Wearing a Kippah as a Symbol

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin 31a

Etymology of the Word Kipa: One of the most recognized Jewish reminders is the kippah (a word that literally means “dome”), referred to in Yiddish as a yarmulke (perhaps from two words that might be Hebrew or Hebrew and Aramaic, yare malka, which would mean “fears the king”; or perhaps being a derivation of a Polish word, jahrmulka, meaning “cap”). 

There are no obvious biblical origins for this custom. It is agreed by most that whatever its origins, it has taken on great significance. 

Purpose of head covering given in the Talmud: According to Rav Huna, keeping his head covered at all times was his way to maintain an awareness of God’s presence at all times. 

In rabbinic literature, four cubits is representative of one’s personal space. Anything within those four cubits is considered to be part and parcel of the individual. Only when a person ventures outside those four cubits does the individual cross into new territory. Perhaps Rav Huna is indicating that he will not cross beyond his own personal space, his own four cubits, without bearing a reminder of God’s intimate role in his life, no matter where he goes. Within his own personal space, perhaps there he can find God most readily; however, when he moves out into the world, it is then that he will most easily forget God’s role in his life, so there he must carry with him at all times a reminder of God’s role in his life, and covering his head became the way to maintain this sense of God’s presence at all times. 

What constitutes a head covering?: One point that should be clear in this discussion is that to be in fulfillment of the talmudic and halakhic principle to cover one’s head, there is no obligation to do so with a kippah specifically; any head covering: hat, cap, beret, etc. will do. 

Rabbi David haLevi Segal, Turei Zahav, Orach Chayyim 8:3

Law vs. Custom: Traditional Jewish practice is made up of a combination of what is called minhagim (customs) and halakhot or mitzvot (laws or commandments). A custom will evolve for many different reasons. While halakhah is considered binding by many Jews, minhagim, often the result of local customs and prohibitions, were in some cases adopted universally or almost universally, while in other cases they became prevailing practice in only some segments of Jewry but not with others. Sources in rabbinic literature stress the importance of long-held customs, culminating in the rabbinic statement, “the minhag of our fathers is [equivalent to] Torah” (Tosafot, Tractate Menachot 20b).

Purpose of covering one’s head: This 17th century rabbinic scholar, David haLevi, was aware of the traditional custom of the kippah as a reminder to the Jew, a custom meant to preserve a sense of awe and respect for God at all times, as seen in Text 13. However, he indicates that by his time, the custom not to go bareheaded had evolved into a full and proper prohibition. This was because in his day the gentiles considered it to be an unwritten law that at all times, when a gentleman comes in and sits down, he must remove his hat. Therefore, since this was a pervasive custom among the gentiles, a Jew was obligated to keep his head covered so as not to follow in “their” ways, a behavior generally admonished by the Torah itself (Vayikra 18:3). In other words, for haLevi, the wearing of a kippah had become symbolic of not following in the customs of the nations, and so for this reason it became more than only customary. 

Today it would seem that for many men and women alike, wearing a kippah at all times has become a universal way of proudly displaying one’s Jewish identity. While at one time not too long ago, wearing a kippah in public was a custom practiced only by Orthodox Jews, that too has changed and evolved in recent years.

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, Standing Our Ground On Wearing Kipot In Public

Historical context: Rabbi Lookstein wrote this in response to a rise in antisemitism in the United States of America in 2014. This took the US Jewish community by surprise, as they had by and large felt secure living in a country where there was far less antisemitism than in other Jewish communities around the world. 

Finding contemporary meaning: For Rabbi Lookstein, the kippa represented a pride in Jewish identity, one that became more pronounced in the 1960s and 1970s due to the three events he mentions. Rather than reminding the kipa wearing Jew of their relationship with God (as seen in the two previous sources), the kipa for Rabbi Lookstein was a sign to the rest of the world that the wearer was a proud Jew. 

The quote (ironically made famous by his father – see the next source) “A yarmulke is an indoor garment” with which he begins, describes the sentiment of previous generations, and his point is that the new generation of Jews, growing up in a radically different world, could now be proud to openly identify as Jews in the street. Sadly, antisemitism has made a comeback in the United States in recent years, and Rabbi Lookstein suggests that wearing a kippa in the street and showing pride in Jewish identity is more important now than ever. The next source, however, takes a different approach.

Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, Why I Am Considering Wearing a Kippah in Public

Finding contemporary meaning: Salkin wrote this article in May of 2019 as a response to the rise in violent verbal and physical incidents of anti-Semitism in Germany. In 2018 alone, according to German government statistics, there had been a 20% rise in anti-Semitic crimes, with close to 1,800 cases reported. At that time, Germany’s commissioner on anti-Semitism suggested it would be better for Jews to refrain from wearing a kippah in public. As a response, many suggested all German Jews should wear a kippah, regardless of their personal custom, as a sign of defiance, as well as pride. Salkin considered it but decided not to wear a kippah at all times because, as he wrote, “I do not wear a kippah because they hate me.”

However, Salkin points out that wearing a kippah in modern times has added new meaning to the traditional minhag. A kippah can be worn to display ethnic pride and solidarity. It can also be worn as a differentiation between ordinary acts and acts of holiness. But ultimately, says Salkin, he chooses to wear a kippah because it represents a special relationship with God.

Inside vs. Outside Spaces: As an aside, it is interesting to contemplate Rabbi Lookstein’s position on the wearing of a kippah. On the one hand, it is mindful of the slogan of the one who many consider the father of Modern Orthodoxy, Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786), to be “a human being in the street, but a Jew at home.” On the other hand, one can also contrast Lookstein’s position with that of Rabbi Shlomo Luria (1510–1573) as cited by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Auerbach (1620–1689; Ateret Zekenim on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 2), that the primary duty to cover one’s head is specifically while outdoors because there being bareheaded is most noticeable as tossing aside God’s will. Clearly, each generation has its own way of relating to this minhag. 

Rabbi David haLevi Segal, Turei Zahav, Orach Chayyim 8:3
(1586–1667) Polish scholar and halakhic authority.