Why Do Jews Wear a Kippah?

Like Guy said, you know God is there without wearing the kippah. But like the article explains, it is a constant reminder that God is there.. By confirming you are trustworthy by wearing it, you will ensure you do not ''backslide'', as it is a constant reminder. And by wearing it, it means you are not ashamed of what you believe in because of your love.

In Europe one was (is?) expected to doff (take off) one's hat to a social "superior". Thus, many Jews developed the habit of wearing both a Kippa and a Hat over it - so when they, as required socially, doffed their hats, their heads were still covered, showing loyalty to the supreme King.

Very interesting - thank you for sharing!

1-Men do not wear wedding rings or any jewelry for that matter (except a watch) because jewelry is considered "beged isha", women's clothing and the Torah is very strict that men can't wear women's clothing and vice-versa.

2-Women don't need a yarmulka (kippa) because we have more natural yirat shamayim (awe and awarness) of H-shem than men have and it's not necessary.

3- The word yarmulka is from the words "to ( see, have awe) of our King".
Yira Malkeinu "Yarmulka"

You should all have a good, gebenched new year and may H-shem bless everyone with LIFE . And also health, parnassa, shiduchim and all that we need.

Akiva,

If you want sources on Kippah, email me and I will send you. The problem with your excellent analysis, especially that time, is that according to you, why do not women wear a Kippah before Marriage? They have the same commitment as men and more women wear a wedding ring than man. Why not women?? Ihave soiurdces that explain why.

I am always happy to see more sources and discuss topics further :)
Thank you for offering - If you reach out through the website contact information, the email can be forwarded to me direct.
I look forward to seeing your sources!

In regards to a shortened response here, there are certainly more reasons for wearing a head covering than my article alone (as I'm sure your resources will express as well,) and some of those reasons address your question.
I look forward to discussing further upon receiving your email!

Loved this article comparing the Kipp to a wedding ring.

Im happy to hear it resonated with you, and I appreciate the meaningful feedback!

It appears that haradi men like myself do not wear jewelery on their hands including a wedding ring. I also wear a black velvet kippah. My father also did not wear a ring. He wore a large black kippah but not velvet. My father in law wore the same style kippah and no ring. Now why is that? It never occurred to me to ask until now.

It is very easy to become accustomed to doing things "just because that's what we do." This response is a great reminder to the importance of asking about what we are doing, and working to add more meaning - in all areas of our lives.
I appreciate your response. Thank you

Addressing why men don't wear wedding rings, it wasn't until the 20th century that men started wearing wedding rings, and though it is seen a lot more nowadays, it's still not so common. As a matter of fact, wedding rings in general were never a Jewish concept. The idea of a wedding band, of plain gold or silver (rather than the expensive ring,), played the role of being significant enough to enact the marriage, and symbolized an unbroken, unmarred link of eternal connection. Now that the wedding ring has become a world-renown symbol of marriage, we can learn from what it represents.

So to see that it hasn't become so popular for men to wear wedding rings, especially in Judaism which holds a strong connection to it's traditions, is not surprising. Having Torah values themselves is meant to be the way to live with good relationships and a healthy marriage. (Based on that, maybe the Kippah can play the role of what a ring represents in marriage as well for a man, while the ring can play the role of a Kippah for women in their relationship with God as well. Interesting thought. Thanks! )

The answer is a good analogy. It makes the reason to wear a kipah understandable.

I appreciate the meaningful feedback :)

Why is it that woman do not have to wear a covering for prayers, meals, etc

A woman's hair is her covering before the Lord. A man is to wear a covering- Kippah.

There are certainly more reasons behind wearing a Kippah than this article alone that address this point. (I implore you to ask about and look into further. Maybe I'll work on another article addressing this question as it's an entire topic of its own.)

Women should certainly also have things to remind them about their relationship with God, Torah values, and other areas worth having reminders about in life; some suggestions may be a special bracelet, necklace, or even a ring ;)

So true! My beloved matchmaker insisted I wear a kipah during the entire time when on dates she arranged. I was 65 and acustomed for decades to only dawning it during High Holidays . VERY uncomfortable walking around town wearing it. Then I started studying Torah (baby steps) and now, I'm very uncomfortable NOT wearing it. It enables me to enjoy a huge sense of Jewish pride which is burned into my heart and soul.
And besides, it covers my bald spot.
Marc Shmuel Levine
Houston, TX

Thank you for sharing! Wow!

1. Applying your arguments should not women also be proudly expressing their judaism by wearing a kappa ?

2. Where in the talmud is the wearing of a kappa required ?

1. Good question :)
If this article was the sole reason for Kippah, the answer would be yes.
As the great sages with their Torah wisdom instituted the wearing of a Kippah for men, there are certainly more reasons behind wearing a Kippah and why only men wear them (which I implore you to ask about and look into further.)
Women should certainly also have things to remind them about their relationship with God, Torah values, and other areas worth having reminders about in life; some suggestions may be a special bracelet, necklace, or even a ring ;)

2. Some examples from the Talmud:
Shabbos 156b; Kiddushin 31a

Very good.

Thank you

With no disrespect intended. I am a Evangelical Christian & love the Jewish People. I base my life from the teachings of the Hebrew bible, & the Greek Septuegent. Would it be alright if I were to wear a Kippa? I too know the Almighty is always present but, like you've written it's a good reminder as to who I belong to. Just curious. Thanks.

It is best not to. The reason is that it is so strongly associated with Jews that someone might think you are a Jew if they see you wearing one. Then if you do something that is not wrong for you (e.g. eating non-kosher food), they might think “see, Jews don’t really believe in Torah” and their opinion of Jews would be diminished.

If you want to remind yourself of Hashem’s presence, there are many things you could wear that would not risk confusion. A special hat, bracelet, ring, or necklace, for example.

Thank you very kindly for your answer to my question. I understand & will take your advice. Blessings to all!

Beautiful article, todah rabah Shavua tov

I'm glad you appreciated it!
Thank you!

Excellent analogy and article. Succinct and perfect. Every married man should read it too.!

Agreed upon! :)

Ethnically and culturally I understand and accept your reasoning. However, I remember from my Hebrew school teaching that we were told that the yarmulke, or any head covering was an evolution from temple services in ancient days when the entire davening was done with the head and face enshrouded by the Tallis to allow uninterrupted communication with Hashem.

Thank you for sharing this thought :)
It is true that Jewish law books have written that one must wear a head covering while making blessings, praying, or while involved with any holy act.
I believe in the books of Tanach we even see King David covering his head during a time of mourning and speaking his heart.

At the same time, the laws of wearing a Kippah are derived from the Talmud where we see its role in avoiding becoming a thief, and not even walking a certain distance without a head covering.
It's possible that the Hebrew school teacher was making the connection to those parts about covering one's head during prayer, such as with a taalit.
Very interesting note - thank you!

How many times as a jew identifies you as a jew & may request information from me, such as a shul or kosher restaurant! In a transit, bus a lady asked me for help to escort her across the street at the bus stop. Of course yes,, and asked the bus driver to wait for me until I come back, and he did as a partner in the Mitzva!

As a matter of fact, just as a dog can smell the fear in you, anti semites will see the confidence in your demeanor, and move on!

Wow - Thank you for sharing your story!
It is definitely true that the Kippah is also a way of representing one's identity. By acting properly while wearing one we can create a true kiddush Hashem/sanctification of God's name in the world, and be a real positive influence! It is so important to carry ourselves with confidence and humility!

I wear a kippah. Most of the time when I go out I put a hat on my head over my kippah. There is a lot of violent anti semitism out there and I must confess, I wear a hat to protect myself from them. I wear my kippah because I love Hashem and want to stay connected with him.

It is quite unfortunate how much anti-semitism there is, and how it is once again growing rapidly.
Of course we must take care of our physical safety to the utmost.
It is very inspiration to hear that even amongst the challenges of wearing a kippah openly, you continue to wear one under your hat and keep that beautiful relationship going strong! Stay Safe!

thank you for you article.......
Mattityahu

I am glad the article resonated with you!
I appreciate the meaningful response!!

Outstanding article .

Thank You !

See also Shabbos 156b for beautiful story of Rav Nachman bar Yitzhak. Astrologers told his mother he was destined to be a thief. She made sure his head was covered his whole life so that fear of Heaven would be upon him. It worked. From this we learn that Jews did not universally cover their heads at that time, and this story is one of the sources for why we do now! :-)

Thank You!

Weak comparison. It can be argued with equal validity that a wedding ring communicates an "unavailable message", so too would a kippah, which of course is misleading. Try again.

I appreciate you taking the time to read the article and respond.

If I'm understanding what you mean by "unavailable" correctly, then I think it actually works with the analogy.
A kippah should be telling the world "Hey, I'm taken. I'm committed and am not just open to anything. This is sacred to me."

We naturally protect the things that matter to us in life.
By saying "I'm unavailable to things that lead me away from my relationship," we actually protect ourselves and our values.

This doesn't have to mean that one is closed off and unapproachable; but yes, saying "I'm unavailable to certain dangerous people, places, or even ideas," is very important. There are places I will not go to because they were dangerous to me physically, and I must treat my spirituality with the same level of care.

Thank you for responding and giving me more to think about in this regard as well.

Yes unavailable for other temptations be they religious or female.

Re the wearing of wedding rings - I believe that many Jewish men DON'T wear wedding rings (although their wives do) because they see the customs as 'hukat hagoy'. Do we know the origin of wearing wedding rings at all? Do we know how far the custom goes back? Must be pretty ancient, given the wording of
the wedding ceremony.

I've had a few discussions about this over the past week.
It's been very interesting to learn about.

The idea of a wedding ring was originally not a Jewish concept.
Now that it has become customary to give a wedding ring, there is much that can be learned from what it represents.

That being said, the basic wedding band of plain material (usually gold, though some use silver), without engravings or gems was used to enact the marriage. That custom is brought down in the Talmud, and we can even see examples within the 5 books of Moses themselves.

Along with the actual betrothal came the significance of a single band, unbroken and ever-lasting. This symbolizes a continuous and 'unbroken' marriage, wholesome and complete. Why many married Jewish men don't wear wedding rings, and why women do not wear a kippah is also a great subject and maybe I'll work on those topics for some future content :)

Thank you

I have read that the marriage is sealed with an object of value which the man gives the woman and she accepts, thus sealing the deal. This could be a coin, and possibly a precious stone or jewelry, but the rabbis diapproved of these because their value is not as readily apparent as a coin, so the woman might agree to the deal thinking she was getting a great deal of value, but the jewelry was worth less than it looked and the woman might not have agreed to the lesser value, and the marriage would be invalid. I believe that is why wedding rings are not allowed to be engraved or decorated with stones as well.
I don't know where the custom of using rings came from, but Jews accepted it as an object of value for marriage purposes, but it is not obligatory.
That is why the husband doesn't necessarily wear a ring, that is a non-Jewish custom. For non-Jews, the 2 rings symbolize marriage. For Jews, the ring is the woman's side of the deal, and the way she shows she is married is by covering her hair.

When did the Kippah become popular? What was worn before it became popular?
Thank you
Eleanor

We can see the ancient tradition of wearing a head-covering brought down within stories of the Talmud.

(One example is the story of Rabbi Nachman bar Yitzchak who's mother insisted he cover his head, and in doing so, it helped him avoid becoming a thief. Another is the practice of Rabbi Huna who would not even walk a certain distance without his head covered. )

There are instances where we see head-coverings before then, but we learn the practices out from these discussions in the Talmud.

Looking back through the years, we can see development of various forms of head-coverings, and even to this day there is a wide variety worn. (Turban-like coverings, for example, can still be seen in certain communities today.)

I'm uncertain as to the exact years when the Kippah referred to in this article became the symbolic head-covering that it is around the world, though I believe it stemmed somewhere from the identity troubles of Jews in Europe.

I look forward to learning even more about it, and I'll be glad to share as I uncover more. Thank you for your response :)

The best explanation I have ever seen. Perfect.

I really appreciate the meaningful feedback, and I'm so happy that the explanation resonated with you! Thank you for replying!