Should one ask a non-Jew attending synagogue to wear a yarmulke?

Question

It says in Divrei HaRav (by R. Hershel Schachter, p143) that when they asked R. Aharon Kotler whether a non-Jewish secular studies teacher in a yeshiva should be asked to wear a yarmulke, he said he should be told specifically not to wear a yarmulke, because this is a case of והבדלתם in which Jews should wear yarmulkes in order to appear different from non-Jews.

Would this apply in a synagogue setting also, that non-Jewish guests should not wear a yarmulke? Or perhaps not, because the pedagogical motive is not present. Are there sources that discuss this?

Answer 1

In this shiur by Rabbi Yonason Roodyn (17:26) he quotes the Rif that can be taken to mean that there is an obligation for gentiles to cover their heads in a synagogue.

Answer 2

There is no actual halakhic obligation for even a Jew to wear a kipa. The brakha in the morning (which is to be recited upon doing the action) "`oter Yisrael batifara" is recited upon wrapping a turban. See Mishne Torah hilkhoth tefilla pereq zen. Over time in Ashkenazi galut, various customs changed and wearing a kipa became the accepted practice. This is good and fine, and proper. In fact, in tefilla, one should have one's head covered.

The idea of not walking 4 amot without one's head covered was meant as an act of hasidut of conversing with HaShem basically constantly. It was meant as having the head covered with a talith, as being in tefilla, rather than just walking about period.

There is no halakhic obligation to have one's head covered, besides for in tefilla. I know this response will not be popular, but it is indeed the correct understanding of the gemara and the actual halakhic requirement, contrary to popular understanding.

Our Arab cousins often share the same original style of dress as us in our originality, but it is distinguished other than through headcovering. Kipot and some other Ashkenazi dress sometimes originated from Christian sources. So I think the whole question stands on some misunderstanding to begin with.

Answer 3

The general practice I have seen in both in practice and in writing is that a non-Jew should wear a head covering in the Beis Kenesses:

"The rule about a head covering in the synagogue should also be observed by non-Jews. The male visitor who does not have a head covering of his own, should take a skullcap provided by the synagogue. the skullcap itself, as I have mentioned, has no intrinsic religious sanctity, but putting in on conforms to the Jewish way of showing respect in a religious setting." (Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, To Pray as a Jew, page 60).

I do not believe that this is, strictly speaking, a halachic issue since it would be difficult to say that the non-Jew has an obligation to wear a head covering, but it is a matter of etiquette and respect. Indeed Rabbi Donin's quote comes for the section he titled "What to tell non-Jews visiting the Synagogue."

This situation is not similar to the issue of non-Jewish teachers. In such a situation there is prolonged personal contact with a person who serves in a mentoring capacity. It is natural for students to turn to these adults as role models and as such a need to emphasize that the rebbeim are to serve as the primary role models. A visitor is a visitor, if they would like to visit they need to respect the holiness of the Synagogue.

Answer 4

If a Sefer Torah is present in the room, everyone must cover their heads, jews or goys, man and women. No exceptions. A kippah may be a sign of jewishness in some comunities, but not in others. In the Arabias both jews and muslims go around all the time with their head covered usually with the same kind of covering, not a kippah, some other tight hat with no brim. There you notice the jews for their sidelocks. Nowadays in Europe almost nobody uses sidelocks.