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I have a nice black silk kippah, the only problem is that it's too big. Can i cut around to make it smaller? Is there holiness in Kippa, is there a prohibition to cut it?

msh210
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Adnrew
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  • Closely related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/12842 – Fred Jul 13 '16 at 19:14
  • For many years, my sons and I wore kippah clips. I had no idea that this was a form of kippah clip ;-) – DanF Jul 13 '16 at 21:19
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    You'll probably want to roll the edge under and stitch it after you make the cut. Even silk will fray over time if the edges aren't treated. – Monica Cellio Jul 14 '16 at 00:27
  • closely related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11004/which-parts-of-the-head-should-be-covered-by-the-kippa – Avrohom Yitzchok Jul 14 '16 at 15:07

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A kippah is not a sacred garment. (The Star-K had found people putting worn-out kippahs in a disposal box intended for worn-out scrolls, which must be buried. So they had to mention that a worn-out kippah may be thrown in the trash!)

A kippah is a hat. If you feel like cutting it, go right ahead. Practically I don't know how the edges will then look, but you can figure that out.

A more interesting question is how big should a kippah be for the sake of fulfilling the custom of wearing one. (You can ask a separate question about that.) Assuming you'll be wearing something big enough, cut away!

Shalom
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  • Depending on the answer to the question contained in @Shalom answer (want me to repeat that?) the OP might find the kippah used by many Conservative synagogues --at least in New York City--to his liking. It tends to be the smallest kippot sold and can be purchased at some of the most well known Orthodox Judaica stores. You still may have to consult an "expert" but I would imagine this style kippah meets the minimal criteria of size. – JJLL Jul 14 '16 at 15:17