The Rebbe's Wife Without a Head Covering: A Leaked Photo Sparks Halachic Debate

A recently leaked photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, without a head covering has stirred quiet shockwaves throughout the Chabad world. But beyond the internal storm lies a deeper, more intriguing question: Is head covering for married Jewish women truly a binding religious obligation, or merely a long-standing custom?

Origins of the Law

The earliest halachic reference to head covering appears in the Talmud, which lists women who forfeit their marriage contract upon divorce. Among them is the woman who walks in public with uncovered hair.

This law was codified by both Maimonides and the Shulchan Aruch, which state, “The daughters of Israel shall not go out with uncovered hair.” While this formulation may sound absolute, a closer reading reveals nuance. Talmudic sources also mention a bride going bareheaded before her wedding — a key precedent for the current universal practice that unmarried women are not required to cover their hair, even in the most Orthodox circles.

Torah Law, Rabbinic Law — or Custom?

Most halachic authorities consider head covering a biblical obligation (de’oraita), though it is not explicitly stated in the Torah. According to this view, it applies regardless of changing social norms.

Others argue that since the obligation originates in rabbinic texts, it is only a rabbinic commandment (de’rabbanan), with lesser legal weight.

A third, minority opinion sees the practice as a minhag, a custom rooted in social expectations. The most prominent voice in this camp is Rabbi Yosef Mashash, a senior halachic authority in Morocco in the 20th century. He ruled that head covering was once necessary only because a woman without it was viewed as immodest. Now that norms have shifted, he held, there is no halachic obligation. He even ruled in favor of a divorcing woman who refused to cover her hair, stating she was within her rights.

Historical Reality: Not Always a Strict Norm

Historical evidence suggests that, prior to the Holocaust, many religious Jewish women — including some Hasidic women and even rabbis’ wives — did not consistently cover their hair. In certain Orthodox communities, head covering was encouraged but not treated as an ironclad rule.

This stands in contrast to today’s ultra-Orthodox world, where it has become a defining marker of religious observance and a near-universal expectation.

What Does the Photo Actually Mean?

The image of the young Rebbetzin without a head covering was reportedly taken years before her husband became Rebbe. Still, within Chabad, where the Rebbe and Rebbetzin are regarded as near-mythic figures, such a detail is not seen as trivial.

For some, the photo raises theological discomfort. For others, it opens the door to reflection — not just about the Rebbetzin, but about how Jewish law evolves, and how much of what we believe to be immutable is, in fact, shaped by time, place, and community.

One thing is clear: the conversation is far from over.