Head Coverings

[Devri]

I am nearly positive this is a dead horse thread but for the sake of the "new kid on the block" would you kindly indulge me?

Would you share your beliefs and practices about wearing head coverings?

 

[yonah_mishael]

Is this for women or for men?

 

[pat34lee]

I am nearly positive this is a dead horse thread but for the sake of the "new kid on the block" would you kindly indulge me?

Would you share your beliefs and practices about wearing head coverings?

I'm probably a minority in this, but I'd have to go with Paul and the churches' teachings. Women should keep the head covered, with longer hair than men, and/or scarves, hats, wigs, etc. in congregational settings. Men are to have shorter hair than women, and not wear hats, etc. in congregational settings.

These are strictly my opinions, and I do not expect many to agree here.

 

[Devri]

Is this for women or for men?

Both

 

[Devri]

I'm probably a minority in this, but I'd have to go with Paul and the churches' teachings. Women should keep the head covered, with longer hair than men, and/or scarves, hats, wigs, etc. in congregational settings. Men are to have shorter hair than women, and not wear hats, etc. in congregational settings.

These are strictly my opinions, and I do not expect many to agree here.

By congregational do you mean synagogue?

 

[ChavaK]

For Jews, married women should keep their hair covered at all times.
and men their head covered.
However, neither is expressed in the Tanach (although of course
the commandment for women to cover their hair is derived from
the story of the sotah). Men keeping their head covered is rabbinical.

 

[pat34lee]

By congregational do you mean synagogue?

This is where I get into trouble. I don't agree with messianic men wearing head coverings in any group study/worship setting, whether in a home group or synagogue. Family only would be another matter. Again, this is my opinion only.

This is one of the areas that I would reconsider if I could see where it is biblical, rather than strictly traditional. I would still not wear a tallit or kippa, but maybe one of my cowboy hats.

 

[EyesOfKohl]

Talmud (Kidushin, 31a) states "cover your head, so you should fear from heaven".

I read an article that Jews traditionally wore a turban.

Newcomers to Hebrew have to learn that the Hebrew word for “to wear” (labash) can be used for most garments, but a different verb must be used to indicate the wearing of a hat: habash. The verb actually means “to wrap” (and is the root of the word for “bandage” for example). Its origin dates back to a time when the only thing a well-dressed Jew would be likely to be wearing on his head was a turban, a long piece of cloth that would have to be wrapped around the head.
It appears that among the Jews of Babylonia the turban was felt to have special spiritual efficacy. It is told of one rabbi for whom the astrologers had foretold a life of crime, that as a counter-measure his mother insisted on his wearing a turban at all times. Once during his childhood, when it accidentally unravelled, he found himself unable to resist the temptation to take a bite at someone else’s dates.
In general it seems that the turban was viewed as the distinctive mark of Torah scholars, who saw their wearing such a head-covering as a sign of special piety.

Jews in turbans « Jewamongyou's Blog
​

There's scripture verses and enough pictures to support this theory as well.

 

[yonah_mishael]

That's true about using לחבוש (lachbosh) for wearing a hat. I hadn't made the connection, but it's certainly what people say. Thanks for that!

 

[EyesOfKohl]

Question for Yonah, about Exodus 28:4

NIV and alot of others translate it as 'turban'.

These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests.

But the Tanakh translates it as 'cap'

And these are the garments that they shall make: a choshen, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checker work, a cap, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons to serve Me [as kohanim]

ד. וְאֵלֶּה הַבְּגָדִים אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּ חֹשֶׁן וְאֵפוֹד וּמְעִיל וּכְתֹנֶת תַּשְׁבֵּץ מִצְנֶפֶת וְאַבְנֵט וְעָשׂוּ בִגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וּלְבָנָיו לְכַהֲנוֹ לִי:

Which would you go with, since I don't know Hebrew?

 

[yonah_mishael]

The word here is מִצְנֶ֫פֶת mitsnéfet. The Ariel Comprehensive Dictionary (huge!) describes it as a cloth that wraps around and encompasses the head, and it says to see the entry for "turban." (This is my translation of the dictionary entry, of course, since the dictionary is completely in Hebrew.) Basically, it says that the biblical meaning of the word is essentially "turban."

In modern Hebrew, the same word is used for the miter (mitre) worn by the Catholic priests during Mass.

 

[xDenax]

Would you share your beliefs and practices about wearing head coverings?

Outside of shul I do not cover my hair. For services I have a pretty ladies kippah that I do wear though I don't like the idea of women wearing them even when they are obviously feminine. It's just better than nothing right now. I also have a pretty snood that would cover all of my hair but I haven't got up the nerve to wear it yet because nobody else in my community does it.

In the colder months I can wear a cute hat and just leave it on so that's nice. It still doesn't cover all my hair (though it would if I put my hair up inside) but it covers much more than a kippah and it keeps me warm since I'm always cold. Plus it's very feminine and nothing like what a man would wear.

 

[anisavta]

Same post - different hats.
At shul I either wear a hat or a scarf. In winter I wear my knit hats and also not only do they look nice but keep me warm.
When in Israel I cover all the time.
Denax I'd say go ahead and wear the snood. Start a trend. First time I went to Israel and brought back several pretty scarves, I felt awkward because I was the only one wearing them to shul. I thought I was out of place - until I prepared for my next trip and several of the ladies put in their order with me and wanted me to show them how I tied them.

 

[Devri]

This is my stance. I wear a headcovering 99% of the time except when I am at home. There are scriptures to support women covering their head but also I find that keeping my head covered brings me to a place of spiritual intimacy. It reminds me of my place with Yeshua as a bride and it helps me to feel secure. When I don't wear a covering, I feel exposed and naked and it makes me very uncomfortable. I'm probably weird in this and it wouldn't be the first time.

 

[ananda]

Is there any Scriptural commandment to cover one's head?

 

[ChavaK]

This is my stance. I wear a headcovering 99% of the time except when I am at home. There are scriptures to support women covering their head but also I find that keeping my head covered brings me to a place of spiritual intimacy. It reminds me of my place with Yeshua as a bride and it helps me to feel secure. When I don't wear a covering, I feel exposed and naked and it makes me very uncomfortable. I'm probably weird in this and it wouldn't be the first time.

Do you consider "head covering" to be the same as "hair covering"?
What does the NT state?

 

[ChavaK]

Is there any Scriptural commandment to cover one's head?

Not in the Tanach, except for the story of the sotah which is why
married Jewish women cover their hair, not just their head. And even
that is not a direct commandment.

Head coverings for males is rabbinic law, and not stated in the Tanach.

 

[Devri]

Outside of shul I do not cover my hair. For services I have a pretty ladies kippah that I do wear though I don't like the idea of women wearing them even when they are obviously feminine. It's just better than nothing right now. I also have a pretty snood that would cover all of my hair but I haven't got up the nerve to wear it yet because nobody else in my community does it.

In the colder months I can wear a cute hat and just leave it on so that's nice. It still doesn't cover all my hair (though it would if I put my hair up inside) but it covers much more than a kippah and it keeps me warm since I'm always cold. Plus it's very feminine and nothing like what a man would wear.

Does it bother you what people think? When I first began in the Messianic studies our Rabbitzin challenged me to try wearing one at home.

I felt silly at first and then the thoughts of what everyone would think of me came to mind. Still, I didn't wear them out in public, only to synagogue. But then things changed and I started feeling different when I wore them. It was so funny because my friends started calling me and asking me if I had cancer...I said, "don't you think you would know if I had cancer?" Well, why do you wear that thing on your head? Because I am in love with Yeshua, I said. They stop and just stare at me for a minute and shrug.

Now, people are used to seeing me with it and if I take it off they say, "where's your snood?" You don't look the same. Oh my gosh...you have hair." People as a rule tend to be more respectful, smile more, open doors, etc when I am in public. I just smile back and say, thank you.

I am very comfortable wearing them now. I feel weird without them.

 

[ChavaK]

Outside of shul I do not cover my hair. For services I have a pretty ladies kippah that I do wear though I don't like the idea of women wearing them even when they are obviously feminine. It's just better than nothing right now. I also have a pretty snood that would cover all of my hair but I haven't got up the nerve to wear it yet because nobody else in my community does it.

In the colder months I can wear a cute hat and just leave it on so that's nice. It still doesn't cover all my hair (though it would if I put my hair up inside) but it covers much more than a kippah and it keeps me warm since I'm always cold. Plus it's very feminine and nothing like what a man would wear.

I wear snoods in Israel where you see them all over the place. Here I don't
except on occasion in the Jewish community because elsewhere they are uncommon and draw attention to you. I don't wear scarves for the same reason. I seldom wear hats as I find them less attractive and less comfortable than a sheitl, which is what I use.

 

[Devri]

Do you consider "head covering" to be the same as "hair covering"?
What does the NT state?

Yes I do consider them the same and you know what...regardless of the arguments about scriptures it wouldn't change a thing for me.

I am betrothed to Yeshua through his sacrifice to me. The tanach is the ketuba and no matter that I am a gentile, I honor Yeshua the same as I would an earthly husband with regard to both my spiritual and physical body.

I dress modestly and have recently stopped wearing jeans and pants. Not because of a biblical commandment but because I don't feel right when I have them on.

I want people to see that I am different. I don't want to be like everyone else. I'm just weird that way.