Why Modesty Matters: 10 Blessings You Can't Miss

1. Esteemed Children and Blessed Husband. The holy Zohar explains that a woman who is careful to cover her head even at home ensures her children achieve great importance, and her husband receives blessings in all aspects of life, including wealth and offspring. The Zohar (Naso, Daf 126) says: "Therefore, a woman needs to cover herself in the corners of her house. If she does this, what is written? 'Your children will be like olive shoots' (Psalms 128). Just as the olive tree doesn't lose its leaves in any season and is unique among trees, so too will her children stand out in importance among others. Moreover, her husband will be blessed in everything: with blessings from above, blessings below, with wealth and children and grandchildren. This is what it says, 'Thus is the man blessed who fears Hashem,' and 'Hashem will bless you from Zion, and you will see the goodness of Jerusalem all your days, and you'll see your children's children, peace on Israel'."

On the other hand, the Zohar states that when modesty is not observed, it leads to poverty, and the sons will not be respected and a spirit of impurity will dwell in the house (Zohar 3, Daf 125, A), and here is the Zohar's language in translation: "Rabbi Hizkiya said... A woman who exposes her hair brings poverty to the house and ensures her sons have no importance in their generation, and brings a spirit of impurity to the house."

2. Higher Spiritual Level. The Maharal of Prague writes: "The matriarchs were praised particularly for their modesty, as the essence of a woman's praise and higher level is her modesty" ('Gevurot Hashem', end of Chapter 60).

Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner zt"l, one of the great poskim of our generation, writes in his blessing for the pamphlet on modesty 'The Changed and Saved': "The impact of women who are meticulous in sanctity and modesty is great in bringing the redemption closer, as our sages said 'In the merit of righteous women, Israel was redeemed from Egypt' and in their merit they will be redeemed, as it says in the Midrash: 'The generations are redeemed only through the merit of righteous women'."
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l used to say: "An enhancement in modesty is worth more than a hundred enhancements in all other areas of the Torah" ('Worlds of Purity', Vol. 2, Page 351).

3. Protection for the Family, and Children Illuminated with Torah and Good Deeds. It says in Psalms: "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the innermost part of your house; your children like olive shoots around your table" (Psalms 128). Malbim explains that just as the vine is planted in the corner of the house but its branches rise to the roof and shield the entire house, so a modest woman acts like a vine, with her modesty offering protection and shelter for the household, leading to children who shine with Torah and good deeds.

Malbim writes on this verse: "'Your wife' is like a 'fruitful vine', who bears children and also resembles a vine planted 'in the innermost part of your house', though it stands in the corner, it elevates its branches to cover the entire house, just as a modest woman remains in the corner but guards and shelters the whole house. 'Your children' will be like 'olive shoots' that do not accept grafting and give oil to light, so your true offspring will shine with the light of knowledge, sitting 'around your table'."

4. Atonement for Her Family. It is taught in the Midrash that a modest woman in her home attains such a high level of holiness that she acts as an altar of atonement for her household. The Midrash says: "Rabbi Pinchas the Kohen son of Chama said: When she is modest at home, just as the altar brings atonement, so she brings atonement upon her house, as it says: 'Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the innermost part of your house', and 'innermost' means altar, as it says: 'And he shall slay it on the side of the altar'." (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayishlach 5).

5. Divine Presence in the Home. The Talmud states: "Rabbi Yochanan said, as the verse says (Numbers 24:2) 'And Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped according to its tribes', what did he see? He saw that the openings of their tents were not facing each other. He said: 'These are worthy to have the Divine presence dwell upon them'" (Bava Batra, Page 60). Rabbi Meir Halevi Abulafia, known by his work 'Yad Ramah', explains: "Due to the modesty of the woman".

A house with modesty is a place deserving of the Divine Presence, which brings blessing and heavenly assistance in everything.

6. Protection from Danger and Enemies. According to the Talmud (Berachot, Page 62), modesty serves as protection from danger and enemies. It is taught that though David should have killed King Saul due to the principle 'If someone comes to kill you, rise early to kill him,' it was Saul's modesty that protected him.

7. Honor and Greatness. During the meeting between Esau and Jacob with his family, Joseph noticed that Esau was eyeing the women, and therefore Joseph stood before his mother Rachel to shield and guard her. Due to this act, Joseph was rewarded with primacy and royalty. The Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 90:4) states: "Hashem said: Because you hid your mother from view and elevated yourself, I will repay you by elevating you, and Joseph was thirty years old."

8. Descendants That Accumulate Endless Spiritual Reward. A woman who walks in modesty and educates her children in its ways ensures that they are raised with reverence for Heaven and that her daughters maintain modesty. Thus, her offspring who follow her path continue to add to her endless spiritual reward.

The 'Chafetz Chaim' writes: "When a woman walks the path of modesty, she merits to have righteous children, children who are Torah scholars that illuminate the world with their Torah and righteousness... and through this, she will benefit in this world, and after this life, she will sit in Hashem's hall with great strength and glory... therefore, a woman should accustom herself to the trait of modesty so that she is well in both this world and the next" (in his book 'Geder Olam', Chapter Seven).

9. Garments of Honor and Splendor in the World to Come. It is learned from the holy Zohar that a person who commits sins and wrongful acts wears disgraceful garments in the World to Come. Conversely, those who perform mitzvot have their good deeds become garments for them in the World to Come, dressed by the angel appointed over garments for the soul. Thus, a woman who preserves her modesty merits in the World to Come to garments of honor made from this mitzvah.

10. Infinite Reward. Each small act of modesty and reinforcement earns eternal and immense rewards. We learn this from Shem and Japheth, who covered their father's modesty, earning Japheth’s offspring burial during the war of Gog and Magog. Shem, who put more effort into preserving his father's modesty, merited to be the ancestor of the Israelite nation, receiving a reward much greater than Japheth's. This signifies that every little effort grants multiplied rewards (according to Rashi's interpretation on Genesis 9:23, quoting the Midrash Tanchuma).

Rabbi Eliezer Papo zt"l, author of the 'Pele Yoetz', writes: "Almost all punishment of a woman in this world and the next, and her earning of the World to Come, depend on this." (His book 'Chesed La'alafim', Orach Chaim 3:4)