5

Is there a spiritual meaning to wearing a Kippah? Why does G-d what our heads covered? Is it a sign that we are under a "covering" from G-d?

ironman
  • 667
  • 4
  • 14
  • possible duplicate: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/751/759 – Double AA Jun 18 '12 at 03:38
  • as the possible duplicate question dealt with the halachic basis and history, can this question be reworded to focus on the spiritual meaning (which is alluded to but not made central) in the other question. The answer would bring up one of the etymologies of Kippah, which is kafuf, bent over and submissive. No doubt the question would also call for an explanation of the velvet vs. srugah vs na nachman vs paper. – rosends Jun 18 '12 at 15:11
  • On Shabbos 156b, the gemara tells the story that stargazers had found out that Rav Nachman's mother was going to give birth to a thief. Once Rav Nachman was born, she made him wear a headcovering "so that there will be fear of heaven on you" and he became Rav Nachman. – b a Jun 18 '12 at 15:54
  • @ba, no disrespect, but doesn't that sound somewhat like one of the stories that the catholics tell about their "saints"? – ironman Jun 18 '12 at 15:57
  • It may or may not sound like one of those stories, but we know that this story is true, because it was recorded in the gemara. – b a Jun 18 '12 at 15:59
  • 1
    ba, a story recorded in the Gemorah does not tell you if the story is true or not. There are numerous agadatot that never happened, such as the guy who rode 64 horses by standing on their backs with two legs spread 64 mil across. (or something like that) – avi Jun 18 '12 at 16:59
  • 1
    @ironman99 The title and the question don't exactly match, and I'm not sure what you are asking exactly. As it is, I would answer that "Gd does not want our heads covered, but Jewish society does." – avi Jun 18 '12 at 17:01
  • @avi I differ with your "Gd does not want our heads covered, but Jewish society does": God wants us to follow proper minhagim also. – msh210 Jun 18 '12 at 17:05
  • 1
    @avi: true, not every story in the Gemara is meant to be taken literally. However, when it is not, one or another of the commentaries will point that out; with this story of R. Nachman bar Yitzchak, there is (TTBOMK) no such comment. – Alex Jun 18 '12 at 17:34
  • @ba As I recall, the story ends with his kippah being blown off and he reaches across a fence and takes an apple from his neighbor. But that proves the story proves that covering your head was the exception not the rule – Charles Koppelman Jun 18 '12 at 18:33
  • @CharlesKoppelman The story ends with the kipah blowing off, and he starts to steal, but then he puts the kipah back on, and his desire ended. – b a Jun 18 '12 at 18:56
  • @ba: actually, the story ends with him stealing ("he was sitting and studying under a palm tree, and the covering fell off his head. He lifted his gaze and noticed the palm tree; his yetzer (instinct) got the better of him, and he climbed up the tree and tore off a cluster of dates with his teeth"). Doesn't say whether afterwards he caught himself and put his kippah back on, or whether he was caught red-handed, or something else. – Alex Jun 18 '12 at 23:26
  • Ping @CharlesKoppelman. – Alex Jun 18 '12 at 23:26
  • Sorry, I misread יצריה סליק as "his desire stopped." – b a Jun 19 '12 at 06:55

1 Answers1

5

According to jewfaq:

It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer. This probably derives from the fact that in Eastern cultures, it is a sign of respect to cover the head (the custom in Western cultures is the opposite: it is a sign of respect to remove one's hat). Thus, by covering the head during prayer, one showed respect for G-d. In addition, in ancient Rome, servants were required to cover their heads while free men did not; thus, Jews covered their heads to show that they were servants of G-d. In medieval times, Jews covered their heads as a reminder that G-d is always above them.

Charles Koppelman
  • 6,926
  • 1
  • 23
  • 57