"Hey you, yes you, I'm talking to you... What's that thing on your head? That small hat? You know it ain't gonna do much to protect you from that New York weather don't you? Come again? A what? A kippah? Come again? No, have no idea what a Yarmulke is..."
Well, you shouldn't alone. Many people find themselves staring at a small, colorful, yet funny head cap, that is traditionally worn by religious, Jewish men. Let's dedicate a few moments of our lives and figure out why, oh why, people around the world wear kippot, yarmulkes or whatever you might call it.
One could trace the origins of the word yarmulke to age of dinosaurs. Na... not really... we don't care about dinosaurs. But we do believe in Yiddish, and they say that yarmulke is actually a Yiddish word that is derived from the old Polish word - jarmulka, and if you'll ask any good Polish speaking person, he will tell you that it means nothing but a simple "cap".
If you wanna stick with the Heebs, you might like this idea better. They say that that yarmulke actually comes from the Hebrew saying ya'ari me'Elokai (cool!) which actually means "tremble before the Lord". And you see, this is what it's all about.
Because the actual reason of wearing kippas, the roots, they all come from the Talmud. You can find it there. It basically says something like "cover thy head 'cause the fear of heaven may be upon you". They also tell of one particular Rabbi that never walked one foot without covering his head. Even to take out the trash! He said that Divine Presence was always over his head.
So you know how things roll and become tradition before you have the chance to even think about it and suddenly every Jew is walking around with kippas. Now it's a mitzvah. No. It's a minhag. What's the difference? We're gonna keep it for the next article.
Anywho, according to the Jewish best seller of all times, Shulchan Arukh, all Jewish males are required to put a yarmulke over their head and never be found without. That's way in 1862 they brought together the "Yarmulke Police" that roam around the streets of Jerusalem even today. Na... Just messing with ya. But really, Jewish men should always cover their heads, don't mind about the weather, inside or outside, you get the meaning of always right?
Now there are tons of kippas out there and if you know your kippot, you probably know a thing or two about the person that is standing in front of you. Because kippas can actually be a symbol of belonging to a specific religious stream in Judaism. Yup. For example, if you are a religious Zionist, you'll never be spotted without a kippah that is knitted. But if you are an Orthodox Jew, well, fashion states that your kippas will always be black.
Hey, we can go on forever! If you're into the whole Judaism kippas thingy, you might want to check out the near Judaica store and find a design that fits you back. And you know, kippas are totally becoming a fashion must these days. So doesn't matter what, visit your local Judaica store today, and cover your head from heavens! (Did I mention kippas they work great covering bald spots...)
Author Resource:-
Whether you need kippas, Seforim,
Yarmulkas
or the latest in Jewish music - www.eichlers.com is your one stop, online Judaica Store.
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