches the accepted boundaries and inevitably draws attention. Tznius therefore cannot be reduced to a list of garments. It includes the manner in which a person conducts himself within a particular place and circumstance.

## Tznius as a Middah

People often associate tznius exclusively with *inyanei arayos*, but the concept is much broader. We speak of an *adam tzanua*—a modest and humble person. Such a person does not seek to draw attention to himself. Tznius is therefore also a middah, a quality of humility and restraint. The Navi describes the proper path as “*hatzneia leches im Elokecha*,” walking modestly with Hashem (Michah 6:8).

Tznius includes clothing, behavior, public conduct, and the general way a person presents himself. There is an umbrella of accepted practice—what belongs within the minhagim and hanhagos of a community and what constitutes a breach. A rav who knows his community can recognize when something is merely unfamiliar, when it departs from an established minhag, and when it may lead to a genuine problem.

## Different Minhagim at a Chuppah

The differences among communities surrounding a chuppah provide a clear example. In certain Chassidic communities, the kallah’s face is not seen under the chuppah, and the men do not look at her. This immediately raises a halachic question: the eidim must know whom they are witnessing. In Lithuanian communities, the practice is that the witnesses must see and identify the kallah. There was a significant exchange of letters among rabbanim concerning this question.

Yet after the chuppah, the customs may appear to move in the opposite direction. In many Lithuanian circles, the chassan and kallah would not walk while holding hands, while certain Chassidic communities have a different accepted practice. At first glance, a person may look at the other community and wonder how such conduct can be permitted. The answer is that within an established minhag, the action is understood differently and does not carry the same element of conspicuousness.

This does not mean that every conduct can be justified by calling it a minhag. It means that a rav must understand where the legitimate boundaries lie. He must know whether he is dealing with an authentic, longstanding practice or with something that has moved beyond it.

## The Gray Areas Require Guidance

These gray areas require rabbinic guidance. Every case, every community, and sometimes every wedding has its own circumstances. Rabbanim who are familiar with the culture know where an old minhag ends and where a genuine breach begins. It is very difficult to formulate clear and concise rules for these matters unless one understands the community from within.

People see conduct through the habits with which they were raised. What appears striking in one place may be entirely ordinary in another. Since one of the central elements of tznius is not to breach the accepted derech and call unnecessary attention to oneself, communal context cannot simply be ignored.

## Derech Bnos Yisrael

The Torah’s discussion of the sotah states, “*U’fara es rosh ha’ishah*”—the kohen uncovers the woman’s head (Bamidbar 5:18). Chazal derive from this that Jewish women ordinarily cover their hair (Kesubos 72a). Rashi explains that the uncovering of her hair is a disgrace, indicating that the normal *derech* of Bnos Yisrael is to keep it covered (Rashi to Bamidbar 5:18).

The point is that tznius is connected to *derech*—the accepted and dignified manner of Bnos Yisrael. Some invoked this concept in discussions of practices that existed in Europe concerning sheitlach and hair covering, arguing that an established social practice was not perceived in the same way as a conspicuous breach. I am not entering here into what was or was not done in Europe. Baruch Hashem, today our practice is to wear sheitlach. The essential point is that tznius must be understood as a broad and serious concept, not as a slogan detached from halacha, minhag, and circumstance.

## Protest Requires Judgment

Because tznius is such a complex subject, one cannot run around shouting “tznius” and demanding *macha’ah* without judgment. That can be like shouting “fire” in a crowded room. A rav must know when to speak, where to speak, how to speak, and what the actual issue is. This requires learning, understanding, experience, and familiarity with the people and the circumstances.

## Personal Discomfort Is Not a Psak

Having said that, the practices that were described to me do appear strange. In the environment in which I was raised, the kallah did not come over to the men’s side, and we did not grow up seeing these things. Therefore, when I encounter such conduct, it bothers me.

But intellectual honesty requires me to recognize why it bothers me: it is unfamiliar. Personal discomfort does not by itself establish that something is right or wrong according to halacha. Precisely because I was not raised with that practice, I cannot automatically present my reaction as an authoritative psak. Guidance must come from someone who understands both the halacha and the culture in which the question arose.

## Intellectual Honesty in Psak Halacha

One of the greatest qualities a rav and a posek can possess is intellectual honesty. He must be intelligent enough to distinguish between a clear halachic ruling and his own personal response. Simply reading a halacha and then shouting about it is not psak halacha.

Halacha requires a person to understand when the rule applies, where it applies, how it applies, and why it applies. Without those distinctions, even a sincere protest can misrepresent the halacha. A rav must bring knowledge, judgment, and responsibility to every question.