וכל כלי פתוח אשר אין צמיד פתיל עליו טמא הוא (חקת יט:טו)

Anything that enters the tent and anything that is in the tent shall be contaminated…

A Yid, a ‘maskil’ (enlightened and lowly person), once asked Reb Gershon Henoch of Radzin zt’’l that Chazal say, “מי איכה מידי דלא רמיזא באורייתא – is there then a minhag or mitzvah that we do which isn’t written in the Torah?” The maskil continued, “Show me a place in the Torah that says that a Yid isn’t allowed to walk around without a Yarmulka on his head?”

The tzaddik replied: “The pasuk says, “וכל כלי פתוח” – every bare head “אשר אין צמיד פתיל עליו” – that doesn’t carry a covering, a yarmulka, “טמא הוא” – such a person is impure!

Filed under Parshas Chukas |