2022/5782

Is there a difference between walking more than four Amot and walking less than four Amot? What size does one’s Kippah have to be?

Rav Shlomo Kluger

Rav Shlomo Kluger (18th and 19th century) holds that the level of the obligation of wearing a Kippah depends on the situation you’re in: how far you’re walking. If you are walking less than four Amot (around 6 feet), you can wear a small Kippah [1] but nothing less; if you are walking more than four Amot, you must wear a big Kippah. However, no matter the distance, completely bareheaded is always Assur.

Source for the Issur to go Bareheaded

In the Gemaras which discuss Kippah there is no distinction between a small Kippah and big Kippah [2]. Also, the fact that completely bareheaded is Assur is not mentioned either. 

Rav Kluger recognizes this issue and reinterprets the Gemaras quoted above. The Gemara [3] says, “Rav Huna the son of Yehoshua did not walk four Amot with his head uncovered,” which seemingly implies that when walking less than four Amot, it would be allowed to go bare-headed. However, when it says, “he did not walk four Amot with his head uncovered,” this really means, “he didn't walk four Amot with his head partially uncovered (small Kippah), but rather he covered his whole head (big Kippah),” because if he had no Kippah at all, that would be completely Assur [4]. 

Rav Moshe Feinstein finds Rav Kluger’s interpretations of the Gemaras forced and incorrect. He tries to explain Rav Kluger’s opinion in a way that fits better with the Gemaras: Rav Kluger must agree that based on the Gemaras, wearing a Kippah is just a Middat Chassidut. Only because of the Taz (who introduces the Issur of Chukat Akum) does Rav Kluger say that going bareheaded is Assur. Therefore, as long as you wear a small Kippah, it works since it differentiates you from the non-Jews [5]. 

Is a small Kippah Assur when walking more than four Amot?

While Rav Kluger holds that wearing only a small Kippah is Assur when walking more than four Amot, Rav Moshe Feinstein disagrees. As a proof, Rav Moshe quotes the Halacha that someone else's hand works as a Kippah. Just like the hand works even though it doesn’t cover your whole head, so too, a regular Kippah works even if it doesn’t cover your whole head. 

A possible explanation for Rav Klugers opinion is the Halacha of Rubo KeKuLo. If the small Kippah leaves the majority of your head uncovered it is like your whole head is uncovered, and therefore it would be Assur. But, if it covers the majority of your head, it is like your whole head is covered and would be fine. Rav Kluger must be talking about when the Kippah leaves the majority of your head uncovered, when he says a small Kippah is Assur.

Rav Ovadia Yosef disagrees with Rav Kluger, just like Rav Moshe, and holds that a small Kippah is allowed even when walking more than four Amot. However, this is only if the Kippah can be seen from all sides [6]. Rav Ovadia quotes a practical question that was posed to Teshuvat Simchat Kohen (2:3) regarding this issue: “If there are those who wear a small Kippah only in the back of their head, should you not give them an aliyah until they wear a larger head-covering?” The Simchat Kohen responded that the Gabai should not refrain from giving him Aliyot. Even if they move their Kippah forward a little, then more of the back will be uncovered. Therefore, you should try to get them to wear a bigger Kippah, but if they do not, you should still give them Aliyot; if you don’t they might stop coming to shul. 

The Magein Avraham and the Taz

The Magein Avraham seems to say contradicting things in the case of walking more than four Amot. In one place he says wearing a Kippah is just a Middat Chassidut, and in another place he implies it would be Assur to go without a Kippah. 

Rav Moshe Feinstein tries to resolve this contradiction. Really, the Magein Avraham holds that a Kippah, when walking more than four Amot, is just a Middat Chassidut. However, because all of Bnei Yisrael have taken on this Minhag, even the simple Jews, everyone should wear it. Nevertheless, in the case of walking less than four Amot, only Talmidei Chachamim and people who try to take on Minhagei Chassidut must make sure to wear a Kippah.

This view runs counter to the Taz who holds that walking even less than four Amot is Assur without a Kippah. According to him, even when just sitting you are obligated to wear a Kippah because of Chukat Akum. Rav Moshe Feinstein suggests that maybe the Magein Avraham agrees that the Issur of Chukat Akum applies to Kippah but only in the case of sitting or only in the case of Teffilah since that’s when the non-Jews have the custom to remove their hats. However, in the case of just walking, they don’t have the Minhag to go bareheaded, and therefore it wouldn’t be an obligation to wear a Kippah when walking less than four Amot; it would just be a Middat Chassidut. Rav Moshe concludes that he follows the Taz: because of Chukat Akum, it is an obligation to wear a Kippah when walking whether more or less than four Amot, and even when just sitting.

Conclusion 

So why do you wear a Kippah? Why is it such an important thing? There are seemingly a couple different reasons. Nowadays, there are potentially two Issurim you can violate by removing your Kippah. First, is Chukat Akum, introduced by the Taz, and the second is Marit Ayin, introduced by Rav Ovadia. According to both Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Ovadia Yosef, because of these Issurim, whether you are walking more or less than four Amot, you are obligated to wear a Kippah and the Kippah must be able to be seen from all sides. 

When going back to the times of the Gemara, even if wearing a Kippah was not an obligation, but rather just a Middat Chassidut, these Halachot still seem to fit very well. What better way to fear Hashem and constantly be conscious of His presence, than to wear a Kippah whether you’re walking a long distance or just sitting in your house? Hopefully we can now, not only wear our Kippah all the time, but understand why we wear it and be proud of it.

[1] A small Kippah refers to one that leaves some of the head uncovered, while a big Kippah covers most of the head.

[2] Rav Moshe Feinstein asks this question on Rav Kluger’s opinion.

[3] Kiddushin 31a

[4] In the same way, Rav Kluger reinterprets the Gemara in Shabbat (118:) and the Midrash quoted by the Maharshal

[5] Rav Ovadia Yosef says that Rav Moshe is just trying to find a way to make Rav Kluger make more sense with the Gemara, but it isn’t really what Rav Kluger meant. Rav Kluger just seems to be incorrect.

[6] This is Lishitato (consistent with his aforementioned view), since there is a potential Issur of Marit Ayin. If not everyone can see the Kippah, this problem would still exist.