Do we need to treat a kippah with more respect than a normal hat? I frisbeed a couple of kippahs across the room to a friend and he became indignant at me throwing them on the floor.
I remember as kids we were taught to kiss our kippa if it fell off our head before putting it back on, but in Yeshivah I found no such attitude so now I would brush it off if dirty but not kiss it before returning it.
And would it make a difference whether its on your head or not?
Answer
People seem to have turned kippah into a ritual object, when it really isn't. It's religiously appropriate to cover your head, and a kippah is just a convenient way to do so.
In the Star-K guide to sheimos disposal, they make clear that a worn-out kippah can be thrown in the trash! (I suspect they saw people depositing them for dignified burial along with worn-out Torah scrolls.)
Now obviously if you see someone spitting on their kippah or stomping on it, that's probably an indication that their outlook towards religious life isn't exactly a healthy one. But it's not a holy object -- it's a mundane piece of cloth that enables you to do a holy act.
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