[Avodah] hat and coat

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 12:27:56PM +0200, Eli Turkel wrote:
: However, some rabbonim wore a high type of yarmulka including I believe, RMF
: and R. Lifschitz (please confirm)...

I can confirm that both of them did. R' Dovid would enter the room, and
replace his hat with the yarmulka that was folded in his inside breast
pocket. One smooth motion, head never uncovered.

RDL:
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Rav_Dovid_Lifshitz.jpg
    (picture in YU, in front of whiteboard)
RMF and RYHutner:
    http://www.tog.co.il/Data/Mahamarim/mamarim534_RO.jpg
The Alter of Slabodka:
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Nosson_Zvi_Finkel_.jpg
R' Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld:
    http://www.ohrdaniel.com/uploads/3/6/9/8/369853/8994022.jpg?231x294
R' ZP Frank:
    http://www.ohrdaniel.com/uploads/3/6/9/8/369853/6541865.jpg
R' Meir Simchah haKohein
    http://www.ohrdaniel.com/uploads/3/6/9/8/369853/1630124.jpg
R' Shimon Shkop
    http://jewish.by/images/legacy/grodno.jpg
etc, etc, etc...

But it wasn't a rabbonisher thing. It's what the word "yarmulka" meant
in Litta and Poland. See
http://img.youtube.com/vi/TD8IDGRtHfE/0.jpg
or the fellow on the left in
http://www.geh.org/fm/mismis/m199711060001.jpg
and some pre-war Poilishe bacherim playing chess
http://www.sztetl.org.pl/getfile2.php?class=image&m=&x=1000&y=800&id=15292

Something like a black army "garrison" cap. Unlike the norm in much of
Germany, where a yarmulka wasn't as high, had sides and a flat top. In
any case, in many areas the standard yarmulka was not a skullcap (and
not a kippah, a dome, in shape).

But because of that, I question RET's theory:
:                             Hence, they may have felt this was equivalent
: to a hat.

What they wore they wore as a yarmulka.

What it really shows is that this discussion of whether one needs a
second head covering was a non-issue in those communities. Otherwise,
they would have worn a yarmulka that could fit under a hat.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "As long as the candle is still burning,
micha at aishdas.org        it is still possible to accomplish and to
http://www.aishdas.org   mend."
Fax: (270) 514-1507          - Anonymous shoemaker to R' Yisrael Salanter