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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 20:17:18 -0500 (EST)
Subject: RE: Kittles for Men and Women

Percy Mett in v30n1 asked for "clarification" on my view that since
kittles a) remind ourselves of goals of spiritual purity b) remind
ourselves of the day of death(and induce a sense of humility),
consequently, since women need these reminders also they are allowed to
wear kittles.

Percy writes
>>>>>>>
This requires some clarification. On of the reasons given for a man
wearing a kitl is that the kitl is one of the takhrikhin (burial
shrouds) in which a man is dressed for burial. Thus wearing a kitl
during one's lifetime serves as a reminder that man is mortal, which
should lead to thoughts of teshuvo.

I don't think that the takhrikhin of women include a kitl, so there is
no point in a woman wearing a kitl during her lifetime either.
>>>>>>>>

I asked my Rabbi about burial customs. He pointed out that
1) Both men and women are buried in white tachrichin
2) Sometimes women's tachrichin are frillier
3) Since the man **may** chose to bury himself in the kittle he wore
during his lifetime therefore we say "men are buried in kittles".
But from the point of view of law there is no difference between
men and women (they are both buried in white tachrichin).

Thus my original point stands: Whether Kittles a)remind us of the color
of purity (White) or b) remind us of the white tachrichin that both men
and women are buried in (and hence induce a sense of humility)--either
way since the goals of the kittle are needed by both men and women they
both should be allowed to wear it to achieve these goals

Russell Hendel; Phd ASA; RJHendel@Juno.Com; http://www.shamash.org/rashi