OHEL; TALIS
Question
WHY ISNT THERE A ISSUE OF OHEL BY TALIS(WHEN ONE COVERS HIS HEAD DURING DAVENING.ALSO WHAT IS THE REASON WHY THE SOME JEWS ONLY WEAR A TALIS WHEN THEY ARE MARRIED? THANKS
Answer
Answered by Aaron Abadi1) The laws of Ohel is in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman # 315. Look them up. There is no connection between a Talis on your head and an Ohel. 2) I think it is because Ashkenazim don't put the Talis on their head until they're married, and therefore there is no real benefit over the Talis Katan that they're already wearing. The Gemara says that the custom was that only a married Talmid Chacham would put the Talis on his head. The German Jews still keep this custom. The others resrict only unmarried men, which defeats the purpose. The main respect was for a Talmid Chacham. The issue of marriage was an incidental additive. Once it is a free-for-all and everyone who is not a Talmid Chacham is putting their Talis on their head, the marriage issue automatically should be dropped. This is all the way I understand it. I will ask my father for more details and see what the real facts are. In the interim, you can see some of these laws in Shulchan Aruch Hilchot Tzitzit, and especially look at the Magen Avraham Siman #8 Seif Katan #3 Aaron Abadi PS My father agreed completely.