Howdy,
I haven't the slightest idea where and who got the mistaken idea that
Jewish women wear a head covering as a sign of submission to men?
Jewish men cover their heads -- with a yarmulke (or kippah; alternate
spelling kipa) -- during prayer, eating and studying in recognition that
God is above them. Those who are more observant of tradition (Orthodox,
Ultra-Orthodox, Chabad, etc.) wear their kippah at all times. (Not when
showering, sleeping, etc. Duh!) Covering the head is a custom, not a
commandment.
Orthodox women cover their heads as a sign of modesty (before men) and
as a sign of respect (toward God). Modesty before men, not submission
to men, as a woman's hair is considered tempting and seductive. (This
modesty aspect of covering the head is not expected of men as . . .
well, maybe most men aren't tempting? LOL!) Some liberal women --
especially in the Reform movement -- wear yarmulkes/kippahs instead of
the traditional "shmatteh" or "tichel."
For those who want even more detail (Oy gevalt!), see:
http://www.jewishgates.com/file.asp?File_ID=765
Speaking of head coverings in the Jewish context, the use of the term
"beanie" is inappropriate. A beanie is a small brimless skullcap,
usually worn by schoolboys and college freshmen. During the late 1940s
and 1950s, beanie came to mean those caps with propellers on top.
Considered cute and playful by some, it's really a subtle way to demean
a Jewish tradition rather than respect the serious symbolism of a
yarmulke (or kippah).
Naturally, the world over has seen the Pope wearing a yarmulke . . .
Even spawned a joke, considering the non-observance of most Israelis:
During Israel's early years, the Pope paid a visit to the Galilee
area and was photographed talking with a high Israeli official.
When the photo was published in the Israeli papers, two
friends were talking about the event and the picture in the
paper. "Which one is the Pope?" asked one of the Israelis.
"He's the one with the yarmulke," said the other.
Best wishes all,
j heuman
> That's a different subject all together. Mennonites,
> Bretheren, Amish, Othordox Jews, and other conservative
> Christian sects cover their heads (in various forms from a
> little doily to full head scarves) as a sign of submission to
> their husbands and men in general. I think the Jews do it
> out of tradition as I can't recall off-hand a passage in the
> Old Testament about it. The Christian sects reference a
> passage in the New Testament from the writings of Paul as the
> reason for head covering. References are here:
> http://www.expage.com/page/headcovering >>
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