[Avodah] [Areivim] What is the proper procedure for putting on shoes?

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 05:33:16PM +0000, Prof. L. Levine via Areivim wrote:
> From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis
>> Q. What is the proper procedure for putting on shoes?

Since he posted to Areivim, I will include the answer in full before
replying:
    A. The Gemara (Shabbos 61a) records a dispute about the proper order
    for putting on shoes. Rebbi Yochanan said the left shoe is put on
    first. However, a Beraisa states that the right shoe should be put on
    first. Therefore, Rav Yosef said, one may do it either way. Rav Nachman
    Bar Yitzchok said that a God-fearing person should follow both opinions
    by putting on the right shoe first but tying the left shoe first. Rav
    Ashi reported that he saw Rav Kahana putting on his shoes and he was not
    careful. The Rishonim dispute which opinion we follow. The Rif, Rambam,
    Rosh and most Rishonim omit this halacha. Apparently, they follow the
    ruling of Rav Yosef and Rav Ashi, that you may put on your shoes whichever
    way you want. However, the Tur and Shulchan Aruch follow the opinion of
    Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchok that you should put on your right shoe first
    but tie your left shoe first, and we follow the opinion of the Shulchan
    Aruch. The Taz (2:3) writes that fundamentally the Tur and Shulchan Aruch
    also agree that the halacha follows the majority of Rishonim. However,
    since it is possible to avoid all uncertainty by tying your left shoe
    first, it is proper for a God-fearing person to do so. Therefore, the
    Taz concludes that if there is a difficulty, one may put on their shoes
    in any order.

>               However, the Tur and Shulchan Aruch follow the opinion of
> Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchok that you should put on your right shoe first
> but tie your left shoe first, and we follow the opinion of the Shulchan
> Aruch...

But to answer as to what to actually do (assuming you aren't from an Edah
that favors the Rambam over these sources), they add that for an itur
yad, our left hand is our "yemin". So, you put on the shoe on your more
coordinated side first, but tie the other shoe first (if it needs tying).

Or: you put on the shoe on the side that does more mitzvos first, and
you tie the one on the side where you tie your tefillin first (if you
are male or if otherwise were to wear tefillin).

> Indeed, when did shoes start having laces?

Greeks and Roman sandals were nearly all sole and straps. Archeologists
found shoes with laces they dated back to over 7,000 years ago at
Areni-1 and when they found Otzi the iceman. Tying one's shoes is older
than Yiddishkeit, for sure.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   your grip on it, it chokes; slacken your grip,
Author: Widen Your Tent      and it flies away.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                          - Rav Yisrael Salanter

I note that this message does not deal with case when one is putting on shoes that have straps, or are slipons or have velcro instead of laces.

Indeed, when did shoes start having laces?

A google search for "When did shoes start having laces out?" yielded

Shoe laces as we know them today did not exist. In 1889, American producers created the hard edged laces that we use today. Metal eyelets for shoes and boots were introduced in 1889.

YL
-- MIME section 1 END --------------------
-- MIME section 2 text/plain --------------------
_______________________________________________
Areivim mailing list
Areivim at lists.aishdas.org
http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/areivim-aishdas.org
-- MIME section 2 END --------------------
-- MIME email END --------------------