Tying Shoes - Left First

Q. We noted in the previous Halacha that Shulchan follows the compromise position of Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchok, that one should put on their right shoe first but tie the left shoe first. Why did Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchok recommend starting with the right foot when putting on the shoes and the left for tying, and not vica versa?

A. The Levush (2:4) explains that the right shoe is put on first because the Torah often favors the right side over the left. However, we tie the left shoe first because the Torah favored the left arm with the mitzvah of tefillin, as Tefilin is tied to the left arm. Additionally, the Levush writes that Chazal maintain that we merited the mitzvah of tefillin because Avrohom Avinu refused to take even a “shoe strap” from the spoils of Sedom. Since there is an apparent connection between tefillin and shoe straps, the left shoe strap is tied first, just as teffilin is tied to the left hand.

Whether these practices apply to women will be the subject of a future Halacha Yomis.

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