Kippah
The kippah (also: kippah , Hebrew כִּפָּה/ Plural kippot, Yiddish יאַרמלקע yarm [u] lke orקאפל kappl ) or, more rarely, Yarmulke (from Slavic) is a headgear used by male Jews, especially when practicing religion.
It is a small circular hat made of fabric or leather , sometimes richly decorated, that covers the back of the head. Sometimes it is attached to the hair with a metal clip. The kippah is common for men during prayer , in general at all places of prayer such as when visiting synagogues or in Jewish cemeteries ; Orthodox Jews also wear them in everyday life. In the course of time the kippah has become a sign of recognition for the Jew who is loyal to the customs of Israel and who has undertaken the fulfillment of all religious duties.
The shape and color of the kippah sometimes provide information about the religious, political and also party-political background of its wearer. Many Jews also wear small, round headgear made of fabric or leather outside of worship. Ultra-Orthodox Jews wear a black kippah (and a black hat over the kippah), national religious Zionists usually wear a crocheted kippah, and boys usually wear a shiny cap at their bar mitzvah . There are also “neutral” variants for those Jews who do not clearly belong to these groups.
history
Originally, there was no requirement for men to cover their heads when praying, either in biblical law or in the interpretations of the Talmud . In Talmudic and post-Talmudic times (after 500), Jewish headgear was only common for men on sad and solemn occasions, but always for married women; later for men in prayer and learning in general, with the exception of reform churches .
In ancient Israel, headgear for men was not a religious requirement; it was only common on special occasions; Women wore a veil that covered the head, since bared hair was a hallmark of prostitutes.
Only in the modern age (16th / 17th century) did the wearing of the kippah become widespread among Jewish men. Especially personalities like Florian Isidor and Shmuel Safrai shaped this. The custom is handled differently in different places. The current of Judaism to which the believer belongs also plays a role. Non-Jewish strangers and guests are always advised to simply conform to the custom of the community they are visiting. Instead of the kippah, any other headgear ( cap , hat or even a handkerchief if necessary) can serve the same purpose.
See also
- Pileolus - headgear for Catholic bishops who wear them in everyday life and during church services and funeral services.
literature
- Clauß Peter Sajak : Kippa, chalice, Koran. Interreligious learning with testimonies from the world religions. Random House GmbH publishing group, Kösel Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-466-36852-5 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rabbi Avichai Apel, Rabbi Walter Rothschild: With kippah, always and everywhere? . In: Jüdische Allgemeine . March 26, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ↑ headgear (kippah) . Union of Progressive Jews. February 27, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ↑ The Babylonian Talmud . 1st edition. Jüdischer Verlag, 2002, ISBN 978-3-633-54200-0 , pp. 3687; 3688 .