Conference taveng::bagels

I can answer some of the questions. Since this is Friday afternoon most
of the real experts have gone home so I'll take a stab.

I am a bad speller, but I have never seen the word transliterated "kepa".
I think "kippa" is more like it. "Yarmulka" is Yiddish for "kippa" which
is Hebrew for "skull cap". Orthodox Jews wear it all the time, 7 days a week.
Most others wear it only in the synagogue or while performing some religious
function elsewhere (during a seder or in a sukkah for example). It is worn as
a sign of respect for G-d. Evidently, the Semitic sign of respect in the
presence of a king was to keep ones head covered. This is the complete opposite
of the European custom of removing ones hat as a sign of respect. Any kind of
hat will do as a substitute for the kippa; it's just that most hats are too
warm to wear indoors.

Only men are required to wear the kippa. However, married women are supposed
to keep their hair covered per the involved discussion in the Halachic
newsletter. In my Reform Temple I frequently see women wearing the kippa
anyway.

I don't know of any blessing for putting on the kippa. It's like getting
dressed in the morning. An Orthodox person puts on his kippa and tallit katan
along with all his other clothes as a matter of course.

Dave

re .1:

Not quite "all the time."  Not when sleeping, bathing, etc.

I used to work with a sort-of hippie character.  One day he wanted to ask
me "something personal."  I mentally rolled my eyes and said, "Go ahead."
He asked, "How do you get a haircut?"  My first thought was, "This
poor guy has a ponytail because he doesn't know how to get a haircut!"
I then realized he thought my yarmulke would get in the way.  I explained
that I take it off to get a haircut.

    As far as I know, wearing a skull-cap is a tradition without any
    explanation or justification. Some non-jewish people here in Israel
    also wear head-dresses most of the time: both moslems and druzes. 
    They even have a kind of colourfull skull-cap that some young people
    were here as Kippot.

    As for the reason jews are supposed to wear the kippah, the only approach
    I know is roughly like this:

    In the Pentateuch is written "And Jacob left for..."; nu, since Jacob
    was a Jew, would he had left for any place without covering his head...

    Best regards,

    Juan-Carlos

   And to make it more complicated, there is some evidence that in some places
   it was not the custom to keep one's head covered.

    Thanks, all.  More information would be welcome if available, but
    thanks for the replies so far!
    
    Steve

Re: .1

>I don't know of any blessing for putting on the kippa. It's like getting
>dressed in the morning.  

There are actually blessing recited by observant Jews every morning
referring to the individual garments worn. Originally, they were
recited as the items were donned, but now they are now all recited
together at the morning prayers. The blessing referring to the
head covering is, "Blessed art Thou O L-rd, King of the Universe,
Who has crowned Israel with glory." Another refers to the wearing
of a belt: "...Who girds Israel with strength."

Re: .3

>    As far as I know, wearing a skull-cap is a tradition without any
>    explanation or justification.

The custom derives from Talmudic references of _Amoraim_ (Talmudic
authors) who would not walk more than 4 cubits with their heads
uncovered. I have heard some interpret one of the commentators of
the Shulchan Aruch (Taz, on chapter 4 of Orach Chaim, I believe),
as opining that a head covering may indeed be biblical in nature,
i.e. to foster Jewish distinctiveness (and pride). In our times,
given the overwhelming struggle to maintain Jewish identity in an
open society, this is especially relevant. 

>   And to make it more complicated, there is some evidence that in some places
>   it was not the custom to keep one's head covered.

Whether this is the case or not, it has been worn for many centuries
by observant Jews, and as such is an important Jewish symbol.

Jem


BTW, I guess I forgot to say hello, and it's nice to be back!

re .6:

>The blessing referring to the
>head covering is, "Blessed art Thou O L-rd, King of the Universe,
>Who has crowned Israel with glory."

baruch haba, Jem!! 

Are you sure this baracha applies to the kippa?  The word in hebrew for 'glory'
is 'tifara,' the root word (shoresh) of which is 'PAR' (peh-alef-raish).
The gemara, based in verses from Yichezkel, uses 'PAR' to refer to the tefillin,
not the kippa.

Louuuuuuuuuuuuuu

The way I learned it in school is; You wear the Kippa because it will 
remind you that there is always something higher (kippa is above you 
physically). 

i.e. reminder for the presence of G_d throughout your daily routine. 
I can not reference it to any script, however, it makes common sense.

Kris 

Re: .7

>baruch haba, Jem!! 

Toda raba, Louuuuuuuuu!

>Are you sure this baracha applies to the kippa? 

The Gemara discusses each one of the morning
blessings (_birkot_hashachar_) at the end of
Tractate Berachot, I believe 60b. It says 
specifically that this blessing is recited
when putting on one's hat.

>The gemara, based in verses from Yichezkel, uses 'PAR' to refer to the tefillin,
>not the kippa.

Actually Ez. 24:17 (pe'ercha chavush alecha -- your crown is upon your head)
is interpreted as referring both to the _tefilla_shel_rosh_ (head phylactery),
and a common hat.

Jem

Re: .8

>i.e. reminder for the presence of G_d throughout your daily routine. 
>I can not reference it to any script, however, it makes common sense.

I believe the commentator _Etz_Yosef_ on the Siddur says something
similar in addressing the question of why *Israel* is singled out
in this blessing whereas others are generic. He points out that
others wear a hat or remove it according to weather conditions
and other factors, but Jews wear it always to recall their Heavenly
Father.

Jem

    Jem!
    
    Hi!  It's GREAT to "see" you back!  Welcome back and shalom!!
    
    Steve

Could someone *please* tell me whats going on. None of the things you're 
talking about made the news in Scotland and I'm feeling very cut off here.

-colin

Shalom and Happy Passover to all!

I read the preceding notes with interest and have one outstanding question (at
least on this subject). Does anyone know when the custom of wearing a kippa
came into being? How about the simple custom of covering one's head when
praying?


- Barry

    Shalom Barry,
    
    Since posting the base-note a long while ago, I was told that the kippa
    can be symbolic of mourning, like putting ashes on one's head,
    symbolically mourning the destruction of the temple and the diaspora.
    
    Figuring out which temple destruction this refers to would tell you the
    date.  But I suspect this is a reason added later on and that kippot
    have been worn for quite a while.
    
    I'm sure there's a few scholars in this file who can give you something
    more factual than my un-scholarly guess ;-)
    
    Steve

I won't pretend to offer a scholarly answer, but I recall being told
that the custom of wearing kippot began during the middle ages, which is
later than I would have thought.

Of course I could be wrong.  My recollection of this is from some
historical notes our rabbi sent to the congregation, while they were
discussing aliyot for women and whether they should wear a kippa and/or
tallit when called up.

I've always thought the kippa served both to remind us that we are lower
than G-d, and to make us so.  With a bare head, our heads are high and
exposed to the heavens.  (Some analogies to the tower of Babel perhaps?) 
Along a similar line, there are segments in the Torah that discuss what
must be worn (esp. underneath the robes) by people walking on special
grounds, like parts of the old temple, so that you don't expose your
nakedness to such things (and thus, to the L-rd).  As we ourselves are
not holy, some insulation should come between ourselves and that which is.

Andy