Insights Into Halachah The Sources and Reasons for the Jewish Head Covering

As I mentioned last week, my dear son, Yosef Shalom, recently celebrated his third birthday. In honor of this special milestone, he began wearing a yarmulka and tzitzis. Last week we explored the mitzvah of tzitzis at length; this week, I would like to begin examining the fascinating sugya of head coverings for males.

This is a broad and multi-faceted topic, and it will likely require several instalments to do it justice. Among the questions we will address are: What are the sources and reasons for the Jewish practice of covering one’s head? Is wearing a yarmulka a strict halachic obligation or a middas chasidus? How large should a yarmulka be? And at what age should a child begin covering his head?

In this week’s write-up, we will focus primarily on the sources and underlying reasons for this longstanding Jewish practice.

Introduction: “Oter Yisrael B'Sifarah”

The blessing of "Oter Yisrael B'Sifarah" (“Who crowns Yisrael with glory”), recited each morning among the Birchos HaShachar, is closely associated with the practice of covering one’s head, as emerges from the Gemara in Berachos (60b).

Interestingly, this blessing, together with the preceding blessing of "Ozer Yisrael B'Gevurah,” are the only blessings in this section that specifically mention the name Yisrael.

This is surely not coincidental.

Both the belt and the head covering possess a uniquely Jewish significance. For a non-Jew, a belt serves a purely practical purpose, keeping one’s garments in place. For a Jew, however, it carries spiritual meaning, creating a separation between the heart and the area of ervah, thereby expressing a heightened moral awareness rooted in one’s relationship with Hashem.

Similarly, while the nations of the world generally cover their heads for protection from the elements, the Jewish head covering conveys a far deeper message. It serves as a constant expression of yiras Shamayim, reminding a person that he lives beneath the sovereignty and watchful eye of the Ribbono Shel Olam.

This concept is reflected in the Gemara (Zevachim 88b; Arachin 16a), which teaches that the mitznefes worn by the Kohen Gadol atoned for arrogance:

“Let that which is elevated come and atone for that which is elevated.”

Perhaps the underlying idea is as follows. The head is the highest part of the human body and the seat of the intellect. Through the intellect, man possesses understanding, speech, compassion, and all the faculties that distinguish him from lesser forms of life. More importantly, it is through the intellect that man recognises his Creator, acknowledges His providence, and understands his obligation to fear Him, love Him, and fulfil His commandments.

This is the meaning of David HaMelech’s declaration:

“Shivisi Hashem l'negdi tamid” – “I have placed Hashem before me always.”

A constant awareness of Hashem naturally engenders humility, reverence, and submission. By covering our heads, we proclaim that there is a Higher Authority above us before Whom we stand with humility and awe.

A Symbol of Humility and Honor: The Jewish Perspective

The Medrash (Vayikra Rabbah 27:6) presents a striking parable.

A king dispatched a royal decree to one of his provinces. Upon receiving it, the inhabitants stood in honor and uncovered their heads, for among the nations uncovering one’s head was considered a sign of respect and submission. They then read the decree with awe, reverence, trembling, and fear.

The Medrash continues that Hashem declared to Klal Yisrael:

“Krias Shema is My royal decree.”

Yet despite the fact that Krias Shema contains our acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, Hashem did not require us to stand while reciting it, nor to uncover our heads. Rather, it may be recited “when you sit in your house and when you walk along the way.”

This Medrash highlights a fundamental distinction between the Jewish conception of honor and that of the surrounding nations.

In many cultures, respect is demonstrated by removing one’s hat or otherwise uncovering the head. Indeed, even today it remains customary in certain settings to remove one’s head covering when entering a place of worship or standing before a dignitary.

Judaism embraces the opposite symbolism.

A Jew covers his head not only in the Beis HaKnesses or during tefillah, but throughout his daily life, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” The Shechinah is not confined to any particular location; it accompanies a person wherever he goes.

Accordingly, when a Jew dons a yarmulka, hat, or other head covering, he does so not as an expression of inferiority, but as a declaration of dignity and spiritual awareness. His head covering constantly reminds him that the Shechinah rests above him and that he belongs to a people chosen to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

It embodies the timeless teaching of Chazal:

“Know what is above you: an Eye that sees, an Ear that hears, and all your deeds are recorded.”

Through this awareness, a person is inspired to elevate himself and bring honor to the Name of Heaven.

Sources in Chazal for Covering the Head

A number of passages throughout Chazal discuss the practice of covering one’s head. As we shall see, however, many of these sources establish the virtue and importance of the practice without necessarily proving that it constitutes an outright halachic obligation.

First Source: Rav Huna and Awareness of the Shechinah

The Gemara (Kiddushin 31a) teaches:

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is forbidden for a person to walk four amos with an upright posture, as the pasuk states: “The whole earth is filled with His glory.” Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehoshua would not walk four amos with his head uncovered, he would say: “The Shechinah is above my head.”

At first glance, this Gemara appears to support the practice of constant head covering. Nevertheless, it is difficult to derive from Rav Huna’s personal conduct that there exists a formal prohibition against walking bareheaded. The simple reading of the Gemara suggests that this was an expression of exceptional piety and a heightened awareness of the Shechinah’s presence.

Second Source: A Source of Special Merit

Similarly, the Gemara (Shabbos 118b) records Rav Huna bar Rav Yehoshua declaring:

“May I receive reward, for I never walked four amos with my head uncovered.”

The fact that Rav Huna regarded this behavior as a source of special merit indicates that he viewed it as conduct beyond the strict letter of the law. Had uncovering one’s head constituted an outright prohibition, it would be difficult to understand why he presented his conduct as a personal achievement deserving special reward.

Third Source: Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak

The Gemara (Shabbos 156b) relates that astrologers predicted to the mother of Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak that her son possessed a natural inclination toward theft. Concerned by this prediction, she was meticulous that he kept his head covered. She repeatedly instructed him:

“Cover your head, so that the fear of Heaven should be upon you, and pray for mercy.”

The Gemara relates that Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak did not initially understand why his mother was so particular. One day, while learning beneath a palm tree, his head covering fell off. As soon as he looked up at the dates hanging above him, he was seized by a sudden desire to take them. At that moment, he understood the wisdom of his mother's insistence.

Rashi explains that the purpose of the head covering was to serve as a constant reminder of yiras Shamayim, thereby protecting him from the influence of the yetzer hara.

Fourth Source: Rav Hamnuna’s Head Covering

The Gemara (Kiddushin 29b) relates that Rav Chisda once praised Rav Hamnuna before Rav Huna, describing him as an outstanding individual. Rav Huna responded that he wished to meet him.

When Rav Hamnuna eventually appeared before him, Rav Huna noticed that he was not wearing a head covering. Surprised, he asked him why. Rav Hamnuna replied that he had not yet married. Rav Huna then turned his face away and declared that he did not wish to see him again until he married.

At first glance, this Gemara suggests that unmarried men may not have customarily covered their heads. Others, however, explain that even unmarried men generally covered their heads; married men merely wore an additional and more distinguished head covering, which served as a sign of dignity and status.

Fifth Source: Respect for Talmidei Chachamim

The Gemara (Kiddushin 33a) records that a man once passed before Ravina with his head uncovered. Ravina exclaimed:

“How audacious is this individual!”

Rav Yirmiyah responded that perhaps the man came from Mechoza, where talmidei chachamim were so common that people interacted with them in a more familiar manner.

The implication of the Gemara is that appearing before a talmid chacham with one’s head uncovered was regarded as disrespectful. Nevertheless, this source likewise falls short of proving that one may never walk bareheaded under ordinary circumstances.

Sixth Source: The Narrative in Kallah Rabbasi

Maseches Kallah Rabbasi (Perek 2) recounts:

A group of sages once observed two young boys passing before them. One child walked with his head covered, while the other walked bareheaded. Upon seeing the latter, the sages offered severe assessments regarding his lineage. R’ Eliezer said that he was a mamzer; R’ Yehoshua said that he was the son of a niddah; and R’ Akiva said that he was both.

The Kallah Rabbasi concludes:

“From here we learn that uncovering one’s head is a sign of brazenness.”

This source is noteworthy because it does not merely associate head covering with piety or elevated conduct. Rather, it portrays an uncovered head as an expression of azus, a lack of the humility and restraint expected of a Torah Jew.

Although one may still question whether this establishes a formal obligation, it clearly demonstrates that Chazal regarded head covering as an important reflection of a person's character and spiritual bearing.

Seventh Source: The Medrash on Krias Shema

Another relevant source appears in Vayikra Rabbah (27).

The Medrash compares Krias Shema to a royal decree sent by a king to his subjects. When such a decree arrived, the inhabitants of the kingdom would stand, uncover their heads, and read it with fear, awe, trembling, and reverence.

Hashem, however, said to Klal Yisrael:

“My children, recite Krias Shema, yet I have not burdened you to read it while standing or with your heads uncovered.”

The simple implication of the Medrash is that there is no requirement to uncover one’s head while reciting Krias Shema. If so, there certainly does not appear to be any intrinsic prohibition against walking bareheaded.

The Reasons for Covering One’s Head

Now that we have seen the primary sources in Chazal for covering the head, we may now turn to the underlying reasons for the practice of head covering.

At least eight distinct explanations are offered by the poskim and ba'alei machshavah:

1. As an expression of humility before Hashem.

2. As a means of fostering yiras Shamayim.

3. As an expression of honor for Heaven.

4. As a manifestation of modesty.

5. To avoid imitating gentile customs.

6. Because of considerations of mar'is ayin.

7. Because one may not deviate from established Jewish practice.

8. Under the broader category of matters that are technically permitted but which Klal Yisrael has accepted upon itself as prohibited.

First Reason: Head Covering as a Sign of Humility and Submission

Several Rishonim connect the requirement of covering the head with the prohibition against walking with an erect and haughty posture, since both matters express humility before the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Rabbeinu Yonah writes in Shaarei Teshuvah:

From the moment a person rises and walks upon the earth, he should bend his stature and lower his head, for the Shechinah is above his head. Therefore, it is proper that he cover his head and not walk with it uncovered.

Similarly, the Sefer HaManhig (ois 49) writes:

One should cover his head, not only during tefillah but throughout the entire day, as we say that it is forbidden to walk with an erect posture and with one’s head uncovered.

The Gemara in Zevachim 88b teaches that the Kohen Gadol’s mitznefes atones for arrogance. The Gemara asks how we know this? The Gemara answers: Let that which is worn in a lofty place atone for loftiness.

The Maharsha explains that covering the head brings a person to fear of Heaven, as we find in Shabbos 156b where the mother of Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak was particularly careful that her son kept his head covered.

The Tzitz Eliezer (vol. 12, siman 13) further explains this based upon the Gemara in Kiddushin 33a. Ravina exclaimed regarding the man who passed before him bareheaded, “How insolent is this man!” This demonstrates clearly that walking with an uncovered head was viewed as a sign of arrogance, whereas covering the head serves as a corrective and indicates that one restrains himself from haughtiness.

This concept is likewise evident from the passage in Kallah Rabbasi cited above. The child whose head was uncovered was regarded as displaying brazen behavior and in the end, they discovered that he was actually a mamzer and son of a niddah. We see clearly that walking with an uncovered head was seen as an indication of audacity and disrespect.

We therefore learn that walking bareheaded expresses arrogance, while head covering promotes humility and submission. This explains why Chazal taught that the mitznefes atones for arrogance, for the mitznefes worn upon the head symbolizes submission before Hashem.

Support for this understanding is found in the Chasam Sofer (Shu”t, vol. 6, Likkutim, siman 2), who writes that the primary purpose of covering the head is to demonstrate submission. He cites the pasuk in Yeshayah (7:3), “El mesilas sadeh choveis” and Rashi’s explanation that Achaz submitted himself before Yeshayah by placing upon his head the vessel used by launderers. Evidently, placing an object upon one’s head is an expression of humility and submission.

The Chiddushei Maharia"ah (Nedorim 30b) quotes his father-in-law, Rabbi Naftali Schreiber, Av Beis Din of Kleinwardein who offers a wonderful homiletic interpretation of the pasuk: והסיר את מראתו בנוצתה – “And he shall remove its crop together with its feathers” (Vayikra 1:16).

He explains that the way of the irreligious who walked bareheaded was that when cold weather forced them to cover their heads, they feared that doing so might lead them toward fear of Heaven. Therefore, they would place a feather in their hat as an ornament to demonstrate that they were wearing the hat not out of reverence for Heaven but merely for vanity and decoration. The pasuk therefore can be interpreted to mean: “And he shall remove its fear” (mora'aso) together with “its feather” (benotzasah), the way to avoid bringing one to fear of Heaven when covering the head, is by displaying a decorative feather attached to the hat.

Second Reason: Fear of Heaven

The Gemara in Shabbos 156b relates:

The astrologers told the mother of Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak that her son would become a thief. She never allowed him to go with his head uncovered. She told him, “Cover your head so that the fear of Heaven will be upon you.”

The Beis Yosef (Orach Chaim 46) writes that the reason for the berachah of “Oter Yisrael B'Sifarah” is because it is forbidden to walk with one’s head uncovered, as implied in Shabbos 118b. Even according to those who hold that there is no actual prohibition, they nevertheless concede that it is an act of piety not to walk bareheaded. Since the Jewish people are commanded in this practice so that fear of Heaven should rest upon them, we recite the berachah: “Who crowns Yisrael with glory.” The term “crowns” (oter) was specifically chosen to indicate that this practice elevates and ennobles a person, as the pasuk states: “You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of Hashem” (Yeshayah 62:3).

The Shaar Bas Rabim (Parshas Beshalach) cites the Kol Omer Kara, who explains that removing one’s hat is akin to casting off the yoke of Shomayim. This also explains the uncovering of the sotah's head, which symbolized that she had cast off the bonds of her covenant with her husband.

The Third Reason: Honour of Heaven

The Rema (Orach Chaim 2:6), commenting on the Shulchan Aruch's ruling that one should not walk four amos with an uncovered head, writes that the reason is: “Mipnei kevod haShechinah” – “Out of honor for the Shechinah.”

According to this approach, head covering is not primarily an expression of humility or even fear of Heaven. Rather, it is a matter of kavod Shamayim.

A similar idea is found in the Yerushalmi (Berachos 7:5). The Yerushalmi teaches that before reciting a berachah a person should elevate himself from his previous state. If he was walking, he should stop; if standing, he should sit; if sitting, he should recline; and if reclining, he should wrap himself before reciting the berachah.

The Yerushalmi concludes: “If he does so, he resembles the ministering angels.”

The supporting pasuk is: “Bishtayim yechaseh fanav u'vishtayim yechaseh raglav” – “With two wings he covers his face, and with two he covers his feet” (Yeshayah 6:2).

The Pnei Moshe explains that just as the angels cover themselves out of reverence for Hashem’s glory, so too man envelops himself as an expression of honor towards the Shechinah.

According to this understanding, a head covering functions much like dignified attire worn in the presence of royalty. A Jew covers his head because he constantly stands before the King of Kings. It is therefore not merely an expression of inner humility, but an outward display of reverence and respect for the honor of the Shechinah.

Fourth Reason: Modesty

A fourth explanation emerges from the words of the Rambam.

The Rambam (Hilchos De'os 5:6) writes: “Talmiday Chachamim conduct themselves with exceptional modesty. They do not expose their heads or their bodies even when they enter the restroom.”

The Malbim, in Artzos HaChaim (siman 8), notes that the Rambam groups exposure of the head together with exposure of other normally covered parts of the body. This suggests that both arise from the same underlying principle of tzniyus.

Similarly, the Afarkasta D'Anya (vol. 4, siman 362) observes that just as exposing the body is inappropriate for both Talmiday Chachamim and ordinary Jews alike, so too the requirement of covering one’s head stems from a universal principle of modesty rather than a standard applicable only to exceptional individuals.

A further indication of this approach appears in the Taz (O.C. 46:2). Explaining why the berachos “Ozer Yisrael B'Gevurah” and “Oter Yisrael B'Sifarah” uniquely mention the name “Yisrael”, he writes that unlike other berachos, these two are rooted in specifically Jewish values of modesty. The belt separates the heart from the area of ervah, while the head covering reflects the modesty and reverence expressed in Chazal's instruction, “Cover your head so that the fear of your Master shall be upon you.”

According to this approach, covering one’s head is not merely a symbol of honor or fear of Heaven, but an expression of the broader Jewish value of tzniyus itself.

Fifth Reason: Chukos HaGoyim

The Taz (O.C. 8:3) introduces a particularly compelling argument, suggesting that in later generations head covering acquired an additional dimension.

He writes that since it became the established custom among the gentile population to remove one’s head covering as a matter of course, walking bareheaded may fall under the prohibition of "U'Vechukoseihem Lo Seileichu" – “You shall not follow their practices.”

This concern is especially significant because, unlike many cultural practices, head covering also possesses a clear Jewish rationale: it fosters yiras Shamayim and humility. Once a practice became associated with distinctive non-Jewish behavior, the prohibition of imitating gentile customs provided an additional basis for insisting upon head covering.

The Taz therefore argues that even if earlier sources could be interpreted as describing a middas chassidus, the situation may have changed once uncovering the head became identified with non-Jewish culture.

This Taz is very important, and we will bezras Hashem return to it when we discuss whether head covering remains merely a pious practice, or whether changing social realities transformed it into a full normative obligation.

Sixth Reason: Mar’is Ayin and Public Identity

Apart from the considerations discussed so far, there is a powerful contemporary argument rooted in mar’is ayin and public perception.

In many communities, the kippah has become one of the most visible symbols of Torah observance. It serves not only as a personal reminder of yiras Shamayim, but also as a public declaration of commitment to Torah and mitzvos.

Conversely, among those who have distanced themselves from Torah observance, walking bareheaded often functions as a statement of identity. As a result, one who walks without a head covering may inadvertently create the impression that he has cast off the yoke of Torah.

This concern falls within the broader principle: “Vihyisem nekiyim meiHashem umiYisrael” - “You shall be innocent before Hashem and before Yisrael.”

According to this approach, the kippah is no longer merely a private expression of piety. It has become a visible symbol of Jewish commitment and a source of kiddush Hashem. By wearing a head covering, a person publicly identifies himself as part of the Torah community and demonstrates pride in that identity.

There is also a practical benefit. One who visibly identifies as a Torah Jew naturally becomes more conscious of his conduct, recognizing that his actions reflect not only upon himself but also upon the Torah he represents. In this sense, the kippah serves simultaneously as a personal reminder and a public responsibility.

(What really highlights this point, is a common scene that occurs in Eretz Yisrael. If a religious Jew doesn’t act the way he should be acting, irreligious Jew’s may often be found nearby shouting at him saying “yorid es hakippah” – “remove your kippah”. Although, such scenes shouldn’t be happening we see from here how wearing a kippah demonstrates that one is a religious Jew.)

Seventh Reason: One May Not Abandon an Established Jewish Practice

The Afarkasta D’Anya (vol. 4, siman 362) advances another important consideration.

Even if one were to assume that head covering originated merely as a pious custom, there remains a compelling reason to preserve it: the gravity of abandoning an established Jewish practice.

Chazal teach: “Minhag Avoseinu Torah Hi” - “The customs of our forefathers are themselves Torah.” Once a practice has been embraced and faithfully observed by generations of Torah-observant Jews, it acquires significant halachic weight.

This is especially true of customs that strengthen yiras Shamayim and preserve Jewish identity. Our customs are not merely cultural habits; they serve as protective fences safeguarding the integrity of Torah life. Consequently, even if head covering originated as a voluntary practice, its universal acceptance within Torah communities constitutes a powerful argument against abandoning it.

Eighth Reason: Accepted Practices Become Binding

A final consideration is based upon the principle stated by the Gemara in Pesachim (50b):

“With regard to practices that are technically permitted but have been accepted by a community as prohibited, one may not permit them.”

~ 13 ~

Applied to head covering, this principle suggests that once Torah-observant Jews universally accepted the practice, it ceased to be merely optional. Rather, it entered the category of a permitted practice that became binding through communal acceptance.

The Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 214:1) codifies this principle, and the poskim debate its precise nature. The Zera Emes understands it as possessing Biblical force, whereas the Rosh and Ran classify it as Rabbinic. Regardless of its precise source, all agree that accepted communal practice carries substantial halachic significance.

Along similar lines, the Divrei Yatziv (O.C. 60) cites his grandfather, the Yitav Panim, who strongly objected to the emerging custom of wearing exceedingly small head coverings that rested precariously upon the edge of the head and could easily be dislodged by a light breeze. In his view, such practices undermined the reverence, dignity, and modesty that traditional head covering was intended to convey.

He further notes that throughout the generations it was accepted practice not to enter a Beis HaMedrash, and certainly not to receive an aliyah, without a proper hat covering the head in a manner befitting one who stands before the King of Kings. Customs that reflect yiras Shamayim and reverence for holy places cannot be treated lightly or casually discarded.

Summary

We saw many sources in Chazal which discuss head coverings, however, we saw that it was difficult to prove from any of these sources that there is a halachic obligation.

We also saw eight distinct reasons for covering one’s head:

1. As an expression of humility and submission before Hashem.

2. To cultivate yiras Shamayim.

3. As an act of honor toward the Shechinah.

4. As an expression of tzniyus.

5. To avoid chukos haGoyim.

6. Because of concerns of mar’is ayin and public identity.

7. Because established Jewish practice should not be abandoned.

8. Because communal acceptance can transform a voluntary practice into a binding obligation.