Crowns of Glory

Were you ever made to feel really special? Did someone compliment you on something extraordinary that you did? Can you recall the emotions you felt?

Saying the brachah of “Oter Yisrael b’sifarah — He Who crowns Yisrael with glory,” has the potential to engender these wonderful feelings in us each morning. We can feel something like this every day simply because we’re part of the Jewish People, and more particularly, because we have a personal relationship with Hashem.

This brachah was originally said when the head covering (yarmulke) was put on first thing every day. The Beis Yosef writes that it’s forbidden for a male to walk with an uncovered head. The Gra suggests that the word yarmulke is a composition of two words: Yarei mei’Eloki — someone with fear of Hashem. The head covering is a constant reminder that Hashem’s special presence is resting upon us. Indeed, this is the sifarah, the splendor, that crowns our head and our entire being.

Rabbi Ephraim Fordsham, in L’fanav Naavod, adds that the role of head coverings is to inspire us to look upward throughout the day and see how we can become closer to Hashem. When we feel this level of connection, it motivates a change in our behavior.