Nechama Tzivin, an attorney from Kfar Chabad in Israel, is petitioning a Chabad court of law called the Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad to intervene in soaring wig prices. Chabad requires women to cover their hair specifically with a wig, but most women can’t afford the going rate of about $10,000, with some higher-end wigs costing as much as $16,000.
It was the $16,000 price that prompted Tzivin to take action.
Tzivin is preparing similar petitions to be filed in batei din (courts of law) for other sectors of the Orthodox community, with the hope that rabbis will adopt a community-wide position that will be upheld in all sectors of the community.
The attorney hopes that the rabbis can apply halacha (Jewish law) to regulate the prices, using a principle that stipulates that a manufacturer may not charge more than one-sixth of the materials and labor cost for products that are considered basic necessities.
“This is not only an issue of pricing for products considered ‘basic necessities,’ but also a serious prohibition of price gouging,” Tzivin said. “In such a case, a beis din can impose penalties and take action against those who violate this prohibition.”
“Sheitels absolutely fall under the category of ‘basic necessities’ in the community, due to the categorical instruction of the Rebbe regarding a married woman’s obligation to cover her hair specifically with a sheitel,” she added. She also said that the rabbis should consider prohibiting wig manufacturers from setting artificial price floors.
The lawsuit will ask the rabbis to consider the following injunctions:
- Setting a maximum price for wigs.
- Prohibiting manufacturers from coordinating prices.
- Setting a policy for large manufacturers to produce a basic wig at an affordable price for people of lesser means.
“The lawsuit represents the pain of tens of thousands of families in Israel collapsing under financial burdens,” Tzivin said. “Its goal is to restore halacha and economic fairness to the market.”