Donning Shoes

Q. What is the proper procedure for putting on shoes?

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.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.