By Tom Brennan
Almost every photo you see of a scene in Israel features men with a hat of some kind. It is fair to assume that covering the head bears significance for Jews, male and female. How Biblical and how cultural are these traditions?
In the Torah ( Five Books of Moses) the Israelites are commanded in Deut. 22:12 to attach a fringe made made of interwoven blue and white strands to the four corners of their outer garments. They are told to do this to remind them of The Law and to teach it to their children. The other commandment teaches them to bind the Law on their minds (foreheads) and arms. These are the small leather containers with a verse from Torah in them. Called phylacteries, they are bound with leather straps. But head coverings are another matter. Only the priests were designated with head coverings as one of the signs of their office. These turbans, ephods and other set-apart garments separated the priests and Levites from the other Tribes by Divine office. Here enters the tallit “prayer closet” into our view of Jewish prayer and tradition.
Much of our imagery of the dress of the Israelites is based on few resources. Several wall images from Egypt show traders from Canaan. They are bearded and wear colorful tunics. They are leading pack animals and cattle. They are bearded herdsmen, automatically second-class citizens to the smooth-shaven, farm-working Egyptians. Headgear appears in a stele marking the obeisance of a kneeling Jehu before the Assyrian King. He wears a tunic and curved cone-shaped cap. But otherwise because of the precept against any graven image of man or beast (idolatry-prevention), little if any imagery of actual artifacts exist of the dress and headgear of Israel.
The tallit is in itself non-Biblical, whereas the tzizit are. At some point the mantle or shawl became fashionable and the tzitzit were attached to its four corners. Up until then they were attached to the four corners of any garment worn daily. Today the tallit is viewed as one of the very visible symbols of Jewish prayerfulness and some groups wear it all the time under street clothes or coats. Matthew 6:6 recalls that a man ought to enter into his prayer closet (tallit) so as to be alone in the company of The Almighty.
The kippah or yarmulke (Yiddish) is the next most visible outward sign of a Jew’s identity. Here again the only referrals to head coverings for non-priests is in the admonishing to cover one’s head when mourning. Covering the head when praying is also an ancient tradition but how is another issue. The kippah developed as a visible sign of submission to the Highest Authority and membership in the Chosen People. The kippah has developed as a local custom that became almost universal for men. Some reform congregations permit women to wear kippahs but as a rule they are male only. When visiting Israel it is best to have a kippah ready (they fold and keep in pockets very neatly) and show respect for hosts and when visiting sites.
Most Orthodox rabbis in Israel will dress alike, black fedora, coat and white shirt. They wear beards of some type as well. The styles adopted are actually fashion trends, there is no Biblical rule on whether to wear a baseball cap, straw hat, cowboy hat or fedora, it’s mostly a fashion event and follows trends. The beard issue has Biblical roots in the precept not to round the corners of your heads. You will see Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox men and boys with long side locks. This is also an interpretation of the not rounding your heads. Pagan priests were shaven headed. The Almighty specifically demanded that no, absolutely no pagan worship practices be incorporated into His worship. The Ultra Orthodox take this deeply to heart. Women in Biblical times wore veils if unmarried and their hair was considered their covering. Many wore decorations as well. Covering the head was a a sign of submission to The Almighty and not detracting from the attention due to that worship. Paul notes this in one of his epistles. As always with the Bible there is always more than meets the eye or ear. There’s a saying about “wearing many hats” and in Israel that’s just about right.
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