INTRODUCTION:
Most people in the world are “right handed”, commonly referred to as “righties”. A small percentage of people, however, are “left handed”, commonly referred to as “lefties”. (According to Wikipedia, seven to ten percent of the adult population is left-handed).
There are people who are ambidextrous, meaning they can use both hands equally well.
What does this have to do with Halacha? Plenty.
There are many Mitzvos which must be done with the hands, and the question arises which hand to use? Is it always the right hand? Is it always the strong hand? Does it even make a difference?
We will now embark on a review of this topic and hopefully come away with some clarity in this often misunderstood subject.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky Zatzal published a small Sefer titled “Ish Iter - The left handed person” which briefly covers these Halachos. We are using that Sefer as my starting point and guide for these Halachos and B’Ezras Hashem we will expand upon what is written there in more detail. Anything we write without any additional source is taken directly from Rav Chaim’s Sefer.
As an introduction, before we begin to cover the actual Halachos, we will enumerate the 8 categories into which Rav Chaim Kanievsky Zatzal divides all the Halachos of Mitzvos needing a certain hand or direction.
Hopefully by understanding the logic behind these 8 categories we will be better able to grasp why each Halacha we will learn has been determined to be that way by the Poskim.
- Certain Mitzvos require a person’s stronger hand. These Mitzvos are determined by each individual’s strength and not based on the majority of people.
- Certain Mitzvos must be done “to the right” of Hashem. These Mitzvos are of course done with the left hand by all people regardless of their particular stronger hand.
- Certain Mitzvos are done to a certain side due to the position of a person’s heart, windpipe, ear etc. Here too, there will be no difference between righties and lefties.
- Certain Mitzvos require the more “Chashuv, respected” hand. As we shall see, these Mitzvos are subject to a debate amongst the Poskim if “Chashuv” is determined by each individual or if it is determined by the majority of the world.
- Certain Mitzvos require the right hand because the Torah specifically writes “Use the Right hand”. Seemingly, these Mitzvos must be fulfilled via the right hand for all people. We shall see if there are differing opinions to this.
- Certain Mitzvos are done not necessarily with a certain hand per se, rather “to the right side” based on the concept of ”Kol Pinos Sh’Ata Poneh YihYu Derech Yemin, Whatever you do, do it to the right side”. We shall see if lefties perhaps do these things to the left.
- Certain Mitzvos are fulfilled only while standing opposite another person. We shall see if the Mitzvah is done with the hand that is opposite the right side of the other person or not.
- Certain things need to at times be held in a certain hand to allow the other hand to remain free for another task. We shall see how this affects left and right handed people.
Halachos of Shoes for Left Handed Individuals
1) When putting on shoes in the morning, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim Siman 2:4) teaches us the proper order as follows:
The right shoe should be put on first but not tied. The left shoe should then be put on and tied and then we go back to the right shoe and tie it. If the shoe is a slip on shoe, then the right shoe is put on first followed by the left shoe. (Rama ibid.)
2) The reason for putting the right shoe on first is to show that the Torah always gives Chashivus, deference, to the right. Thus, a left handed person should also put on the right shoe first.
The reason that the left shoe is tied first, however, is because in matters of “tying” the Torah gives deference to the left, as Tefilin are tied on the left arm. (Mishna Berura ibid. S”K 5 and 6)
Thus, a left handed person who ties his Tefilin on the right arm should indeed tie the right shoe first and then proceed to put on and tie the left shoe. (Mishna Berura ibid.)
3) Regarding a left handed woman, who does not tie Tefilin on her arm, there is a dispute among the Poskim if she should tie the right shoe first like a left handed man or her left shoe first since the Tefilin comparison doesn’t apply to her. Rav Chaim Kanievsky Zatzal (in Sefer Derech Sicha Parshas V’Eschanan, page 517) rules that left handed women are like left handed men and they tie their right shoe first (See also Shu”t Avnei Yashfe Vol. 1 Siman 1 and Shu”t Rivevos Ephraim Vol. 1 Siman 5 and Vol. 7 Siman 18. See also Shu”t Shevet Hakehasi Vol. 1 Siman 6.)
4) When removing shoes, the left one should be taken off first. This applies to left handed people as well. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 2:5 and Shu”t Be’er Moshe Vol. 2 Siman 3:1)
...to be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
