Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Chaim Kanievsky: Wearing A Hat For Davening

hatThe Mishna Berura says that a person should wear a hat during Davening because it is not the practice to appear in front of prominent people without a hat. Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a says that if a person will miss Davening with a Minyan if he insists on wearing a hat, it is better to Daven without a Minyan with a hat than to Daven without his hat with a Minyan. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach argues and he holds although one should make every effort to Daven with a hat, he should not give up Davening with a Minyan for it. (Alon Ahavas Shalom) Revach.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. Frankly, even though I always try to wear a hat for davening, I never undetstand the logic and do it more because not to change yideshe malbish.

    The fact is that it is no longer the stlyle to wear a hat. Even is you do wear a hat, the custom is actually to remove it as a sign of respect to prominent people. In a courtroom the baliff will ask you to take off your hat.

    Perhaps I am missing something.

  2. If you are going to daven with one of those dust smashed up hats from the gemach outside Shul, I am sure both would agree it is better to daven without a hat. Hikoin Likraas Eloikecho Yisroel.

  3. I was wondering the same as number 2. Isnt it the custom to not
    wear hats when meeting prominent people?

    Look at pictures of meetings with high ranking officials. Whoes wearing a hat?

  4. As a follow up to previous comment.

    Yeshivalight should know that when going for an interview for job and even for a buisness meeting you should remove your hat in the lobby. More then once after refering somebody fora job I heard a negative feedback comment about that from the HR person. Now I let people know just in case.

  5. funny the tzitz eliezer says otherwise (he says that if you dont usually wear a hat and jacket in the street, then you dont need to wear one for davening!!
    its also brought down in halachicly speaking by r belsky

  6. I don’t get what people are saying that today day its not the custom we all know that the jewish people don’t go after what the custom is today we do what chazal tell us even if today’s modern day it may not seem correct

  7. A person should go by “Their”
    Rov…if your Rov is ok with davening with no hat then you have nothing to worry about, as long as you go by your Rov with everything else in life.

    As we all agree that R Chaim and R Shlomo are gdolei hador, it is however wrong to go by their psak if your Rov holds otherwise.

  8. lets use our brain:

    you dont.

    The halacha is that you need to dress for davening like you would dress to meet a prominent person. Nothing to do with jewish or not.
    Prominent person. Like a senator. Mayor. etc. You wouldnt meet him wearing your robe.

  9. 1) When davening Shemona Esrei, Jewish males should wear a hat on top of their Yarmulka. During Shacharis, married men should cover their heads with their Tallis. This extra covering of the head during davening humbles a person and increases his fear of Hashem.

    The Mishna Berura maintains that one’s head should be covered with his Tallis [during shachris] for the entire length of davening.

    Single men who have the minhag to wear a Tallis (prevalent minhag in Sephardic and German communities) should nevertheless not cover their heads with their Tallis, and should wear a hat instead.

    2) People whose custom it is not to wear hats ever (even when visiting dignitaries, weddings etc.) may be exempt from this extra hat requirement during Tefilah. Your rabbi should be consulted to determine your personal obligations in this matter.

    taken from http://halachafortoday.com/archives3.aspx

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