To Kippah or not to Kippah

[Pioneer]

Keep your candles in a freezer and avoid drafts, very little runoff.
Shalom

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Also the particular candles I use are made for being shabbat candles and are designed to burn with very little run off. Hey it looks like we need to start a Shabbat candle thread.

Shabbat shalom!

Reuel

[A-T_livzinme]

mark said:

I struggled a moment with where to put this post. It may seem obvious that it should go under "Practical Observance"; but the kippah is not a command of . It is a Jewish tradition. There is energy on both the Jewish and gentile side that, of all the identifiers of the Judaic faith, this one should remain Jewish- that gentiles should not wear a kippah.

Yet, the purpose of the kippah is not to identify with the Hebrew ethnicity. It is to identify with the holiness of Adonai. Does this not make this tradition appropriate for ones grafted in to this Jewish faith in the Messiah?

Gal 3:28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one.

As a newbee, having large scales recently fall from my eyes I am so very profoundly compelled to love all I can find to identify with my "fig tree" roots.
I enjoy my new kippah almost as much as looks on my longtime Christian friends when they first see me wear it. (Prideful ... sure, but very fun)
I agree so much with most all of these posts and would only like to add that for those of us that still (and hopefully will continue) fellowship with "Sunday" Christian friends, it has become a wonderful "ice breaker" to share the continuation, if you will, of the Gospel of G'd's love for me and how I am beginning to learn to express it back to him by learning to follow his instructions with a desire to truly be set apart for HIM.
As the verse states in confirming G'd is no respecter of persons, I would pray that something as a kippah would not be a dividing or labeling issue among brothers learning to abide in unity.

Blessings,
Will

[Long777]

admin said:

The Hebrew word "kippah" means "dome" or "covering", and is connected to the root word, "kippur" which means "atonement" also connected to the root "kawfar" meaning to cover, forgive, or be merciful. When I wear a "kippah" on my head it reminds me that I am covered by the blood of Mashiach and to have respect for Avinu Melchenu b'hashamayim (our Father and our King in Heaven).

I like this explanation.
I too wear a headcovering most all of the time. Mine is also the "kufi" style that covers the whole head. I happen to by mine from an islamic site as they are very cheap($4 or so).
When asked about mine and why I wear one my usual reply is simply, that I am a bondservant and as a bondservant, I am one that is under authority. This is my ever constant reminder of that authority. This is a physical sign of my servitude.
I believe we are to be set apart, mainly in our actions and deeds but also in the way we appear to the world around us. With a headcovering and tzitzit, you are definitely that.

Shalom and Simcha

Jeremy

[bryce]

Many good things have been said about head coverings so far. I'd like to add that Israel is to be a nation of kings and priests and priests were commanded to wear head coverings. I'd also like to add that we are part of the Bride of Messiah and it is proper for a bride to have her head covered.

The more I look into it the clearer it becomes to me. I've wore a knitted kippah for about as long as I've had the conviction that I am to obey the - all of it. My reasons are many:

1. though I am not a priest, we are to be a royal priesthood;
2. I am part of His Bride;
3. it is improper to have your head uncovered before Hashem; and
4. it looks really silly and hurts your testimony if a Jew sees you wearing tefillin or tzitzit without a kippah on.

This list isn't exhaustive, but I think it makes my point.

[yeshuafreak]

Hi Blake,

You bring up a very good point... as long as you're reading the text in English. In Greek the word used in 1st Corinthians 11:6 is kata-kaloopto, speeaking specifically of the woman's head garment that hangs down the side or over her face (i.e. the veil) so it doesn't specifically apply to the kippah. However, 1st Corinthians 11:3 may just as easily suggest that the kippah is valid- a different garment but equally demonstrating submission to authority.

It is somewhat inconsistent to assume otherwise since the High Priest was not to approach God without a covering on his head (Leviticus 21:10).

however, one can deduce from this text that a woman has to wear a veil. yet, this is not so. we know thisbecause paul ended the discussion saying "if anyone wants to disagree, dont. we have no set custom on this subject within the ekklesia of God." So, his advice was not really to anyone in particular. his answer to the corinthians is "there is no such custom," but he added his personal halakhic decision with it.

[Loxody]

The meaning behind the kippah is that we are to be set apart priests for HaShem and the kippah is a reminder to us that HaShem is above us.

I normally wear a kippah only on Shabbat and during prayer but I wear a baseball cap during the rest of the week.
The point is having my head covered for the purpose of remembering that I am set apart for HaShem.