good question. ive actually heard this issue debated in a talmud class years ago. the technical answer is no. if a bald man is wearing a toupe then he has met his obligation that a man with hair meets with a kippah.
however, part of the wearing of the kippah is communal perception. for ex: if i am in shul and someone sits next to me without a kippah, i should politely tell him that he needs a kippah. if he says he is wearing a hair piece, i would tell him that it would still be better to wear the kippah so that others would know he is following the commandment.
Larry--Interesting. I polled three people in our family and they basically all were right or at least partially right according to what you learned in the Talmud class. Everyone basically felt that he should have to wear it, either because his intent behind the toupee wasn't the same intent of a kippah or because he would have to explain to others that he was wearing a toupee which would defeat the purpose of wearing one in the first place or that not wearing one would look bad to the community or some combination of those reasons.
This is what I love about Judaism. There isn't any part of human life that has not been examined and debated.
5 comments:
Ferrrrrn!
good question. ive actually heard this issue debated in a talmud class years ago.
the technical answer is no. if a bald man is wearing a toupe then he has met his obligation that a man with hair meets with a kippah.
however, part of the wearing of the kippah is communal perception. for ex: if i am in shul and someone sits next to me without a kippah, i should politely tell him that he needs a kippah. if he says he is wearing a hair piece, i would tell him that it would still be better to wear the kippah so that others would know he is following the commandment.
i hadnt heard that one in a very long time.
Larry--Interesting. I polled three people in our family and they basically all were right or at least partially right according to what you learned in the Talmud class. Everyone basically felt that he should have to wear it, either because his intent behind the toupee wasn't the same intent of a kippah or because he would have to explain to others that he was wearing a toupee which would defeat the purpose of wearing one in the first place or that not wearing one would look bad to the community or some combination of those reasons.
This is what I love about Judaism. There isn't any part of human life that has not been examined and debated.
we have had a few thousand year head start ... give eveyone else a little time. Please.
-m
Mike--I'm not following?
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