Israel National News, a/k/a Arutz 7, reports that a French presidential candidate, Marie LePen, suggested that since Muslim garb was to be banned in France, perhaps kippot — a/k/a “yarmulkas” — also ought to be banned in France.
French Jews and Jews elsewhere are up in arms over the possibility of such a ban. LePen allegedly said “Since I believe all French citizens should receive equFkippa historyal treatment, I support the ban on wearing a kippa (yarmulka, skullcap) in public areas. Honestly, I think the situation is dangerous enough that those Jews who wear a kippa in public are the minority. They're scared. But mostly, I think that the fight against radical Islam needs to be a joint battle, and we need to be able to say that we're sacrificing something.
"Maybe they'll just wear hats, but at least it will be a step in eradicating extremist Islam in France,"
(I have to wonder if this “ban religious garb” will apply to Catholic clergy and, if so, how will the Vatican react. So far Rome has been silent on actions against non Christian garb. Would the pope, visiting France, have to leave his kippa (zucchetto) in the Vatican before entering France?)
A little kippa history
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Wearing of a head covering (yarmulka, skullcaps, kippah [pl. kippot]) for men was only instituted in Talmudic times (approximately the second century CE). The first mention of it is in Tractate Shabbat, which discusses respect and fear of G-d. Some sources likened it to the High Priest who wore a hat (Mitznefet) to remind him something was always between him and G-d. Thus, wearing a kippah makes us all like the high priest and turns us into a "holy nation." The head covering is also a sign of humility for men, acknowledging what's "above" us (G-d).
Many Ashkenazi rabbis acknowledge that wearing a head covering at all times was once considered an optional midat chasidut (pious act), but, today, fulltime head covering is the norm except under extenuating circumstances. Sephardic communities generally did not have the custom of wearing a kippah all the time.
The Mosaic Law Congregation, cites, Rabbi Shay Piron (http://www.kipa.co.il) website answers): The source of wearing Kippah or any other head-cover is found in the Gemara in Masechet Kidushin. There it is written that wearing Kipa is a virtue of piety. That way, a person expresses that “G-d (Shekhina) dwells above my head”.
The Chabad web site offers that Jewish law requires men to cover their heads as a sign of respect and reverence for G‑d when praying, studying Torah, saying a blessing or entering a synagogue.
This practice has its roots in biblical times, when the priests in the Temple were instructed to cover their heads.
Although it is not explicitly required by law, the practice is noted in the Talmud, and through the ages, this became an accepted Jewish custom to the point that according to the majority of halachic authorities, it is mandatory. One should, therefore, not walk or even sit, bareheaded. Small children should also be taught to cover their heads.
The singular point of agreement is that the kippa is, within the Jewish time frame, a relatively new addition to the wardrobe, dating back “only” to Talmudic times, c 200 CE. Tallit and tefillin are Biblical commandments.
There was a time when Jewish men were encouraged to wear tefillin all day, and there are stories of rabbis who kept tefillin on until their bodies obliged them to answer nature’s call. There even are stories of teamsters working on their wagons while wearing tefillin.
The Forward interestingly notes that Moses and the Israelites proudly left Egypt bareheaded, according to one Exodus explanation. Later, according to the Babylonian Talmud, head covering was a pious practice exclusively for learned married men, possibly because it connoted humility. What the Forward article fails to include are the multi-layered (kippa on top of kippa) favored by some kippa extremists.
My Jewish Learning notes that In Europe, it was the universal custom among Orthodox Jews, except for some in Germany, to do so indoors and out. The most orthodox even did it while sleeping. In the Near East there was greater latitude in the matter, and many religious Jews only covered their heads for sacred activities. Keeping the head covered at all times has a kabbalistic [mystical] significance, leading some to cover their heads twice — a hat over a kippah (skullcap), or a tallit (prayer shawl over a kippah–while praying.
I have seen advertised — but failed to find the ad — 2 and 3-layer kippot; kippa on top of kippa on top of kippa. These serves the same purpose as a hat on a kippa. The third layer . . . THAT is the question.
Only in America ??
I worked for two Israeli companies in America: Tadiran and Zim. In both jobs my kippa segurah was not welcome. Unlike Tadiran in Israel, where I worked before returning to the States, Tadiran — and Zim — worked very hard at being what U.S. management considered being an “American company.” Translation: Christmas, New Years, and Easter were official holidays; Yomai Noraim and the Shalosh Ragelim were not — an observant Jew paid for time off for those days with vacation time. Working for a Japanese company (Oki Electronics) and a number of other “really” American companies and local governments (I was a risk management consultant) was far more comfortable.
Variation in spellings within quoted sections of articles are the way the words appeared in the articles.
