Personally, I don’t wear a yarmulke at the gym, though many others do. However, if one is worried about suffering a loss because of biases on the part of employers, co-workers or clients, that would be a very excellent question to raise personally with one’s own rabbi.) Also, we now have laws that protect against religious discrimination, so wearing a yarmulke should theoretically be be a non-issue. First of all, that’s not what this responsum addresses, so I hesitate to extend it that far. (What about not wearing a yarmulke to work every day? That’s a much more complicated issue. Of course, this creates the awkward situation of getting the job and showing up on the first day with a yarmulke, so one has to use their best discretion as to when and whether to employ this leniency. Rav Moshe Feinstein addressed this question and concluded that one need not incur a major financial loss, such as not obtaining a job, for the sake of wearing a yarmulke (Iggros Moshe 4:2). So, speaking of the Ashkenazic community, the question arises as to whether one must wear a yarmulke for a job interview if he has a serious concern that it will negatively affect his chances. Many observant Jews of Sephardic descent are only strict about wearing a yarmulke when eating and davening. On the other hand, Sephardic communities did not adopt the practice of wearing a yarmulke to the same extent as Ashkenazic communities. There’s a special yarmulke (“shlof-kapl”), better designed for the task. Many Chasidim, however, even wear a yarmulke when sleeping. Exceptions include such activities as swimming, showering and sleeping. Nowadays, the accepted practice in Ashkenazic communities is for men and boys to wear the yarmulke pretty much all the time. Many modern authorities follow this approach. While many early authorities considered wearing a yarmulke to be an act of piety, the Taz (OC 8:3) ruled it to be wholly obligatory because the non-Jewish practice was to remove headgear as a sign of respect and we are enjoined not to copy other nations’ ways (Leviticus 18:3). It’s actually very powerful when the people accept a practice upon themselves. The Maharashal (also 16th century) wrote that he saw little to indicate that the practice should be considered obligatory except for the fact that it had been accepted by the masses. The Shulchan Aruch (16th century) ruled that one may not walk four cubits bareheaded (OC 2:6). The Rambam (12th century) considered covering the head to be an act of modesty for scholars (Deios 5:6). While originally a “higher standard” of behavior, the practice spread and eventually became codified in halacha. He learned from this that the yarmulke served to suppress his negative natural tendencies. Looking up, he was tempted by the dates and took a bunch, even though the tree did not belong to him. On one occasion, he was studying under a date tree and his hat came off. There, Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak relates how his mother told him always to cover his head, the way that Torah scholars do, so that awe of God would always be upon him. The word “yarmulke” actually comes from the Aramaic “yarei Malka” – to have “reverence for the King.”Īnother reference to covering one’s head is found in tractate Shabbos (156b). One of these is Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehoshua, who would not walk four cubits (about six feet) with his head uncovered as a reminder that God’s Presence is always above us (Kiddushin 31a). There are a number of references to the practice in the Talmud. The practice of wearing a yarmulke (kippah in Hebrew) is an ancient tradition that has its roots as a “middas chasiddus” (an act of piety) before becoming accepted as normative practice for Jewish men and boys. When and why did Jewish boys and men start wearing yarmulkes, and are there any circumstances when a yarmulke need not be worn?

Jamie raskin yarmulke