Why Do Jews Wear Yarmulkes?

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Why Do Jews Wear Yarmulkes?

If you are a kippah-wearing Jew, chances are that you've been asked some version of this question. And unless questions like this leave you tongue-tied, chances are that you've managed to give at least some semblance of an accurate answer. 

There are a number of valid answers that can be given to this question. In this blog post I'd like to share the answer that I usually give, though I am well aware that it may not be the most "mainstream" answer. I'm going to share this answer in its fullest form, but I'll conclude with a one-sentence summary, which is probably the version that you'll most frequently use as an answer if asked this question in real life.

I typically begin with an explanation of the etymology of the word "yarmulke." There are two explanations for the origins this strangely spelled word: one pshat (an accurate explanation of the word itself), and the other drash (a homiletic explanation). The pshat explanation is summed up by this article in Tablet Magazine which states:

Yarmulke’s etymological pedigree is undeniably Polish, in which language the word jarmułka (with the stress, though, on the second syllable) still exists, and which originally referred to a skullcap worn by priests.

The drash explanation is that the "yarmulke" is a compound word derived from the Aramaic expression "yarei malka" (ירא מלכא) which means "fear/awe of the king." According to this "folk etymology," the yarmulke is a reminder to be in a state of fear/awe before "the king." Although this explanation is clearly post-facto (i.e. historically, no Aramaic speaker ever used the word "yarmulke"), I find that it serves as an excellent springboard for answering the question at hand. 

Towards the end of the Moreh ha'Nevuchim (3:52) the Rambam depicts the personal conduct of highly perfected individuals using a mashal (metaphor) of how a person conducts himself in the presence of a king:

Man does not sit, move, and occupy himself when he is alone in his house as he sits, moves, and occupies himself when he is in the presence of a great king; nor does he speak and conduct himself when he is with his family and relatives as he speaks in the king’s council. Therefore, he who chooses to achieve human perfection and to be a true man of God must awaken himself and know that the great king who accompanies him and clings to him is greater than any human being, even [King] David and [King] Solomon. 

Now if one were to pause here and ask: "Who is this king?" most people would answer: "God, of course!" The Rambam, however, provides a different answer:

The king who cleaves to [man] and accompanies him is the intellect that overflows towards us and is the bond between us and Him, may He be exalted. Just as we apprehend Him by means of that light which He caused to overflow toward us – as it is stated: “In Your light do we see light” (Tehilim 36:10) – so does He by means of this selfsame light examine us; and because of it, He, may He be exalted, is constantly with us, examining from on high: “Can anyone hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” (Yirmiyahu 23:24). Understand this well. 

Let that sink in for a moment: the "great king" in the Rambam's mashal, "who accompanies him and clings to him," is not God. Rather, it is the human intellect, which constitutes the sole connection between man and God. [1]

When we plug this understanding back into the original mashal, we emerge with a significantly different vibe than our initial impression might have left us with:

Man does not sit, move, and occupy himself when he is alone in his house as he sits, moves, and occupies himself when he consciously recognizes that he is an intellectual being; nor does he speak and conduct himself when he is with his family and relatives as he speaks when cognizant of the fact that he possesses an intellect, which constitutes his sole connection to God. [2] 

The Rambam then elaborates on the practical implications of this recognition, one of which is the basis of the minhag (halachic custom) to wear a yarmulke at all times:

Know that when perfect men understand this, they achieve deliberateness, humility, awe and fear of Hashem, and shame before Him, may He be exalted – in genuine ways, not based on imagination [3] – such that their secret conduct with their wives and in the bathhouses is like their public conduct with other people. This, as you will find, was the way of our most renowned Sages with their wives: “One uncovers a handbreadth and covers up a handbreadth” (Talmud Bavli: Nedarim 20a-b). They also said: “Who is modest? Whoever goes to the bathroom at night as he does by day” (Talmud Bavli: Berachos 62a). You know already that they forbade “walking about with an upright posture” (Talmud Bavli: Kiddushin 31a) on account of: “The whole earth is filled with His glory” (Yeshayahu 6:3) – all this being intended to firmly establish the notion that I have mentioned to you, that we are always before Him, may He be exalted, and in the dwelling of His shechinah (i.e. providence). And the greatest among the Sages of blessed memory were averse to uncovering their heads, because the shechinah hovers around man. They also spoke little for this reason. We have already given in [the Commentary on] Avos the explanation that was needed concerning the habit of speaking but little: “for God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few” (Koheles 5:1).

In other words, the practice of wearing a yarmulke - or, more accurately, not going about with an uncovered head - serves to reinforce and naturally express the recognition that God knows and relates to man, and that "the whole earth is filled with His glory," and our intellect is the link between ourselves and Him. 

When answering the question at hand, I tend not to delve into the halachic intricacies of wearing yarmulke. However, I do underscore the Rambam's view that wearing a yarmulke is not a halacha, but a minhag (halachic custom) - one that was intended specifically for talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars). The Rambam codifies this minhag in the Mishneh Torah in the section of Hilchos Deos (Laws of Character Traits) which pertain specifically to talmidei chachamim:

5:1 – Just as a chacham (wise man) is distinguished in his wisdom and character traits and is differentiated from the rest of the nation, so too, he needs to be differentiated in his actions: in his eating and drinking, in his sexual intercourse and the manner in which he uses the bathroom, in his speech, in his manner of walking, in his clothing, in the content of his words, and in his business dealings. All of these actions must be refined and perfected to a very high degree. 

5:6 – Talmidei chachamim conduct themselves with great tznius (modesty): they do not degrade themselves, nor do they uncover their heads or their bodies. Even when they go to the bathroom, they are modest etc. [the Rambam then goes on to list various ways in which talmidei chachamim practice modesty in the bathroom.]

The Rambam's codification makes sense in light of the passage in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim. The average Jew maintains his awareness of Hashem via the mitzvos that are incorporated into his day to day routine: krias shema, tefilah, tefillin, mezuzah, tzitzis, berachos, etc. These specific mitzvos serve as reminders of specific ideas about Hashem and His relationship with us, and "were commanded in them in order to love God and remember Him constantly" (Introduction to the Mishneh Torah: Division of Books). Only the elite chachamim, whose lives revolve around Torah and chochmah, are on the level to attain the level of "deliberateness, humility, awe and fear of Hashem, and shame before Him, may He be exalted – in genuine ways, not based on imagination" described by the Rambam. Only such highly perfected individuals need the extra reminder of the yarmulke because only they are in a position to live a life with that degree of awareness of God. 

Nevertheless, the minhag has spread to the average Jew, and although we aren't on the level to truly "fear the king" in this manner, we still benefit from our knowledge that such a level of human perfection is possible, and is the ultimate goal towards which we must strive.

I sometimes conclude by mentioning that the yarmulke happens to be a great symbol of Jewish identity because it reflects Judaism's uniqueness as a religion. Whereas other religions preach that the relationship between man and God is based on faith, Judaism teaches that it is based on the intellect. [4] It is therefore fitting that the Jew adorn his head, which houses his brain - the seat of the intellect - with a symbol of his religious identity.

So, to sum it up succinctly:

Q: Why do Jews wear yarmulkes?

A: To remind ourselves to be "in awe of the king" - that is, to live our lives based on our intellect, which is our only connection to God.

[1] In truth, the Rambam's explanation here is predicated upon the Aristotelian notion of the Active Intellect (seichel ha'poal), its relationship with the material intellect, and the relationship of both to Hashem. Based on my limited knowledge of this debatably outdated doctrine, I don't see any point in bringing it up in the context of the answer to the question at hand.

[2] When writing this blog post I associated to a video clip of James Randi (a.k.a. "The Amazing Randi") in which he explains why he doesn't use drugs. Although Randi's statements reflect a purely secular outlook, I think it's still a great exemplification of the type of intellectual awareness that the Rambam describes. Randi says:

I want to be, if I can, as sure of the world - the real world around me - as is possible. Now, you can only attain that to a certain degree, but I want the greatest degree of control. I don't, I've never involved myself in narcotics of any kind, I don't smoke, I don't drink, because that can easily just fuzz the edges of my rationality, fuzz the edges of my reasoning powers, and I want to be as aware as I possibly can. That means giving up a lot of fantasies that might be comforting in some ways, but I'm willing to give that up in order to live in an actually real world - as close as I can get to it.

[3] The distinction between a person who relates to this idea "in genuine ways" as opposed to ways that are "based on imagination" requires its own blog post. Suffice it to say, an excellent example of ways that are "based on imagination" can be found in the Christmas song, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" mentality of:

He sees you when you're sleepin'

He knows when you're a wake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

This represents a rather childish sentiment that, "I shouldn't do anything bad when Daddy is watching!" and is a far cry from the state of mind described by the Rambam here.

[4] See my blog post Parashas Yisro: The Mitzvah of Emunah for a detailed treatment of this concept.