Maran the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Shteinman has issued a special letter to strengthen the area of tznius. The letter was also signed by HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, HaRav Nissim Karelitz and HaRav Chaim Kanievsky.
The beis din specializing in matters of tznius known as Mishmar HaTorah was established jointly by HaRav Eliashiv zt"l and ylct"a HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner who together appointed the members. The beis din was founded five years ago, at the end of 5768.
Two years ago HaRav Eliashiv wrote a letter that was also signed by HaRav Shteinman and HaRav Wosner. In it he said, "Much has been written about the obligation to strengthen and to preserve the standards of modesty for clothing, a matter which is the foundation of the Jewish home and the foundation of the entire nation. I have already made my opinion known, that the halachos of tznius that were fixed by the beis din Mishmar HaTorah that I set up, are not excessive stringencies but essential aspects of Torah (`takonos elu ainan chumros yeseiros ela hein hein gufei Torah'). Anyone who does less than their limits transgresses das Yehudis.
"The obligation to preserve and fulfill these rules is not just incumbent upon women, but also on every head of household who should see to it to encourage and strengthen all the members of his household and all his descendants. Especially in these days of Judgment, when each and every one wants to be found meritorious in his judgment, there is no better supporter on the day of Judgment than the strengthening in this area and it is a shield against all bad things."
The court recently issued a full set of guidelines. In the covering letter they wrote, "In our generation, unlike earlier generations, many lines were breached and especially in matters pertaining to clothing... It is incumbent upon every bas Yisroel to wear clothing according to the manner of kosher daughters of Israel. One should distance oneself as much as possible from all fashions that are based in the spirit of the street that changes all the time, and that ruach chachomim is not comfortable with. About this it was said, "[He] who walks with chachomim will become wise, and he who accompanies fools will be harmed."
An earlier krias kodesh issued by maranan verabonon reads: "The issue of modesty and the sanctity of the Jewish people has always been among the foundations of the religion of the Israelite nation, and this has distinguished us from all other nations. In every generation our forefathers were wholly dedicated to the task of upholding the boundaries of modesty and buttressing the walls of the religion of Moshe and Israel. In places where the boundaries of modesty were breached Rachmono litzlan communities [assimilated] without a trace. Therefore we have an obligation to set ourselves apart and distance ourselves from the ways of the gentiles and the permissiveness of the streets."
The Beis Din also issued the following almost two years ago:
BS"D, Kislev 5772
To Local Rabbonim and Roshei Kollelim in All Locations:
Regretfully, Jewish modesty, which the Divine Presence and the sanctity of the Jewish people are contingent upon, has become very lax. In particular, recently there has been a breach in the form of short [skirts], Rachmono litzlan, which is considered avizaraihu degilui arayos.
The gravity of leading the Jewish masses to sin is well known. As Rabbenu Yonah writes, "A woman must be modest and ensure that people do not look at her... for those who look... descend to Gehennom and she is punished with the punishment that each and every one of them receives, because she caused them to sin by not conducting herself in a modest fashion, and they stumbled because of her" (Iggeres Hatshuvoh). And this also entails prohibitions of bein odom lechavero, though this is not the place to elaborate.
We have already publicized our opinion that [skirt] length should be at least down to the middle of the calf.
A current copy of the guideline may be obtained in the office of the Beis Din which can be reached at: (03) 642-7071.
