Toupees – Ask the Rabbi
Q. If a man has a hairpiece, would he also have to wear a kippah or hat?
A. Technically speaking, the head is covered if one wears a wig. This is helpful for a person who prefers not to wear a kippah whilst at work.
But in a Jewish context there is a problem of marit ayin – people’s perception – and a kippah or hat should be worn in order not to give the wrong impression. This applies particularly in the synagogue or when saying a b’rachah or davening.
The question is not new; Isaiah ben Avraham, who died in 1723, cites in his Ba’er Heitev on the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayyim 2:6) a ruling that “hair that is called ‘perruque’ is regarded as head covering, but because of marit ayin one should be careful if possible”.
