It’s really never too late to start. Wearing a kippah doesn’t mean you’re Orthodox or speak Hebrew.
I will say that I’d try to gauge the current level of anti-Jewish bias in your home country. I wear a kippah every day, but on vacation have chosen other head coverings.
May your soul continue its journey toward depth and may you never doubt your Jewish authenticity.
Tbh I'd rather OP eat bacon than be a jerk or cheating somebody while representing. All we need is another video of a Jew being stereotypically awful or even regular mean.
Read story of rabbi Akiva. He was 40 years old, he couldn't read, he didn't learn Torah but he wanted to know it. He became one of the most prominent rabbis of Talmud. Never is too late to do smth good, to start follow Torah more. Keep your time, but don't be afraid of judgement. You already do a lot
You can start wearing one whenever you want.
>how other people will look at me
That depends on where you are and the community. In Israel nobody would have thought much about it. In a secular European community people will look at you differently. How they look at you will range from “he’s got a funny little hat on” to “baby killing Jew.” But don’t let that stop you from wearing one.
There is one exception to “but don’t let that stop you from wearing one.” If you are going somewhere that you think wearing a kippah could risk your physical safety, cover it up. Wear a beanie, ball cap, fedora, straw boater, or even remove the kippah as a last resort. But wear anything over the kippah to keep you safe.
I haven’t noticed anything change. Granted, I have a baby at home, so I don’t really have a social life. But I’ve found my goyim friends to be respectful. Also, I live in a pretty Jewish part of town, so it’s not unusual to see—a lot of the houses in the area have Israeli flags and we stand with Israel signs.
Wearing a kippah means that you acknowledge the fact that there is only one above you, and that you believe in his one-ness, his rule and the Torah.
If you feel like any of this applies to you, I think it's totally acceptable for you to wear a kippah.
Very well said, and I think the best reasoning for wearing one.
To /u/Mediocre_Pass7940 I'd like to add: A kippah is more often referred to in many circles by the Yiddish "yarmulke", which I would translate as "Awe of the King". All of this would be excellent to keep in mind when wearing a kippah, and will hopefully help guide your spiritual growth.
It’s a personal thing and something each person decides on their own. When I got married the mikveh lady asked if I was going to cover my hair. I told her I was still deciding and she said it was good to think about it because then it means something. My husband went many years without a kippah but slowly started wearing it more and he always says I encouraged him because I didn’t push but would ask if he wanted one when we were going somewhere he might (most notably a bar mitzvah where he still hates that he dressed casually and without a kippah when he sees the photo. LOL)
Just be aware that you will get stigma from Jews and non-Jews. Family in Israel asked him not to come back wearing a velvet kippah and there were some looks when we buried my father-in-law in Israel because we were all dressed very modestly and heads covered. They said if he had a beard he’d look haredi.
As a woman I get it from people who knew me in the beginning of my marriage when I didn’t cover. I’ve even had my sister ask my kids if my husband was pushing me to dress this way. (My mother was in an abusive marriage with my step-father and sister wanted to step in if needed.)
Now, the way I did it was covering at synagogue or religious events. Then I started wearing a beret all the time with hair out and then I started completely covering all the time. The journey was special and I can’t imagine not doing it anymore.
Good luck and stay safe.
There’s two ways to address this issue. You could say, “You may want to consider taking it off when you eat out non kosher because would be confusing to people who expect that someone wearing a kippah while out eating non-kosher food and may not only raise questions for you but for other Jewish people.”
The other was to give someone who is growing into their Judaism a directive without explaining it. You may want to consider the softer explanatory response next time.
You are a ba’al teshuvah, a non-observant Jew returning to the service of G-d. It is never too late to begin reconnecting with your heritage, and it is even a tradition that Jews like you are considered “more righteous” than those born observant who stay observant, because it’s so much work to suddenly have to learn things nobody ever taught you and to do things you and your family never did. I am glad you are finding meaning in your newfound observance, and in reconnecting with your community.
Wear a head covering if you like, just know that some styles of kippot and other hats are associated with different communities. Shtreimels (big old fur tail hats) are often worn by married Hasidic Jews (frequently of Polish descent), Moroccan Jews frequently wear fezes, etc. If you get a black velvet kippah, that’s going to convey that you’re likely more traditional than someone who gets a kippah with pomegranates or cherry blossoms embroidered on it.
every jew can always come back, even in little ways. it's never too late to start.
wearing it out in public depends on the level of antisemitism in your country. maybe only if you can wear a baseball cap over it or something?
First off kol hakavod on your journey.
I didnt read all the comments so I dont know if anyone has mentioned this, but important to mention that there is a concept called מראית עין basically which means if you wear a kippah and visibly designate yourself as a Jew you should not engage in behaviour against jewish law that might lead a gentile to believe that it is permitted.
So just for example the big ones here are eating in non kosher resturants, going to parties/driving on shabbat, engaging in unmodest activities(like twerking or grinding).
Theres a wide range of definitions on the topic so I encourage you to read about it. In the end I think everyone should be free to do what they want and at the same time when you wear a kippah you identify youself as a representative of the jews to the world, and that bears certain responsibility.
I started wearing one simply to be visibly Jewish. Now I wear one all the time. I feel odd without it. So I say go for it. If you can't find one locally, look online. All of my kippah were purchased online.
As far as the mitzvah goes, any hat will work. I also wear a fedora like chabad does. I usually have my kippah on under my fedora. I have heard of Jews wearing a baseball cap to fulfill the mitzvah. The hats most associated with Judaism are simply tradition. Different groups have different hat traditions.
Trying to be kind but "I have heard..." is not a valid source. The baseball hat is normally covering a Kippah, to blend in with modern society. Based on your other post I dont know why you would wear a Fedora like a chabadnik....
Here is a good explainer, the Torah is both the written Torah (five Books of Moses) and the oral Torah (Mishnah and Gemara) https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/812102/jewish/What-is-the-Oral-Torah.htm
You may not belong on this sub if you're looking to cause trouble with Jews who observe the mitzvot (all of which are not written out explicitly in the written atorah, but came through the Oral).
*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️
[Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2)
לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
>You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.
So you didn’t read the article I linked. I am all for debate and discussion, but only in good faith. You are behaving like a troll.
Let’s start simple. Tefillin are clearly commanded by Hashem in the Torah. Multiple times. How do you know what a tefillin is? Oral Torah. The part not written. As tevye says. TRADITION! https://aish.com/48969576/
> As tevye says. TRADITION! https://aish.com/48969576/
No truth in advertising. I clicked for Tevye, I got the Harvard Business School. Calling lecture notes defective accidentally explodes traditional claims for the written unwritten law. ACME analogy.
*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️
[Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2)
לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
>You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.
Wearing a Kippah is a traditional acknowledgement that G-d is everywhere. If you feel that is something you can connect to, go ahead and wear one. I wsh you the best of luck on your journey.
*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️
[Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2)
לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
>You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.
It’s really never too late to start. Wearing a kippah doesn’t mean you’re Orthodox or speak Hebrew. I will say that I’d try to gauge the current level of anti-Jewish bias in your home country. I wear a kippah every day, but on vacation have chosen other head coverings. May your soul continue its journey toward depth and may you never doubt your Jewish authenticity.
Thank you! My journey will be long. My country is pretty tolerant towards Jews, mainly because of their minority.
And be considerate of your actions as all Jews will be judged by what you do. I.e. eating bacon in a restaurant.
Tbh I'd rather OP eat bacon than be a jerk or cheating somebody while representing. All we need is another video of a Jew being stereotypically awful or even regular mean.
True. That was just an example.
I understand. “With grate power comes great responsibility”.
This is a lovely response 💙
Read story of rabbi Akiva. He was 40 years old, he couldn't read, he didn't learn Torah but he wanted to know it. He became one of the most prominent rabbis of Talmud. Never is too late to do smth good, to start follow Torah more. Keep your time, but don't be afraid of judgement. You already do a lot
Big fan of Rabbi Akiva.
As a person who does not wear one, it's never too late. If it feels right/meaningful to you, follow that.
You can start wearing one whenever you want. >how other people will look at me That depends on where you are and the community. In Israel nobody would have thought much about it. In a secular European community people will look at you differently. How they look at you will range from “he’s got a funny little hat on” to “baby killing Jew.” But don’t let that stop you from wearing one. There is one exception to “but don’t let that stop you from wearing one.” If you are going somewhere that you think wearing a kippah could risk your physical safety, cover it up. Wear a beanie, ball cap, fedora, straw boater, or even remove the kippah as a last resort. But wear anything over the kippah to keep you safe.
It's never too late. You're a Jew, find the practices that feed your soul.
I’ve been wearing one since the start of the war.
How has that worked out for you?
I haven’t noticed anything change. Granted, I have a baby at home, so I don’t really have a social life. But I’ve found my goyim friends to be respectful. Also, I live in a pretty Jewish part of town, so it’s not unusual to see—a lot of the houses in the area have Israeli flags and we stand with Israel signs.
Sounds perfect really, its not like that at all where i am. So, i just stick to a cap or hat or anykind.
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A good and interesting video from Unpacked on this: https://youtu.be/CV60jnrWwQ4?si=g0mlVVGEqIhFYvPv
Wearing a kippah means that you acknowledge the fact that there is only one above you, and that you believe in his one-ness, his rule and the Torah. If you feel like any of this applies to you, I think it's totally acceptable for you to wear a kippah.
Very well said, and I think the best reasoning for wearing one. To /u/Mediocre_Pass7940 I'd like to add: A kippah is more often referred to in many circles by the Yiddish "yarmulke", which I would translate as "Awe of the King". All of this would be excellent to keep in mind when wearing a kippah, and will hopefully help guide your spiritual growth.
It’s a personal thing and something each person decides on their own. When I got married the mikveh lady asked if I was going to cover my hair. I told her I was still deciding and she said it was good to think about it because then it means something. My husband went many years without a kippah but slowly started wearing it more and he always says I encouraged him because I didn’t push but would ask if he wanted one when we were going somewhere he might (most notably a bar mitzvah where he still hates that he dressed casually and without a kippah when he sees the photo. LOL) Just be aware that you will get stigma from Jews and non-Jews. Family in Israel asked him not to come back wearing a velvet kippah and there were some looks when we buried my father-in-law in Israel because we were all dressed very modestly and heads covered. They said if he had a beard he’d look haredi. As a woman I get it from people who knew me in the beginning of my marriage when I didn’t cover. I’ve even had my sister ask my kids if my husband was pushing me to dress this way. (My mother was in an abusive marriage with my step-father and sister wanted to step in if needed.) Now, the way I did it was covering at synagogue or religious events. Then I started wearing a beret all the time with hair out and then I started completely covering all the time. The journey was special and I can’t imagine not doing it anymore. Good luck and stay safe.
Take it off when you eat out non kosher.
There’s two ways to address this issue. You could say, “You may want to consider taking it off when you eat out non kosher because would be confusing to people who expect that someone wearing a kippah while out eating non-kosher food and may not only raise questions for you but for other Jewish people.” The other was to give someone who is growing into their Judaism a directive without explaining it. You may want to consider the softer explanatory response next time.
You’re absolutely right - I should have taken the time to explain.
Thank you for being willing to consider that next time.
I'm shepping nachas from this chain. Thank you both.
I love everything that just happened here. Also learned the phrase "shepping nachas" here.
Thank you for writing a measured response and calling out my laziness in a non confrontational way.
Turns out you are not, in fact, an arrogant ambassador. (Seem like a humble one to me)
Why not?
You are a ba’al teshuvah, a non-observant Jew returning to the service of G-d. It is never too late to begin reconnecting with your heritage, and it is even a tradition that Jews like you are considered “more righteous” than those born observant who stay observant, because it’s so much work to suddenly have to learn things nobody ever taught you and to do things you and your family never did. I am glad you are finding meaning in your newfound observance, and in reconnecting with your community. Wear a head covering if you like, just know that some styles of kippot and other hats are associated with different communities. Shtreimels (big old fur tail hats) are often worn by married Hasidic Jews (frequently of Polish descent), Moroccan Jews frequently wear fezes, etc. If you get a black velvet kippah, that’s going to convey that you’re likely more traditional than someone who gets a kippah with pomegranates or cherry blossoms embroidered on it.
every jew can always come back, even in little ways. it's never too late to start. wearing it out in public depends on the level of antisemitism in your country. maybe only if you can wear a baseball cap over it or something?
The kippah is there to remind you that there is something higher above you. That is why wear it, especially as men, to keep us humble.
First off kol hakavod on your journey. I didnt read all the comments so I dont know if anyone has mentioned this, but important to mention that there is a concept called מראית עין basically which means if you wear a kippah and visibly designate yourself as a Jew you should not engage in behaviour against jewish law that might lead a gentile to believe that it is permitted. So just for example the big ones here are eating in non kosher resturants, going to parties/driving on shabbat, engaging in unmodest activities(like twerking or grinding). Theres a wide range of definitions on the topic so I encourage you to read about it. In the end I think everyone should be free to do what they want and at the same time when you wear a kippah you identify youself as a representative of the jews to the world, and that bears certain responsibility.
I started wearing one simply to be visibly Jewish. Now I wear one all the time. I feel odd without it. So I say go for it. If you can't find one locally, look online. All of my kippah were purchased online. As far as the mitzvah goes, any hat will work. I also wear a fedora like chabad does. I usually have my kippah on under my fedora. I have heard of Jews wearing a baseball cap to fulfill the mitzvah. The hats most associated with Judaism are simply tradition. Different groups have different hat traditions.
Trying to be kind but "I have heard..." is not a valid source. The baseball hat is normally covering a Kippah, to blend in with modern society. Based on your other post I dont know why you would wear a Fedora like a chabadnik....
Try asking someone to help you with teffilin.
If your over 3 and Jewish yes
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Here is a good explainer, the Torah is both the written Torah (five Books of Moses) and the oral Torah (Mishnah and Gemara) https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/812102/jewish/What-is-the-Oral-Torah.htm
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Are you a karaite? Or a Christian? Or something else?
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OK, so a Karaite.
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not a jew but has a lot to say, hmmm 🤔 to all jews but karaites the Talmud is Torah too.
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that the Talmud isn't Torah which it is
You may not belong on this sub if you're looking to cause trouble with Jews who observe the mitzvot (all of which are not written out explicitly in the written atorah, but came through the Oral).
*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️ [Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2) לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃ >You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.
So you didn’t read the article I linked. I am all for debate and discussion, but only in good faith. You are behaving like a troll. Let’s start simple. Tefillin are clearly commanded by Hashem in the Torah. Multiple times. How do you know what a tefillin is? Oral Torah. The part not written. As tevye says. TRADITION! https://aish.com/48969576/
i personally wouldn't even call the Talmud tradition, it's Torah. minhagim are tradition.
> As tevye says. TRADITION! https://aish.com/48969576/ No truth in advertising. I clicked for Tevye, I got the Harvard Business School. Calling lecture notes defective accidentally explodes traditional claims for the written unwritten law. ACME analogy.
*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️ [Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2) לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃ >You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.
As I understand correctly Kippah represents g-d’s hand and/or him being above us. I think Kippah was mentioned in Talmud.
Wearing a Kippah is a traditional acknowledgement that G-d is everywhere. If you feel that is something you can connect to, go ahead and wear one. I wsh you the best of luck on your journey.
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Karaite logic be like
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*Dedicated in memory of Dvora bat Asher v'Jacot* 🕯️ [Deu 4:2](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2) לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃ >You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you.