Look up kippah in Wiktionary the free dictionary. "Kipa" redirects here. For the supermarket please see Kipa (supermarket). Distinguish from kipper. Kippah 250px Halakhic sources* Texts in Jewish law relating to this article: Babylonian Talmud: Shabbat 156b and Kiddushin 31a Mishneh Torah: Ahavah Hilkhot Tefilah 5:5 Shulchan Aruch: Orach Chayim 2:6 * Not meant as a definitive ruling. Some observances may be rabbinical customs or Torah based.

A kippa or kipa (pronounced /kp/ ki-pah Hebrew: or plural: kippot or ) also known as a yarmulke (pronounced /jrmlk/ ( listen) (yar-ml-k) or /jmk/ (yah-m-k)) or hech cap (U.S.) is a hemispherical or platter-shaped skullcap usually of cloth often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times and sometimes worn by both men and less frequently women in Conservative and Reform communities at times of prayer. Contents 1 Jewish law 2 Types and variation 3 Head coverings in ancient Israelite culture 3.1 Possible modern analogues 4 Kippot in secular law 5 See also 6 References Jewish law A Jewish man from Chiinu wearing a kippah (1900)

The Talmud states "Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you."1 "Rabbi Hunah ben Joshua never walked 4 cubits (2 meters) with his head uncovered. He explained: 'Because the Divine Presence is always over my head."2 Jewish Law dictates that a man is required to cover his head during prayer.3 Originally a head covering at other times for Orthodox males was a custom but it has since taken on "the force of law" because it is an act of Kiddush Hashem.4 The 17th-century authority David HaLevi Segal suggested that the reason was to distinguish Jews from their non-Jewish counterparts especially while at prayer.

According to the Shulchan Arukh Jewish men are strongly recommended to cover their heads and doing so should not walk more than four cubits bareheaded.5 Covering one's head such as by wearing a kippah is described as "honoring God".6 The Mishnah Berurah modifies this ruling adding that the Achronim established it as a requirement to wear a head covering even when traversing less than four cubits7 and even when one is standing still indoors and outside.8 Kitzur Shulchan Aruch cites a story from the Talmud (Shabbat 156b) about Rav Nachman bar Yitzchok who might have become a thief had his mother not saved him from this fate by insisting that he cover his head which instilled in him the fear of God.9 In many communities boys are encouraged to wear a kippah from a young age in order to ingrain the habit.10

More lenient opinions also exist and many great rabbis did not wear a head covering. The GRA or Vilna Gaon says one can make a berakhah without a kippah) and other poskim and wearing a kippah is only a midos chassidus (exemplary attribute). Recently there seems to have been an effort to suppress earlier sources that practiced this leniency including erasing lenient responsa from newly published books.11

According to Rabbi Isaac Klein's Guide to Jewish Religious Practice a Conservative Jew ought to cover his head when in the synagogue at prayer or sacred study when engaging in a ritual act and when eating.12 In the mid-19th century Reformers led by Rabbi Isaac Wise stopped wearing kippot altogether. Types and variation

In the Middle Ages in Europe the distinctive Jewish headgear was the Jewish hat a full hat with a brim and a central point or stalk. Originally used by choice among Jews to distinguish themselves it was later made compulsory in some places by Christian governments as a discriminatory measure. In the early 19th century in the United States rabbis often wore a scholar's cap (large saucer-shaped caps of cloth like a beret) or a Chinese skullcap. Other Jews of this era wore black pillbox-shaped kippot. Children's crocheted kippot

Often the color and fabric of the kippah can be a sign of adherence to a specific religious movement. Knitted or crocheted kippot known as kippot serugot tend to be worn by Religious Zionists and the Modern Orthodox13 who also wear suede or leather kippot. The hit Israeli TV series Srugim which has been compared to the U.S. TV series Friends takes its name from the knitted kippot worn by the main male characters.

Members of most Haredi groups usually wear black velvet or cloth kippot. In general the larger the kippah the more traditionalist the wearer.14 By contrast the smaller the kippah the more modern and liberal the person is.15

More recently kippot have been observed made in the colors of sports teams especially football. In the United States children's kippot with cartoon characters or themes such as Star Wars are popular. (In response to this trend some Jewish schools have banned kippot with characters that do not conform to traditional Jewish values.16) Kippot have been inscribed on the inside as a souvenir for a celebration (bar/bat mitzvah or wedding). Kippot for women are being made and worn.141718 A special baby kippah has two strings on each side to fasten it and is often used in a brit milah ceremony.19 Samaritan Jews once wore distinctive blue head coverings to separate them from Jews who wore white ones but today they more commonly wear fezes with turbans similar to that of Sephardi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa. Today Samaritans do not usually wear head coverings except during prayer Sabbath and religious festivals. Image Type Movement Crocheted Religious Zionism Modern Orthodox17 Conservative Judaism20 Reform Judaism20 Suede Modern Orthodox17 Conservative Judaism20 Reform Judaism20 Black velvet Haredi21 Satin Conservative Judaism Reform Judaism White crocheted Breslov Hasidim wear a full-head-sized white crocheted kippah sometimes with a knit pom-pom or tassel on top. Some Breslov Hasidim followers of the late Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser wear it with the Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman mantra crocheted in or embroidered on it.22 Bukharan23 Popular with children1423 and also worn by liberal-leaning feminist and reform Jews.24 Yemenite Head coverings in ancient Israelite culture The Israelites on Sennacherib's marble relief appear with headdress and although the ambassadors of Jehu on the Shalmaneser stele have a head coverings their costume seems to be Israelite. One passage of the older literature is of significance: I Kings 20:31 mentions havalim which are placed around the head. This calls to mind pictures of Syrians on Egyptian monuments represented wearing a cord around their long flowing hair a custom still followed in Arabia. Evidently the costume of the poorest classes is represented; but as the cord gave no protection against the heat of the sun there is little probability that the custom lasted very long. Much more common was the simple cloth skullcap dating back to Egyptian times when those of high society routinely shaved their heads to prevent lice. Conversely their skullcaps then served as protection against irritation from their wigs. Possible modern analogues The Israelites might have worn a headdress similar to that worn by the Bedouins. This consists of a keffieh folded into a triangle and placed on the head with the middle ends hanging over the neck to protect it while the other two are knotted together under the chin. A thick woolen cord (akal) holds the cloth firmly on the head.citation needed In later times the Israelites both men and women adopted a turban-like headdress more like that of the fellahs of today. The latter wear a little cap (takiyah) usually made of cotton cloth folded doubly or triply which is supposed to shield the other parts of the head covering from perspiration. Under this cap are placed one often two felt caps (lubbadah); and the national fez head-dress of the Turks the red tarboosh a.k.a. "fez". Around this is wound more elaborate turban-like layers. Such a covering not only protects the wearer from the sun; it also furnishes a convenient pillow and is used by the fellahs for preserving important documents.citation needed That the headdress of the Israelites might have been in the fellah style may be inferred from the use of the noun tzanif (the verb tzanaf meaning "to roll like a ball" Isaiah 22:18) and by the verb habash ("to wind" comp. Ezekiel 16:10; Jonah 2:6). As to the form of such turbans nothing is known and they may have varied according to the different classes of society. This was customary with the Assyrians and Babylonians for example whose fashions likely influenced the costume of the Israelitesparticularly during and after the Babylonian Exile.25 Middle Eastern and North African Jewish community headdress probably resembles that of the ancient cultures. Middle Eastern Jewish custom often tends to reflect local custom while African custom consists either of the plain turban or Muslim style taqiyah (which in Africa is called kufi). In Yemen the wrap around the cap was called matzar; the head covering worn by all women according to Dath Mosha was a gargush.26 Kippot in secular law Chaplain Arnold Resnicoff wearing the make-shift "camouflage kippah" made for him by Catholic chaplain (Fr.) George Pucciarelli after his had become bloodied when it was used to wipe the face of a wounded Marine Beirut 1983. The French government banned the wearing of kippot hijabs and large crosses in public primary and secondary schools in France in March 2004.27 In Goldman v. Weinberger 475 U.S. 503 (1986) the United States Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision declared that any active military member could be required to remove his yarmulke indoors.28 In response the U.S. Congress proposed the Religious Apparel Amendment which in part explicitly protected the right to wear religious headgear in a "neat and conservative" manner except under specific circumstances. However the Religious Apparel Amendment failed to pass for two years in a row. Congress passed the religious apparel amendment after a war story from the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing about the "camouflage kippah" of Jewish Navy Chaplain Arnold Resnicoff was read into the Congressional Record.29 Catholic Chaplain George Pucciarelli tore off a piece of his Marine Corps uniform to replace Resnicoff's kippah when it had become blood-soaked after being used to wipe the faces of wounded Marines after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.30 This amendment was eventually incorporated into U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) regulations on the "Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services."31 President Ronald Reagan tells the story of the "camouflage kippah" in his keynote address to the Rev. Jerry Fallwell's "Baptist Fundamentalism '84" convention in Washington DC This story of the "camouflage kippah" was retold at many levels32 including a keynote speech by President Ronald Reagan33 and another time during a White House meeting between Reagan and the "American Friends of Lubavitch."34 After recounting the Beirut story Reagan asked them about the religious meaning of the kippah.34 Rabbi Abraham Shemtov the leader of the group responded "Mr. President the kippah to us is a sign of reverence." Rabbi Feller another member of the group continued "We place the kippah on the very highest point of our beingon our head the vessel of our intellectto tell ourselves and the world that there is something which is above man's intellect:the infinite Wisdom of God."34 Passage of the Religious Apparel Amendment and the subsequent DOD regulations was followed in 1997 by the passing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). However this law was struck down by the Supreme Court in its 1997 case Boerne v. Flores. The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) 114 Stat. 804 42 U. S. C. 2000cc-1(a)(1)-(2) upheld as constitutional in Cutter v. Wilkinson 44 U.S. 709 (2005) requires by inference that Orthodox Jewish prisoners be reasonably accommodated in their request to wear yarmulkas.35 Jews are not the only religious group to wear skull caps. Famous all over the world are the caps of the Muslims; the Roman Catholic Church has the zucchetto for clergy (only the pope may wear a white one); Zoroastrians wear the topis; and old Druze men wore a simple "yarmulke" known as a doppa or topi. Buddhists often wear a simple Muslim-style cloth cap for traveling which is known in China as a bao-tzu in Japan as a bosu. (The Japanese term for "priest" is the related word bozu.) A section in the same bill as the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act passed in July 200936 reinforced an older law forbidding the wearing of religious clothing by teachers in public school classrooms. See also The Philippi Collection References Shabbat 156b. Kiddushin 31a. Mishneh Torah Ahavah Hilkhot Tefilah 5:5. Shulkhan Arukh Orach Chayim 2:6. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 2:6. Shaar HaTzion OC 2:6. Ber Heitev OC 2:6 note 4 who quotes the Bach Taz and the Magen Avraham. Mishnah Berurah 2:6 note 9 10 KSA 3:6 Ber Heitev OC 2:6 note 5 http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%204%20Rabinowitz.pdf Klein Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America 1979. Boyarin Jonathan. Thinking in Jewish University of Chicago Press 1996 p. 51. ISBN 0226069273. a b c "A Guide to Jewish head-coverings" Jewish Independent 7 July 2006 "Jews' coverings reveal much about the wearer" The Salt Lake Tribune May 4 2007 Lifestyle; "The Yarmulke Is Now a Fashion Item" The New York Times 23 Sept 1990 a b c Living Jewish - Jewish Attire! Mazor Guide. Retrieved December 19 2010. "California firm offers kippot for women" The Jerusalem Post July 10 2005 "From baby kippah to Tylenol Bris Kit has everything but the implement" J Weekly 18 Jun 2004 a b c d http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Prayer/RitualGarb/Kippah.shtml Barring violence The Jerusalem Post Yigal Grayeff February 9 2006 On New Year thousands flock to Rabbi Nachman's grave in Ukraine HaAretz Yair Ettinger a b Hats Off To Fashion: Yarmulkes go beyond basic black Traverse City Record-Eagle Associated Press April 13 2008 Kippah Couture The Forward Angela Himsel September 29 2006 "Head-dress" Jewish Encyclopedia "Clothing of the Yemenite Jews" Chayas French Senate backs headscarf ban BBC News March 3 2004 Goldman v. Weinberger U.S. Supreme Court Case Summary & Oral Argument Congressional Record 100th Congress May 11 1987. "Solarz Passes Religious Apparel Amendment" The Jewish Press May 22 1987 "Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services" Department of Defense Instruction Larry Bonko "Rabbi's Camouflage Yarmulke Woven With Tragedy Heroism" Norfolk Ledger-Star Jan 13 1984. www.presidency.ucsb.edu retrieved May 30 2011. a b c "Rabbis Explain 'Top to Top'". Wellsprings (Lubavitch Youth Organization) (No. 12 (Vol 2 No. 7)). AugustSeptember 1986.  Benning v. Georgia 391 F3d 1299 Does religious clothing have a place in the classroom KATU.com July 17 2009 v d eJewish life Birth and infancy Shalom Zachar  Brit milah  Zeved habat  Hebrew name  Pidyon haben Coming of age Upsherin  Wimpel  Bar and Bat Mitzvah  Yeshiva  Kollel Daily life Ritual washing  Prayers and blessings  Prayer services  Grace after Meals  Honorifics Marriage Marriageable age  Jewish wedding  Matchmaking  Role of women  Niddah  Mikvah  Tzniut  Divorce Religious practice 613 commandments  Customs  Torah study   Weekly Torah reading)  Daf Yomi   Shiur   Holidays  Tzedakah Religious items Sefer Torah  Tzitzit  Tallit  Tefillin  Mezuzah  Kippah  Menorah  Shofar  Four Species Death Chevra Kadisha  Shiva  Kaddish  Tehillim  Yahrzeit  Yahrzeit candle  Yizkor  Honorifics