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I know that a reason for wearing a black hat is because one must wear two layers covering their head (Mishna Brurah 91:5) but am wondering if that Din is based in Kabbalah?

Bochur613
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  • Are you referring to the Mishna Brurah 91:5 – sam Apr 29 '13 at 23:33
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    http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/781/why-wear-black-hats#comment658_781 – Double AA Apr 29 '13 at 23:34
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    @DoubleAA That comment claims the Beit Yosef as a source, but does not give a specific citation. – Fred Apr 29 '13 at 23:35
  • @DoubleAA Do you know the specific location of that answer you linked me to? – Bochur613 Apr 29 '13 at 23:45
  • @sam The Mishna Berura says to wear a hat during prayers "nowadays, as is the way people dress when they go out in the street, since it is not appropriate to appear before an important person without a hat" (paraphrased). He says that a kippa is therefore insufficient during prayers, but does not say that one needs to wear both. – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 00:01
  • In any event, even though there are scattered sources that say that ideally one should wear both a kippa and a hat while praying, this is not because "two layers" of material has some intrinsic importance. It has to do with wearing two separate coverings - one being a regular kippa and the other being a hat. As far as I know, there is no source for the widely spread notion of preferring a kippa with an inner lining for a "double cover". – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 00:01
  • @DoubleAA in regard to the answer you linked me to, do you know where it hints to this in Kaballah? – Bochur613 Apr 30 '13 at 00:05
  • @Fred Thank you for the summary :) Bochur613 I don't have more information for you about the Beit Yosef and less about the Kabbalistic sources. I posted that in case it helps someone else find an answer. – Double AA Apr 30 '13 at 00:22
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    @Bochur613 It's possible that the commenter on the other question was referring to BY OC 8:5, where R' Yosef Karo suggests as one alternative explanation of the Tur that, for purposes of modesty and humility, one should wear a scarf or tallis over one's head in addition to the standard kippa. He does not explicitly write that this would remove the need for the kippa, though one might infer that based on the apparent underlying reasoning. The BY does not appeal to kabbalistic reasons, just to modesty ("לצניעות ולפי שכיסוי זה מכניע את לב האדם ומביאו לידי יראת שמים"). – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 00:30
  • @Bochur613 As far as kabbalistic sources giving significance to specifically the combination of a hat and kippa (as opposed to just a hat), I don't know of any before the 20th century. For an example of a recent kabbalistic explanation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe mentioned in a fabrengen in 1988 that having both the kippa and the hat is a physical representation of chaya and yechida makifim of the soul, and such a physical representation helps amplify the flow of the revelation of the Shechina onto an individual. – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 01:13

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http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pagefeed/hebrewbooks_org_26128_37.pdf He discusses it there and brings maharsha in shabbos 156b on the gemoro of why R Nachman's mother covered his head specially because she was warned that he would one day become a thief. He asks everyone has to cover his head otherwise because of the shchina. He replies that she gave it 'extra' covering. From this we learn that 'extra' covering gives more yiras shomaim and stops you even becoming a thief. This of course doesnt answer why it has to be black which is really no more than fashion. This could be one good answer for the question of why one has extra head coverings. See also the comments here.

  • Another question could be how much is the minimum of the head that has to be covered. If asked I can provide the answer. –  Apr 30 '13 at 08:12
  • Please see my question http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11004/which-parts-of-the-head-should-be-covered-by-the-kippa and some of the answers comments which relate to your comment. – Avrohom Yitzchok Apr 30 '13 at 14:21
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    @shulem, Feel free to ask that question yourself and provide an answer! But please read this and this before asking and answering your own question. – Daniel Apr 30 '13 at 15:04
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    "He says" Who's he? – HodofHod Apr 30 '13 at 16:09
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    The Maharsha is referring to wearing a larger head covering, not necessarily while still wearing the smaller one. "Extra covering" refers to the size of the head covering, not to the number of coverings. – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 18:40
  • Further, the gemara in Chullin cited in the linked pdf refers to a special garment of the Kohein Gadol that he was required to wear due to the g'zeiras hakasuv of v'samta oso al p'sil t'cheiles. – Fred Apr 30 '13 at 18:47
  • @Fred, I agree with you. It was not my proof but the link I brought. And your pshat fits in better with the rest of the maharsha of what fell off. I dont really see the purpose of having both. Once the head is fully covered by the hat, there seems no purpose in the kippah. I would state a different reason. Since the hat doesnt 'touch' the head all over whereas the kippah does. And the covering has also to touch the head. One has to feel it. The Mogen Avrohom 2:6 says kids went bareheaded. Ok folks bring on the minus points! –  Apr 30 '13 at 19:15
  • @Avrohom Yitzchok, I have answered it there with links. –  Apr 30 '13 at 19:35