Michael Shemesh, the Israeli political correspondent for Kan News Agency, made a Kiddush Hashem on a live broadcast after his Yarmulka blew off in front of the White House while he was giving a report.
The incident took place while Shemesh was delivering a live broadcast about the Deal of the Century. Shemesh was surprised when, in the middle of the live interview, a strong gust of wind picked his Yarmulka up off of his head and flung it a few dozen feet away.
Shemesh immediately put his hand on his head until he finished his report and then ran to pick up his Yarmulka and place it back on his head where it came from.
[DEAL OF THE CENTURY RELEASED: Trump Plan Calls For Palestinian State, Settlement Freeze]
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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21 Responses
Placing your hand over your head when outside doesn’t count as anything.
This is a true kiddush hashem. Keeping the Torah in public. All the other stories that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside not necessarily a kiddush hashem. So congratulations YWN. you finally got one right
Placing a bare hand on a head isn’t considered a covering. He should have used his sleeve to cover his head. That would have a kiddush Hashem.
A yid not acting according to halacha in Public is far closer to chilul haShem, not kiddush. There is a kula when a d’Rabbonan situation is offset by kavod habrios, i.e. embarresment, but here he is presumably being interviewed by a fellow yid.
Goyim respect Jews who respect their Judaism.
I’m not certain if this incident necessarily qualifies as either kiddush or chilul haShem, but the modern-western apologists who prioritise a courtesy over halacha in labelling something a kiddush haShem never fails to appal me, and belittles the gravity of a true kiddush haShem.
I have yet to see a ‘kiddush haShem’ article here that get’s 100% commentor consensus, so I’m sorry to be the negative daas yaachid this time. (On my current screen I would be the 4th commentor.)
Rabbi Hoffman, I humbly suggest/request you to write an article of what truly constitutes Torah-definition of ‘kiddush haShem’ (according to the various genuine opinions), drawing from the many such articles that appear here, and their commentors.
Investing in a bigger Yarmulka is rather inexpensive.
Would have been a kiddush hashemi if he stopped the interview and went to pick up his yarmulke
Kiddush Hashem? Try a mitzvah bein adam lechavero with some moser nefesh and commonly recognizable to others as such, and maybe getting closer….
Shimon and Rebbitzzen: Get a life!!! I’m proud this young reporter was wearing a kipah and made some effort to cover his head, however he did so. Your musar would be better placed by focusing on the PM of EY who regularly finds it necessary to publicly dine at treif restaurants while in NYC which has more high quality kosher restaurants then anywhere outside of EY.
Obviously it’s a kidush Hashem as placing a bare hand on one’s head is enough not to be bgiluy Rosh, it’s only not enough to be moitzi Shem shomayim (see mahadura Basra of Shulchan aruch horav 2:6)
Oy, posters leave the guy alone!
He meant well & did his best.
Stop taking him apart!
Luz Leben!
For the purposes of judging our fellow Jews correctly: According to the Bi’ur HaGra siman ches, after concluding that a head covering is a ‘middah chassidus’ (gasp): “In summary: There is no issur at all of being bareheaded. However, from a mussar perspective it would be correct to cover one’s head when appearing before gedolim or when davening, or at other times of the day for the kedoshim that are constantly standing before Hashem.” This is also the straightforward pshat in Kiddushin re Rav Kahana, I believe.
thank you Long island yid.
the fact that he covered his head showed that his head covering meant s/thing to him and that act alone is s/thing to commend
whether he followed halocha or not, that’s another story
halevai WE would all follow halocha as stringently as we do when looking at others.
so many negative comments for the title of an event____the KID did well, sad, the Chilil Hashem is the negativity……
Joseph
January 28, 2020 8:55 pm at 8:55 pm
Investing in a bigger Yarmulka is rather inexpensive.
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Investing in a smaller “trap” is free!
Shimon Nodel
January 28, 2020 7:00 pm at 7:00 pm
Placing your hand over your head when outside doesn’t count as anything.
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And your bird sized pea brain counts even less
The mindless negative chatter about someone failing to observe others’ view of halacha reminds me of the behavior of the Shariah Police in Iran and Afghanistan (and occasionally in Meah Shearim) who went around slapping women for failure to observe their view of what is tziniusdik.
Gadolhadorah, In Meah Shearim they do not slap, when they see a woman wearing an untzniuzdik dress, they politely demand that the offending dress be immediately removed. When they see that the offending garment was removed, they are satisfied.
We don’t pasken according to that Gra which is well known to be the Gra’s Shita. The Halacha today is that you have to have your head covered at all times. Placing your hand on your head is good enough for having your head covered but is not enough to say Brachos etc.
“In Meah Shearim they do not slap, when they see a woman wearing an untzniuzdik dress, they politely demand that the offending dress be immediately removed”
Rebbitzen: Perhaps search the archives here regarding multiple episodes of verbal attacks, spitting and even physical assaults against against women who were not dressed in accordance with their version of tzinius. If I misstated the neighborhood or city where this type of behavior was documented, I stand corrected. If your position is that the girls/women in these cases “had it coming” because of how they dressed or on a public street or that ANY type of verbal or physical assault was legitimate al pi halacha or civil law, than you have an even bigger issue. Again, these types of behavior are an aberration and have been condemned by most rabbonim and askanim within the chareidi tzibur. They are not “polite” by any rationale definition of the term.
P.S A woman “removing her dress” on a public street because the hem or sleeves is too short would be an even bigger tzinius concern so I doubt this ever happens.
Gadolhadorah – “A woman “removing her dress” on a public street because the hem or sleeves is too short would be an even bigger tzinius concern”
After removing the offending cheftza, the “gavrah” remains in a state of Adam and Chava in Gan Eden kodem ha’chet.
SA83 – “We don’t pasken according to that Gra”, there is also Da’as Yehudis for covering the head by men, (similar to the Daas Yehudis for married women to cover their hair) as stated by the early Acharon: Mahari Brunna, Teshuva 34 (cited in Oz V’Hadar Levusha, Rabbi Falk, 2-H, 4:b); see also Maharshal (Responsa No. 72) .