God is my beautician. I shall not want TB Sb Shabbat 45

There is a disagreement between Rabbi Eliezer and the Sages concerning a woman braiding her hair on Shabbat. Rabbi Eliezer considers this a subcategory of the av melackha of building (בונה). The Sages consider this a shevut (שבות), a rabbinic decree. A shevut is forbidden, but exempt from bringing a sin offering. (TB. Shabbat 44b)

Today’s daf Shabbat 45 cites a proof text that braiding on Shabbat should be considered the Torah violation of building. “Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya taught that the verse states: “And the Lord God built the side that He took from Adam into a woman” (Genesis 2:22), which teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, braided Eve’s hair and brought her to Adam.” (Sefaria.org translation) Even with this proof text, Rambam decides Jewish law according to the sages i.e. braiding one’s hair is forbidden on Shabbat, but exempt from bringing a sin offering. (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zemanin, Hilkhot Shabbat, Chapter 22 halakha 26)

I’ll leave it up to each individual woman whether she braids her hair on Shabbat are not. I’m more interested in why God braided Eve’s hair. We learn that nothing is below the Holy One’s dignity even if it means being a beautician. He wanted to make Eve beautiful and desirable in Adam’s eyes. Besides braiding her hair, the Midrash teaches: “God decked Eve, and brought her to Adam. How did He bring her? Do you imagine that He brought her under a sprig of olive or a fig leaf? No, thirteen bowers did God construct for Adam and Eve. Rabbi Hama ben   Hannina said: ‘God crowned Eve with four and twenty ornaments, nay more, He took her by the hand, and brought her to Adam. (Gen. 2:22)” (Tankhuma B. Haya Sarah 58b, from the Rabbinic Anthology)

When I was tracing my family tree, I discovered a cousin in Philadelphia. During one of my vacations we drove through Philadelphia and visited his family. I was happy to tell him a story my grandmother Gertrude Gertie told me. My grandmother came to this country when she was 16 years old and married my Grandfather Joe while she was still a teenager. My Philadelphian cousin’s grandmother helped apply makeup on my grandmother so she would be beautiful on her wedding day. I was so happy to share a little story about his grandmother that he had no idea how godly she had acted. When we attend to the needs of bride and groom, we are following God’s example.