Splitting Hairs
About this episode
The episode explores the complexities of women's hair covering in Judaism and how it reflects broader tensions in Jewish law and practice.
If you've ever wondered why your observant grandmother didn't cover her hair, you're about to discover a hidden truth that changes everything about how Jewish law actually works. What if the way your grandmother practiced Judaism no longer matches what contemporary Orthodoxy claims Judaism always required? This week on Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz sit down with Professor Michael Broyde to discuss his groundbreaking new book Splitting Hairs — a deep dive into women's hair covering that becomes a much larger conversation about how halakha actually works. Key Takeaways Jewish law has never evolved in isolation from lived Jewish experience, communal norms, and surrounding culture. The debate over women's hair covering reveals a deeper tension between objective halakha (Dat Moshe) and socially conditioned practice (Dat Yehudit). Great rabbinic authorities like the Ben Ish Chai, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and Rav Ovadia Yosef often defended inherited communal practice rather than simply imposing rigid uniformity. Timestamps [00:00] Hair and Halakha [02:25] Meet Michael Broyde [04:14] Why Hair Covering [06:18] What Counts as Covering [08:16] Defending Communal Practice [14:49]…
People in this episode
Host: Geoffrey Stern
Guests: Rabbi Adam Mintz, Professor Michael Broyde
Topics covered
- women's hair covering
- Jewish law
- halakha
- communal practice
- Orthodoxy
- cultural norms
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Splitting Hairs
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