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Everything you always wanted to know about Judaism,
but were too afraid to ask!
New questions and answers will be added to this page
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Have your Halacha questions answered. (Use the link
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Questions about Fashion,
in no particular order.
As
I walk around the suburbs of north London, I
have noticed people wearing kippot of varying
sizes and colours and also on different parts
of their
heads. Is there any particular significance
in any of this or is it merely a
fashion statement?
The custom of male headcovering, while mentioned
in the Talmud, developed in the Middle Ages
as a mark of humility and recognition of G-d’s
presence. There is absolutely no prescription
as to the precise form that this should take
- although some do insist that it cover a minimal
part of the head. What one sees today in terms
of the various types of kippot is about personal
preference but also tends to broadcast which
sub-group one belongs to. The Yeshiva and Hassidic
world will often go for large black velvet or
plain fabric versions; while the knitted, often
more colourful, kippa has become synonymous
with a more Zionist and modern orthodox trend.
In order to keep such relatively trivial matters
in proportion, I always remind myself of the
Talmudic saying, “G-d is chiefly concerned
with the heart” - versus the diameter,
colour, or construction of your headgear! RL
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