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Today, I went out and bought a knit yarmulke, something I haven’t worn in well over twenty years. The yarmulke I wore until now was leather and dark blue. The one I bought and wore today is black, somewhat larger and knit.
That being said, which of the following statements do you believe is true?
a. It’s a step upward, since the yarmulke is larger
b. It’s a step downward, since leather is better than knit.
c. It’s a step upward, since it’s black, as opposed to blue
d. It doesn’t matter, since you’ll never see a gadol wearing a knit OR leather yarmulke, so you’re doing wrong either way.
e. It doesn’t matter what the yarmulke is made of, what color it is or if it’s bigger or smaller (provided it meets the minimum halachic size), so it’s neither a step upward or downward.
f. You’re a known kofer, so you’re better off not wearing a yarmulke anyway.
It is understood that the choices are not mutually exclusive, so feel free to select more than one choice if you feel you need to.
The Wolf
It doesn’t matter. Period.
f
(Not because I believe that but because it was offered as a choice.)
I don’t know. Why do you think you are doing it?
It depends why you switched; as Charlie said, there’s no intrinsic difference. As such, you are better equipped to answer the question than any of us are.
E for the above and Excellent choice.
It could have been a strong step upwards if you got one that was not black. By doing so you would be saying, “I recognize the miracles that G-d did for the Jewish nation in 1948 and in 1967.”
Black if the official color of Tefilin which show that you recognize the miracles of the Exodus.
I just wanted a change. I do that with items in my wardrobe from time to time.
There is no major theological shift that caused it.
In that case, I choose: g- It means nothing.
Note that this is different than e. e is that yarmulkes never make a difference. I think they do; I think people use them as a way of identifying themselves. You say you are not, I believe you.
Wearing a Cubs hat may not make you a Cubs fan, but it’s fair to assume a stranger in a Cubs hat is a Cubs fan.
If so, e. (which says the yarmulka, not a yarmulka).
h.
It just shows your not a wolf in cows clothing (leather) anymore 🙂
Just be happy a yid is wearing a yarmulke and stop assigning levels upward or downward to the material from which it is made.
I think it depends on what caused you to change your yarmulka. Some people don’t care whether they’re wearing velvet or those cardboard ones they give out at the kosel. To them they aren’t going up or down.
Children that come from Chareidi families that fall to the side C”V may change their yarmulkas as an expression of their falling. Whether you believe there is a difference in yarmulkes or not, in such a case, the kavanah of the child changes the status of the yarmulka.
Blue is the color of the Mets. Black is the color of the Yankees. So it’s a step down.
When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was going too ask how often you change/wash your yarmulke
42, I thought the same.
I vote e.
Black is the color of the Yankees and Darth Vader.
I vote g. doesn’t matter what color, size material, what matters is it gets worn and put to good use always.
Personally, I go with the knit kippahs today. I get the Large ones and like how they cover my head better. That said, I started with the leather like/leather ones. I bought quite a few and have not worn them in a long time. They were nice, but I have to say they had a slightly greater weight to them and I was conscious that I had some object on my head. I personally like the knit ones because with 2 clips, they never fall off your head. I can not say that the black ones that do not clip on are any better. That is what the yeshiva students do wear and it looks good of course, but that said, they dont clip and I will not be bothered with a kippah falling off my head throughout the day. I can also leave my kippah on when I sleep and I do like the varied assorted types of patterns that suit my feelings or mood of the day. That said, I personally think that for a professional, the knit ones are very nice and it does give the other party something to view as well and perhaps be interested in as you may change them from day to day.
But I like those knit ones alot. I will not suggest that I am going to be aspiring to a yeshivish position in life and I am quite confident that as a Jew who was originally from the reform movement as a child, this is a vast improvement overall in Jewish practice and expression.
If you want to recognize the miracles of 48 (HUH??) then wear a blue UN soldier cap.
If you want to recognize how the medine thumbed its nose at the miracles of 67, wear a dunce cap or clown hat.
Meanwhile, a black knit yarmulke makes NO statement and is easier to wash than velvet or leather. It also breathes better. I had a very big one once but it didn’t stay on even with clips which was too bad. I don’t know what I did with it; I think it was in an old luggage bag that I threw away.
I thought it was going to be about the new type of Yarmulkas that you get for kids. The ones that you can change the leather strip across it with the kids name on it to differnt colors. Anyone saw that?
I switched from leather to knit for the simple reason that the knit yarmulke sits better on my balding pate.
I switched from velvet to knit because knit is more comfortable.
Wolf, when I read choice F it made me wonder why you think that way about yourself. You mentioned similar lines in other threads. You seem to be a very nice and honest fellow, there is no reason to think of yourself as a Kofer. You are always better off wearing a Yarmulka!
Wolf, for some reason I always thought you wore a sheitel.
I know I don’t post here often, but reading your original post, felt you must be unsure in your change, of yourself or how others will view you, if you’re polling others as to how they’d view the change.
YOU have to be happy and comfortable with what you’re wearing, that’s the most important.
“mimimun halachic size” If you are aware of the halcoha, and its shiurim, please post the mareh mokom.. Till then, I must assume that yarmulka is a minhag, and there are no shiurim or sub halochos to a minhag.
Wolf : you said that your new kippah is larger than the previous one. Does this mean that your bald spot is getting larger? If I have to vote, my vote is also for “E”. A kippah is a kippah is a kippah. There are some very nice ones around and some of them even have “messages”. Many years ago when I worked as a nurse, a new, young and very frum doctor got privileges at the hospital I worked at. The first thing I noticed about him was his kippah – which was knit with a “mem” and “dalad” knit right into it. He met a number of people on his first day, but I was the only one who laughed and said “great kippah”. Perhaps you may be able to find one with “wolfish” theme on it.
what was your impetus to change? on a larger scale, why does anyone change they type of yarmulkes? my dad went from smallish leather to larger knit and last year he changed to normal velvet. do guys change to fit in with the crowd?????
E.
yentingyenta – perhaps men change their kippot because they are bored with what they have. Men don’t have many ways to express their fashion sense – except perhaps for their tie and their kippah. Woman, on the other hand, have many different ways of dressing, depending on the time of day,the place, the season, etc. We can also change hair (or sheitl) styles – length and color. We can be peacocks (even though peacocks are actually males and the females are the boring ones without colored fantails) and men, well menswear can be drab.
Whats the big deal? I change my kipah so often, as a matter of fact every night I take of my black velvet yarmulka and put on a knitted white one, then in a matter of 6-7 hours I switch back to the black one. Am I bipolar for doing so?
A, but for a different reason. The size is not the issue. The “larger” knit sets a person apart from the tiny ones, (made by a girlfriend in my teen days).
Not to say the tiny ones are worn by people less frum, but the larger one sets the tone for who you are (or aspire to be)
Known kofer? Nah.
MG- i found it very peculiar just because my father changed from knitted to velvet when i was in seminary. and at the same time his navy suit became DARK navy (more like black)and his black hat got a larger brim. thats why i was asking
“a. It’s a step upward, since the yarmulke is larger” – if that increases your yir’as shamayim, then yes.
“b. It’s a step downward, since leather is better than knit.” – if we were discussing tefillin, that would be correct.
“c. It’s a step upward, since it’s black, as opposed to blue” – the purpose of a yarmulka is to strengthen yir’as shamayim. that being the case, blue may actually be more useful for that purpose, because it’s “similar to the sea, which is similar to the sky, which is similar to sapphire, which is similar to the kisei hakavod.”
“d. It doesn’t matter, since you’ll never see a gadol wearing a knit OR leather yarmulke, so you’re doing wrong either way.” – that’s not true. there are gedolim who wear knitted and leather yarmulkas.
“e. It doesn’t matter what the yarmulke is made of, what color it is or if it’s bigger or smaller (provided it meets the minimum halachic size), so it’s neither a step upward or downward.” – it’s very unclear what the “minimum halachic size” is. i think, if it helps your yir’as shamayim, go for it! if it hinders yir’as shamayim, don’t. and if it makes no difference, why not?
“f. You’re a known kofer, so you’re better off not wearing a yarmulke anyway.” – ummm…………. no comment.
😉
“If you are aware of the halcoha, and its shiurim, please post the mareh mokom.. Till then, I must assume that yarmulka is a minhag, and there are no shiurim or sub halochos to a minhag”
See the very first Teshuva in Igros Moshe.
PAA: For whatever it’s worth, R’ Moshe Shternbuch in T’shuvos V’hanhagos disagrees with this R’ Moshe and explains why you might need Rov HaRosh. On the other hand, I would have no problem whatsoever just saying R’ Moshe wrote a T’shuvah V’su Lo Midi.
No seret for me. Is that foreboding?
If you’re bald the bigger the better
Sam2:
Don’t worry, I wasn’t saying that R’ Moshe is the be all end all. Just that his teshuva is a good place to start. In fact I saw a sefer ??????? ??????? on Kiddushin where he attempts to answer all of R’ Moshe’s objections to R’ Shlomo Kluger.
It’s a step downward because it’s not blue.
WolfishMusings,
How’s the larger knitted black yarmulke been treating you these past two years?
🙂
I wear a magic yarmulke
a BETTER Poll would have been, would you let your daughter’s marry someone with that yarmulka 🙂 You probablly would get different responses.
b- You are what you where. F- ? (Perhaps)
What you where on your here.
Isn’t the ikker that a Jewish man is WEARING a yarmulke, which shows he is Yarei Malka? Except for leather and seude, ALL yarmulkes are knit types (because ALL cloth is woven together threads). I have never understood what the problem was for so many, in seeing a kipah serugah? And btw, my husband and son wear leather or suede ones. Could someone please explain to me in very basic terms upon what the “issur” on crocheted kippot is based? No one has ever answered this question for me with anything except,”It just IS that way…”
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