Rabbi Ari Enkin over at Hirhurrim has a very educational post regarding the practice of wearing a hat and jacket during davening. His fairly comprehensive halachic survey of the topic is very on target, and is definitely worth reading.
My own practice during the week seems to conform with the position Rabbi Enkin explains regarding how davening attire should conform to the way a person (as an individual, though not as a community) would dress when making a public appearance, which for me would include a blazer/jacket.
Rabbi Enkin also makes an interesting observation that never crossed my mind before: wearing a tie during davening. Certainly, the standard protocol for "dressing up" these days would include a jacket and tie (but not a hat), but no halachic persona seems to indicate the need to do so. That's definitely a very sharp point that can be used against the nit-picky people who say a hat is necessary, evn when it is no longer part of the standard formal outfit.
However, the post does not mention the particular practice of wearing a hat only on Shabbos/Yom Tov, which I addressed in one of my earlier posts. This isn't to say that Rabbi Enken missed this practice, since it seems to be part of a hashkafic, rather than halachic, notion at any rate.
This is interesting because in Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim (a Yeshiva with which I am familiar, but do not attend) has this opinion when it comes to dressing in general. If you learn full time, it us considered to be your job and you should dress as though you are going to work. CC guys don't necessarily wear black and white. They wear business attire, which could be a suit and tie with a colored shirt.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I have the distinct pleasure of davening in either Breurs or Kahal Adas Yeshurin of monsey, I notice that they don't let the chazan daven at the amud unless he is wearing a tie (besides the tallis and "kepshah.").
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