Hi all!
It's 22:30 on a Saturday night here. Da Boyz are asleep & DW is glued to Wimbledon on the TV so I can hog the computer & munch Shabbat (i,e, the Sabbath) leftovers.
Lessee here...
On My Way, you asked:
For lack of a better term
What's with the beanie type hat that I see on TV
Does it (as I had heard) remind you that there is a higher authority?
and does the shape have anything or signifance?
Well,
http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm#Yarmulke says:
The most commonly known and recognized piece of Jewish garb is actually the one with the least religious significance. The word yarmulke (usually, but not really correctly, pronounced yammica) is Yiddish. According to Leo Rosten's The Joys of Yiddish, it comes from a Tartar word meaning skullcap. According to some Orthodox and Chasidic rabbis I know, it comes from the Aramaic words "yerai malka" (fear of or respect for The King). The Hebrew word for this head covering is kippah (pronounced key-pah).
It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer. This probably derives from the fact that in Eastern cultures, it is a sign of respect to cover the head (the custom in Western cultures is the opposite: it is a sign of respect to remove one's hat). Thus, by covering the head during prayer, one showed respect for G-d. In addition, in ancient Rome, servants were required to cover their heads while free men did not; thus, Jews covered their heads to show that they were servants of G-d. In medieval times, Jews covered their heads as a reminder that G-d is always above them. Whatever the reason given, however, covering the head has always been regarded more as a custom rather than a commandment.
There is no special significance to the yarmulke as a specific type of head covering. Its light weight, compactness and discreteness make it a convenient choice of head gear. I am unaware of any connection between the yarmulke and the similar skullcap worn by the Pope.
There are lots of styles for
kippot (Hebrew, plural). Most modern orthodox Jewish men, especially here in Israel, like myself wear a crocheted/knitted kippah. The color, pattern etc. can be just about anything, from simple geometric designs, to flags, to basketballs (i.e. an orange kippah with black stitching), etc., etc. Ultra-orthodox Jews tend to wear black kippot made from velvet or some other fabric. I usually wear a baseball cap over my kippah since at the ripe old age of 42, I don't have much in the way of hair to clip my kippah to & the slightest of breezes will send my kippah flying. The only times when I take off my kippah is when I'm asleep or in the shower.
I suppose that a kippah could be square or hexagonal or whatever altho' I've never seen one.
Truth-Seeker Joshua, you asked:
First: Where in Israel are you?
Just curious, been to Hafia several times.
We live in Maaleh Adumim (
http://jr.co.il/ma/), Jerusalem's big suburb to the east. These
http://jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma012.htm are photos of our neighborhood. DW & I both commute daily to Jerusalem.
Haifa (
http://www.haifa.muni.il/Cultures/en-US) is a great city. Before Dw & I were married (December 1988, during Hanukkah), she lived there for a year while she worked at one of the libraries at the Technion (
http://www.technion.ac.il/). What took you to Haifa?
Please let me know about your book, I'd love to read it.
Is Saginaw close enough to Detroit to get Detroit TV stations? I ask because my brother (we're originally from Pittsburgh) is the lead meteorologist for the Fox affiliate TV station in Detroit.
Be well & be in touch!
ssv