In response to your letter of the 13th of Iyar in which you ask how one is to explain the necessity of Kisui HaRosh (for a married woman).

One wonders at the very question. Especially since we now find ourselves in the days of preparation for receiving the Torah, which was only received by the Jewish people through their prefacing "we will do" to "we will hear."

And as in the well-known section of tractate Shabbos,[22] where the Sadducee asked: how is it that they did not first desire to understand. The response to this was the verse, "The simplicity of the upright shall guide them," ("but of the others, etc."). Known as well is the allusion of the text,[23] "He should accept upon himself the yoke of heaven ... the yoke of Mitzvos." It is but that G-d in His goodness and kindness enabled us to understand some infinitesimal aspect of the reasons for the Mitzvos.

Even then, one is to perform Mitzvos out of a sense of accepting the Yoke of Heaven, not because his limited mind, the mind of a created being, understands the reason for the commands of the Creator who is infinitely removed from him.

It is self-understood and plain that man's belief in G-d forces him to intellectually accept G-d's commandments without seeking reasons for them in human intellect. For even simple sense, if it is but healthy and sound, understands that it is impossible for a finite being to comprehend the infinite.

Indeed, it is a principle of faith among all the Jewish people, "believers, children of believers," that G-d and His understanding and will are truly one and infinite, while man is finite in all aspects of his being.

In addition to the above, when one takes in account the explicit reward received for Kisui HaRosh (see at length in the sacred Zohar III, 126a), then even if one were to be extremely doubtful of this, G-d forbid, it would still be worth covering the hair. Surely then, when the words of the Zohar as part of our Torah of Truth are completely true, perpetual and everlasting in all places and all times.

Excerpt from Igros Kodesh, Vol. XIII, pp. 102-103

   

Notes:

22. (Back to text) 88a.

23. (Back to text) Berachos, beginning of chapter 2.