On 11/4/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Yitzchok Levine</b> <c> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote"></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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From
<a href="http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%204%20Rabinowitz.pdf" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.hakirah.org/Vol%204%20Rabinowitz.pdf</a><br><br>
The Gra disagreed with R. Yosef Karo's ruling [that one must wear a
head covering] and countered that one is <i>never</i> obligated to wear a
head covering, even while participating in a religious event.
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See the URL above for more.<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br>The story is told that once R. Yerucham Gorelick took off his yarmulka and continued to give a shiur in order to make a point.<br><br>I'm not clear on the particular point that he was making; but knowing him I suspect he was - kedarko bakodeh - eshewing "hitzoniyos."
<br><br>That said: We know the Talmud requires NOT changing the "Jewish way" of strapping one's how straps [arkesa demisani]. So it is arguable that if Jews by custom demonstrate their Jewishness by means of a head covering, it would be problematic to NOT cover one's head under duress of a Gentile.
<br><br>Temple Beth Israel [Reform] used to demand that people rmove all head covering inside their sanctuary [at least until 1970's]. The sanctuary was domed and the story goes that the dome was in lieu of a yarmulka. Such Anti-Orthodox legislation is much less common today. I wonder if they would have asked Sikhs etc. to remove THIER head-coverings!
<br><br>During the 1970's, a number of my frum colleagues in Data Processing were given Rabbinical Dispensation to not wear a kippah whilst at work - except perhaps to say a bracha. But, by the 1990's I would posit that since kippot became relatively common, that heter was notquite so necessary, except possibly in small, remote communities.
<br><br>Perhaps the bottom line ought to be:<br><div style="margin-left: 40px;">No one should be forced to wear a yarmulka when the Halachah does not rquire it [e.g. at work],OTOH No one should be forced to NOT wear a Yarmulka
<br></div> <br>Kol Tuv / Best Regards,<br><a href="mailto:RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com">RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com</a><br>Please Visit: <br><a href="http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/">http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/</a>