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Sources
The sources for wearing a kippah are found in the
Talmud. In Shabbat 156b it states: "Cover your head in
order that the fear of heaven may be upon you." In
Kiddushin 31a it states, "Rabbi Honah ben Joshua never
walked 4 cubits (2 meters) with his head uncovered. He
explained: 'Because the Divine Presence is always over
my head."
As to the obligation of wearing a kippah, halakhic
experts agree that it is a minhag (custom). The
prevailing view among Rabbinical authorities is that
this custom has taken on a kind of force of law (Shulkhan
Arukh, Orach Chayim 2:6), because it is an act of
Kiddush Hashem. From a strictly Talmudic point of
view, however, the only moment when a Jewish man is
required to cover his head is during prayer (Mishneh
Torah, Ahavah, Hilkhot Tefilah 5:5).
Even this interpretation is in question; as recently
as the 1600s, scholar David HaLevi Segal of Ostrog,
Ukraine, suggested that Jews should never uncover
their heads in order to help distinguish them from
Christians — especially while at prayer.
A Hasidic/Kabbalistic tradition states that the kippah
reflects several ideas. One is that God covers us with
His Divine Palm; indeed, the Hebrew word kaf means
either "cloud" or "palm of the hand." The Hebrew
letter Kaph is the first letter of the word kippah.
Reasons given for wearing a kippah today include:
- Recognition that
God is "above" mankind;
- Acceptance of the
613 mitzvot (Torah commandments);
- Identification
with the Jewish people;
- Demonstration of
the "ministry" of all Jews.
Some Jews wear two
head coverings, typically a kippah covered by a hat,
for Kabbalistic reasons: the two coverings correspond
to two levels of intellect, or two levels in the fear
of God. The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) of the Temple in
Jerusalem also used to wear a woolen kippah under his
priestly headdress (Chulin 138a).
Kippah <-- Sources -->
Codification in
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