Peace Manchester Folk, you wrote:
Can you tell me why Jews must cover their head at all times wit a hat, skullcap, ect, you call a "kiippa"?
First off I would just like it to b known that The modern Kufis worn by Muslims were influenced by the kippot worn by the Jews of Arabia. Mohammod in the Sunnah I believe was also said to never not have a head covering on.
But that is irrelavent to why Jews do it...
The sources for wearing a kippah are found in the Talmud. In tractate
Shabbat 156b it states
Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you. As well, in
tractate Kiddushin 31a it states
Rabbi Huna the son of Rabbi Joshua never walked 4 cubits (2 meters) with his head uncovered. He explained: "Because the Divine Presence (Shekhina) is always over my head."
Since the days of old it was the Jewish custom to keep the head covered at all times. Thus, the skull cap became a familiar part of the Jew's attire.
Generally, Jews take it for granted that the head should be covered when they find themselves in a holy place, such as the synagogue, or engaged in a sacred occupation, such as the study of the Torah, reciting of prayers, partaking of food, and the like. Actually, there is not a time in the Jew's life when he is not in the presence of G-d, nor is there any part of his life which is free from the service of G-d.
Shortly before Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher Rabbi, of sainted memory, passed away, a question was submitted to him by a prominent Jewish gentleman, regarding the significance of keeping the head covered. The Rabbi's answer, later supplemented by his successor, the present Lubavitcher Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, forms the basis of this brief explanation of the practice of covering the head.
The Rabbi of sainted memory prefaces his answer with a reference to the dictum in the Talmud, "Why was the portion of 'Shema' placed before the portion of 'And it shall come to pass, if you will diligently hearken, etc.?' Because one should first accept the yoke of the reign of Heaven and then accept the yoke of the precepts." (Berachoth, 1st Mishnah, ch. 2).
The words of the Mishnah are clear that the Jew's submission to G-d's reign and his acceptance of the precepts must be in a manner and condition of a "yoke," needing fundamentally no intellectual explanation, but only an acknowledgment that that is the decree of G-d's will. To be sure, Jewish scholars, sages and philosophers have written volumes on the meaning and significance of various Mitzvoth. But whatever intellectual reasons may be advanced to explain any particular Mitzvah, they are really immaterial, and by no means do they represent all the real significance of the Mitzvah; for the Mitzvah is essentially a Divine "decree" which is above reason.
In practice we see that those who observe the precepts because they are G-d's commands, decreed by His will - fulfill them faithfully at all times, and in all places; but those who would be guided by "explanation" often fall into error, for the human intellect is limited, while the precepts are given by G-d, whose wisdom is infinite.
It is an established fact in Jewish life and experience that where the Jewish precepts, customs, and traditions have been observed with real submission to G-d's Wisdom and Will, in a spirit of humility and simple faith, these precepts, customs, and traditions have been preserved and perpetuated. But where they were not accepted in this spirit, and became subject to intellectual scrutiny in a reckless search for explanation, and accepted because they appealed to reason or fancy, there the very foundations of Judaism were undermined (e.g., during the religious persecutions at the time of the Crusades the Jews of Germany could not be forcibly converted; they died to sanctify G-d’s name (“
Al Kidush Hashem”).
Covering the head has been strictly observed by all Jews. It is stated in the Talmud that covering the head is associated with Yirath Shomaim (piety). The story is told of a boy who was a kleptomaniac by nature, but by virtue of keeping his head covered always and being extra careful about it, his evil nature did not assert itself. However, when the wind once blew his headgear off, he immediately became the victim of his kleptomania (Talm. B. Sabbath 156b).
One might find many symbolic inferences in the observance of the practice of covering the head, based on the abovementioned statement of our Sages that covering the head is associated with piety.
For example, keeping the head covered shows and reminds us always that there is something "above" our heads, and the like.
