The Gemara in Ketubot 72a states that the source for a
married woman’s hair covering is found in Parshat Naso in the section dealing
with the Isha Sotah (wife who is suspected of being unfaithful) which would
mean that it is a Biblical prohibition for a married woman to leave her home
with her head uncovered.
It is written in Bamidbar, Naso 5:18: “The Kohen shall
station the woman before God and expose the woman’s hair (ufara et rosh
haisha), and place, on her palms the meal offering of remembrance; it is a meal
offering of jealousy and there will be in the Kohen’s hand, the bitter, lethal
waters.”
Rashi states that he disentangles the plaits of her hair to
humiliate her. From this we derive that, for daughters of Yisrael, a bare head
is debasing.
Rambam does not feel that a married woman’s requirement to
cover her head is Biblical as it is only hinted to in the Torah and therefore
he would qualify it as Rabbinic.
Tosafot explains that a married woman is not required to
cover her head at home or in her own courtyard.
Rabbi Zeira explains in Ketubot 72b that if women were
required to cover their heads even within their own courtyards “then you will
have not left our father Avraham a daughter who will remain living with her
husband!” In other words, if you are so strict then there will be no more
reputable women left.
Some women may choose to be more machmir (strict) and cover
their heads all of the time. The key here is that the women must have the
opportunity to learn the leniencies and stringencies and make an educated
decision of how they are going to observe the Halacha in a way that they are
comfortable with.
