How to Wear a Kippah
A kippah, or yarmulke, is a round skullcap worn by Jewish men and boys. Rabbi Scheinerman of sheinerman.net asserts that "although wearing a kippah is not mandated by the Torah...it likely derives from the attire of the High Priest in the days when the Temple in Jerusalem stood. The High Priest garb included a head-covering. When the Pharisees democratized Judaism and taught that each person is like a priest to God and each table an altar, the custom of wearing a head-covering was transferred to ordinary people as a means of expressing awareness of, and respect for, God throughout one's day." According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons of aish.com, wearing a kippah is a "means to draw out one's inner sense of respect for God." Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose an appropriately sized kippah. Rabbi Simmons of aish.com quotes Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, who asserts that a "kippah should be large enough to be seen from all sides."
-
2
Choose a kippah that fits your personal style, but be aware of the traditional styles. Rabbi Simmons comments on traditional kippot. "Yeshivah-style Jews wear a black velvet kippah. Modern Orthodox Jews often wear a knitted, colored kippah. Many Chassidic Jews wear a fur hat (shtreimel) on Shabbat and holidays" (Reference 1). According to Rabbi Scheinerman at scheinerman.net, "a kippah may be made out of fabric or crocheted. It can be decorated any number of ways, with embroidery, needlepoint, fabric paint, applique, or designs knitted into it in the case of a crocheted kippah. The designs may be geometric or might include the wearer's name."
-
-
3
Wear your kippah at the appropriate times. According to Lorne Rozovsky of chabad.org, "Traditionally, Jewish men and boys wear the kippah at all times, a symbol of their awareness of, and submission to, a 'higher' entity." However, some Jews may not want to wear their kippah all the time, so Mr. Rozovsky suggests that "even those who do not wear a head covering at all times, will cover it as a sign of respect when attending religious services such as at a cemetery, a shiva house, or a wedding."
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Chabad.org suggests that "many Jewish men and boys wear a kippah even while wearing a hat. The rational is that when the hat is removed either for comfort or politeness, the head remains covered." Chabad.org also suggests that "During the high holidays, many wear white kippot." According to kippahmaker.com, "Traditionally, the kippah is worn by men, but increasingly women are also adopting this head covering as a replacement for either lace head covers or fashion hats."
