Would a Jewish man who wears a yarmulke remove it if he entered a church Why?
Answer:Christianity considers uncovering the head to be a sign of respect.Judaism considers covering the head to be a sign of respect.Furthermore, a Jewish man who wears a yarmulke throughout the day would be very unlikely to enter a church for any reason.If he did, it's impossible for us to guess what any single individual might decide,but Judaism would expect him to demonstrate respect according to the custom of his hosts, assuming he's aware of the Christian custom, so his instinct would probably be to remove it.Answer:You are right to say it depends on the individual. Jewish Law gives a wide berth in matters like this. For instance, the most religious of Jews MUST eat NON-kosher meat, if it is the only means of staying alive.But I wonder if keeping one's yamulka on, or taking it off, is in the same severe category. A Jewish man who keeps his yarmulke on all day long is VERY religious. The REASON he keeps his yalmulke on all day is this: keping the yalmulke on shows a respect for God. The yalmulke is a device to separate a man from the glory of God all around him, ehivh is SO great, a simple Human should not actually be part of it, unless invited by God, (like Moses was).Very religious women do NOT wear yamelkas but married Orthodox women usually cover their hair in some fashion. As you say, it DOES depend upon the individual.Most religious Jews DO demonstrate respect for their surrondings and the people they meet within those surroundings, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. However, just as most Jews will NEVER kneel in church, (as they consider kneeling, even in synagogue, never to be a way to show respect for God), and so preferring to go to the back of the church, where their non-kneeling actions are less conspicuous, so SOME very Orthodox and religious Jews will NOT remove their yamekas....similar religious reasons.Supervisor's note:Most (in fact, virtually all) Orthodox Jews do not ever enter a non-Jewish house of worship. Non-Orthodox Jews who wear yarmulkes all the time will usually remove them in a church if asked.
