| A kippah or yarmulke (also called a kappel) is a | | | | kippah reflects several ideas. One is that God |
| thin, slightly-rounded skullcap traditionally worn at | | | | covers us with His Divine Palm; indeed, the |
| all times by Orthodox Jewish men, and | | | | Hebrew word kaf means either "cloud" or "palm |
| sometimes by both men and women in | | | | of the hand." The Hebrew letter Kaph is the first |
| Conservative and Reform communities during | | | | letter of the word kippah. |
| services and other religious rituals. Its use is | | | | The kippah is traditionally worn by Jewish men. |
| associated with demonstrating respect and | | | | Observant Jewish women who have been |
| reverence for God.hover"> buttonThere are | | | | married (including widows and divorcees) cover |
| different proposed etymologies for the word | | | | their heads more completely with scarves, hats, |
| yarmulke. According to most mainstream | | | | or wigs, but for a totally different reason. The |
| etymologists, it is a Yiddish word deriving from | | | | tradition for women comes from a different |
| the Polish word jarmulka, meaning "cap", ultimately | | | | source than that of men and originates from the |
| possibly of Turkish origin.[2] | | | | laws dealing with the sotah (suspected adulteress; |
| Others propose that it is derived from an | | | | see Numbers 5), implying that a Jewish married |
| Aramaic phrase, yarei malka, meaning "fear of the | | | | woman should cover her hair under normal |
| King [i.e. God],"[3] or from the Hebrew, ya'arei | | | | circumstances.[12] Today, some women ??mainly |
| me'Elokai, "those who tremble before the Lord." | | | | Reform and Conservative Jews ??wear a kippah. |
| The Hebrew-language equivalent, kippah , plural | | | | Some Jews wear kippot only while praying, eating, |
| kippot , actually means "dome." The Gothic word | | | | reciting a blessing, or studying Jewish religious |
| kappel (cf. chapel) still exists in the Yiddish term | | | | texts. |
| today and survives in the Viennese dialect word | | | | In modern contexts, it is also common for |
| kappl (hat). The equivalent of the Hebrew word is | | | | non-religious Jews or even non-Jews to wear a |
| the French calotte and the Italian calotta, both | | | | simple kippah, or to cover their heads as a sign of |
| referring to an architectural dome. | | | | respect, when present at Jewish religious services |
| The sources for wearing a kippah are found in | | | | or at ostensibly Jewish sites, such as Yad |
| the Talmud. In Shabbat 156b it states: "Cover | | | | Vashem and the Western Wall. Male Jews and |
| your head in order that the fear of heaven may | | | | non-Jews alike are asked to don a skullcap in the |
| be upon you." In Kiddushin 31a it states, "Rabbi | | | | vicinity of the Western Wall, and returnable |
| Honah ben Joshua never walked 4 cubits (2 | | | | skullcaps are provided for this use. |
| meters) with his head uncovered. He explained: | | | | Any form of head covering is acceptable |
| 'Because the Divine Presence is always over my | | | | according to halakha (Jewish law). There are no |
| head." | | | | hard and fast rules on the subject, although the |
| As to the obligation of wearing a kippah, halakhic | | | | compact, lightweight nature of a kippah, along with |
| experts agree that it is a minhag (custom). The | | | | the fact that hats for men have fallen out of |
| prevailing view among Rabbinical authorities is that | | | | fashion in the West over last few decades, may |
| this custom has taken on a kind of force of law | | | | have contributed to its popularity. Kippot have |
| (Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chayim 2:6), because it is | | | | become identified as a symbol of Judaism over |
| an act of Kiddush Hashem. From a strictly | | | | the last century. Haredi men, who mostly wear |
| Talmudic point of view, however, the only | | | | large black cloth or velvet kippot, often wear |
| moment when a Jewish man is required to cover | | | | fedoras with their kippot underneath. In the |
| his head is during prayer (Mishneh Torah, Ahavah, | | | | Hasidic community, this double head-covering has |
| Hilkhot Tefilah 5:5). | | | | Kabbalistic meaning. |
| Even this interpretation is in question; as recently | | | | Many Muslims wear a kippah equivalent called a |
| as the 1600s, scholar David Haley of Ostrog, | | | | topi. The origin of this practice, and any other |
| Ukraine, suggested that Jews should never | | | | practice of men covering their heads with various |
| uncover their heads in order to help distinguish | | | | head gear, is the general sunnah (or normative |
| them from Christians especially while at prayer. | | | | practice / example) of the Prophet Muhammad to |
| According to the Shulchan Arukh, Jewish men are | | | | cover one's head. Until more recent times, men in |
| required to cover their heads and should not walk | | | | most Muslim societies were rarely seen without |
| more than four cubits without a hat.[4] Wearing a | | | | headdress of some sort. A taqiyah (cap) covers |
| kippah is described as "honoring God".[5] The | | | | most of the head. Covering the head is seen by |
| Mishnah Berurah modifies this ruling, adding that | | | | Muslims to transcend many religious traditions, |
| the Achronim established it as a requirement to | | | | confirming Muslim belief in the practice's Divine |
| wear a head covering even when traversing less | | | | origin, as, according to Muslim belief, all Prophets |
| than four cubits,[6] and even when one is simply | | | | of God preached the same basic message with |
| standing in place.[7] This applied both indoors as | | | | varying cultural and social adjustments throughout |
| well as out.[8] | | | | time. Finally, the modern taqiyahs worn by Muslims |
| This ruling is echoed by the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, | | | | are analogous to the kippot worn by observant |
| a concise version of the Shulchan Aruch authored | | | | Jews whether in the Middle East or elsewhere. |
| by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried.[9] He cites a story | | | | The Jews of the Middle East probably picked up |
| from the Talmud (Shabbat 156b) about Rav | | | | much of their clothing and head gear from the |
| Nachman bar Yitzchok who might have become a | | | | wider society in which they lived. Hence, no |
| thief had his mother not saved him from this fate | | | | different from their Muslim neighbors and |
| by insisting that he cover his head, which instilled in | | | | compatriots throughout time, the kippah can be |
| him the fear of God.[9] | | | | seen as much a product of the Middle East and its |
| In many communities, boys are encouraged to | | | | diverse social fabric of co-existence as is its |
| wear a kippah from a young age in order to | | | | analog (in terms of head coverings), the taqiyah. |
| ingrain the habit.[10] | | | | The doppa, a square or round skullcap originating |
| According to Rabbi Isaac Klein's Guide to Jewish | | | | in the Caucasus and worn by Kazan Tatars, |
| Religious Practice, a Jew ought to cover his head | | | | Uzbeks and Uyghurs is another example of a |
| when in the synagogue, at prayer or sacred | | | | Muslim skullcap. The doppa is derived from a |
| study, when engaging in a ritual act, and when | | | | Turkic, more pointed ancestral cap, which can be |
| eating. | | | | seen in some of the portraits of Jalaleddin |
| A Hasidic/Kabbalistic tradition states that the | | | | Mingburnu. |