24
From Rav Aviner's tshuvot (text)
Wearing Wife's Jacket in the Cold
Q: Is it permissible for a husband to wear his wife's jacket if he is
cold, or is it forbidden on account of "Lo Yilbash" (the prohibition
of cross-dressing)? And what about visa-versa?
A: It is permissible, since the purpose is not to wear it but simply
to warm up (Shut ...
23
Here, Rabbi Y.H. Henkin quotes his grandfather (Rabbi Yosef Henkin) as saying there is no prohibition against women wearing loose pants, and in fact they are exemplary ("yesh bo mishum tzenius"):
"See Bnei Banim vol. 2 p. 211 par. 38, and vol. 4 p. 141 (concerning pisuk raglayim)."
Here are the sources:
http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21434&;...
20
Taking it for granted that the issue of "male attire" is ultimately not the source for the prohibitions, a stance I believe is justifiable even if not un-debatable, there remains a significant opposition to women wearing slacks on the grounds of modesty.
Although most noted for taking the hard-line position that wearing slacks violates the prohibition of ...
20
You have to get dressed in the way that your naked areas won't be exposed. You aren't allowed to say, "I am in my innermost room; who can see me?" G-d can see you. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 2:1-2.
18
You are a very responsible and respectful person for inquiring about whether wearing your current clothes would be disrespectful or not to the synagogue. I really have to hand it to you, not everyone is that respectful.
It depends on what day of the week you plan on visiting to the synagogue. If you're planning on visiting during a weekday, then your normal ...
17
Kippot\Yarmulkas are not explicitly mentioned anywhere in Tanach, although it is possible that covering one's head was a common cultural practice.
The first Halachic mention of covering one's head is in the Talmud, in the following places:
Kiddushin 31a: R' Huna didn't go four amot with his head uncovered, saying "The Shechina is always above me."
...
17
Per Rabbi David Sperling it is not problematic to own or use a Swiss gear bag.
The use of the cross - which is of course a Christian symbol - is
widely discussed in halacha. When the cross is one that people bow to,
or use in their worship, then there are serious halachic problems with
owning such an item. However, when the cross is clearly not for
...
17
Shulkhan Arukh 10:10 explicitly rules that a turban is exempt from tzitzit, even if it covers the majority of the wearer's body.
מִצְנֶפֶת פְּטוּרָה, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁל אַרְצוֹת הַמַּעֲרָב שֶׁב' רָאשֶׁיהָ מֻשְׁלָכִים עַל כִּתְפֵיהֶם וְגוּפָם, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּתְכַּסֶה בָּהּ רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ פָּטוּר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִקָּרָהּ לְכַסוֹת הָרֹאשׁ, דִּכְסוּתְךָ אָמַר ...
16
So long as it isn't indecent, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe Y.D. 1:81) writes that it's not a problem. I've written it up here.
And for those who don't believe me, here's what it looks like in the original responsum:
Link to the pdf: page 1, page 2.
Specifically regarding jeans it's even easier as we know where jeans come from -- gold prospectors ...
16
You are to be commended for taking on a socially-challenging mitzvah. It's not always easy to be Jewish and be seen as different, whether it's through dress, food, or how you spend your Friday nights and Saturdays.
With any observance that sets you apart from others, take care in how you talk about it. It's about you, not about them, especially for your ...
15
The only source I have yet to find acknowledging this switch in clothing from a Sephardic perspective is in the English edition to the Yalkut Yosef Hilkhot Shabbat. Under Siman 242, Halakhah 5, regarding the mitzvah to change from weekday clothes into more elegant garments, the editor (R. Yisrael Bitan) added a special footnote:
The Kabbalists ruled that ...
14
In this shiur by Rabbi Yonason Roodyn (17:26) he quotes the Rif that can be taken to mean that there is an obligation for gentiles to cover their heads in a synagogue.
14
The Chinuch says in Mitzvah #443 in reference to the prohibition of men wearing women's clothing: "ונוהג איסור זה בכל מקום ובכל זמן-This prohibition applies in all places, and at all times."
So, it seems pretty clear that it's not allowed in any sort of setting.
In general, you should know, that the mitzvot apply equally in public and private. For example,...
14
There is a Jewish practice to tear one's clothes when in mourning. In recent times, it has become common for non-Orthodox Jews to tear a black ribbon pinned to their clothes rather than the clothes themselves in order to avoid damaging an article of clothing.
I am not sure whether using the ribbon satisfactorily fulfills the obligation according to the ...
13
Rabbi Elyashiv ZY"A said that the wearing of Crocs on Yom Kippur is "permissible legalistically, but it is inadvisable," because they are too comfortable. (Source)
13
I heard Rabbi Berel Wein discussing that Rashi's headcovering (in the animated film made by Rabbi Wein) is red, maroon, and/or brown. The historical research shows those were men's colors for Jews in Rashi's time and place. Someone objected that it should be a black velvet yarmulka. Rabbi Wein replied that black happened in the 1400s as a result of a Church ...
13
Rav Yosef Messas a"h (he served as Rav in Tilimsan Algeria, Meknes Morocco, and as Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Haifa) held that wearing costumes/disguises on Purim is absolutely forbidden as hukas hagoyim and that its origins stem from an imitation of the pre-Lent festivity of Carnavale which itself has origins in the orgiastic paganism of Bacchanalia. He ...
13
Shmiras Shabbas Ke'Hilchasa (18:44) writes that one may walk into a Reshus HaRabbim with an identification label that is sewn or stuck to one's garment.
13
The Gemara (Yoma 78b) writes that one who sleeps with shoes on, 'has tasted a taste of death', and since tasting death is probably not a good thing, some poskim write that sleeping with shoes on should be avoided (see Kaf Hahayyim Y.D 116:211, for example). The book Shemiras Haguf Vehanefesh (no. 115) also writes that wearing shoes to sleep causes someone to ...
13
Although the real answer to your question would be found in the Double AA's answer, it's worth noting that there was at least one authority who did believe that pisuk raglayim was an issue for men as well, albeit not as big an issue as for women. The Chazon Ish felt that wearing a long jacket was proper for exactly this issue. In fact he would wear an extra ...
13
Excrement and urine of a live animal (and in fact anything except an entire limb from a live animal) are not ritually impure, and thus don't affect your hat. (Rambam Avot HaTumah 2:3)
As an aside, excrement and urine of a deceased animal (as opposed to its flesh) also are not ritually impure. (ibid. 1:15)
12
Nit'ei Gavriel (Aveilus 4:4) cites various sources that there is a common practice to not tear kriyah in this instance anyway (and in note יב he mentions other variations, such as leaving a button undone for a while, or tearing kriyah at the moment of death only for a distinguished person).
In 4:7 he also writes that it is indeed not customary for doctors ...
12
Eisav was "סמוך על שלחן אביו" - living at home at his parents' expense, therefore his finds and his gifts legally automatically belong to his parents - see Bava Metzia 12a/12b, R' Yom-Tob Asevilli ("Ritb"a") ibid. and Shul'han Aru'h 366:10.
12
There is no actual halakhic obligation for even a Jew to wear a kipa. The brakha in the morning (which is to be recited upon doing the action) "`oter Yisrael batifara" is recited upon wrapping a turban. See Mishne Torah hilkhoth tefilla pereq zen. Over time in Ashkenazi galut, various customs changed and wearing a kipa became the accepted practice. This is ...
12
This article summarizes the rules of dress for both men and women required for saying brachot. There are footnotes to sources, as well. Excerpts:
Another aspect of “holiness” when saying a bracha is that a man is
required to have a “separation between his heart and his lower body.”
This typically requires no special attention, as it is accomplished by
...
11
Rav Yoel Bin Nun famously slit the slides of his suit jacket rov open and attached tzitzit (with techelet) because he wants to be yotzei the mitzvah on his regular beged as is likely the intention of the pasuk. Source: I've seen him!
11
No. From one parent who actually observed a bat mitzva by having her daughter tear for the first time:
Mishnah Berurah, Orach Chaim 561:17. In fact, children might be forbidden
to tear their clothes because of ba’al tashchit, the prohibition against wanton waste! See, for a related analysis, Minchat Chinuch 264:34* (Machon Yerushalayim edition, [Netanya,...
11
Person. You don't need to have tzitzit on a tallit that you keep in a drawer.
Source: Talmud Menachot 41. See also Rambam Hil. Tzitzit 3:10-11, Shulchan Aruch OC 19:1
11
Tznuit does not have to be "funny" looking clothes. When I was a teenager, I went through a modest dressing phase and actually eventually discovered a personally quirky style in it! While I'm not currently observing complete tznuit in dress...
1) Check out styles that might easily be modified for modesty. If you're more of an artsy, flowy type, you could ...
11
The Shulchan Aruch rules (YD 340:11) that women and men have an equal obligation in terms of keri'a, but that women should turn their undershirt around after tearing it before tearing her overshirt. Furthermore, in :15 he rules that a woman who performed keri'a is allowed to perform a non-professional stitch-up immediately after tearing, whereas a man would ...
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