In this week’s parsha we learn about the Burning Bush. Moshe Rabbeinu sees a Burning Bush that isn’t being consumed and he starts walking towards it. Hashem then tells him: אל תקרב הלם של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קודש הוא – “Don’t come any closer, remove the shoes from your feet, for the place that you are standing on his holy land.” (Shemos 3:5) We see that when standing in a holy place one should remove his shoes. Therefore, although not directly related, this week I would like to discuss whether one may daven without any shoes on, and a timely shailah of whether one is allowed to daven whilst wearing boots. We will also discuss a number of other interesting winter related shailos.
It is very common this time of year for people to wear boots, especially in the heavy rain and snow. If one enters Shul whilst wearing boots, and the tzibbur is about to start Shemonah Esrei and taking off the boots will delay one from starting Shemoneh Esrei with the tzibbur, is he allowed to daven whilst wearing boots, or is this considered a bizayon hatefillah [disgrace to prayer] and a lack of “hichon— preparing oneself to daven,” and thus it would-be better to take the time to remove them?
Dressing In a Dignified Manner, Fit for Standing Before a King
In Hilchos Tefillah, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 91:5) states that one should not daven with bare feet if it is customary to stand before important people only in proper footwear. There are various opinions regarding different types of footwear, with some poskim being strict about wearing them during Tefillah, while others are lenient. Iy’H we will elaborate on this, and see how it applies to boots, and we will address some other considerations along the way.
It is clear from the Shulchan Aruch that for Shemoneh Esrei, one should be dressed in a dignified manner, appropriate for standing before a ruler or king. Therefore, it is forbidden to daven in sleeping clothes or undergarments if there is no other covering above them. However, R’ Elyashiv, quoted in the Sefer Avnei Yoshpheh (Hilchos Tefillah), ruled that if changing into more dignified clothing will cause one to miss tefillah b’tzibbur, one should not forgo tefillah b’tzibbur for that reason.
Based on this ruling of R’ Elyashiv, we may suggest that although ideally one should remove his boots and wear regular shoes, as one would when standing before a king, nevertheless, this applies only if doing so allows him to maintain proper kavonah during davening. If a person arrives close to the start of davening, and removing his boots and putting on his shoes would cause some discomfort or even a lack of proper kavanah, he may be permitted to daven Shemoneh Esrei with his boots on.
One Shouldn’t Enter the Beis Haknesses Wearing “Na’alayim”
The Magen Avraham (91:5), citing the Maharam Mintz (§38), says that one should not enter the Beis Haknesses wearing “na’alayim.” It is unclear what exactly this refers to. The Birkei Yosef (151:8, based on what it says in the Shu”t Rashbash 285) understands, that it was customary to enter a Beis Haknesses without wearing shoes as in the Eastern countries it was improper to appear before ministers wearing shoes.
However, the Machatzis HaShekel explains that this refers to “shtivlin,” which are high boots. He writes that if the custom in a place is to appear before ministers wearing such footwear, it is permitted to enter a Beis Haknesses with them.
The Birkei Yosef (151:6) further writes that in Eastern countries, where people appear before ministers barefoot, it is permissible to daven barefoot. But if one does not appear before ministers barefoot and always wears shoes, then one should daven wearing shoes. Therefore, regarding boots, the same halachah applies. If one would appear before a minister with them, one may daven with them as well.
Wearing Rubbers
In the Sefer Leket HaKamach HaChadesh (91:8), it states that according to Rashbash, one should not daven wearing rubbers worn over shoes during the winter months. Similarly, regarding “galushin” [thin, small rubber overshoes that only cover the shoe], since nowadays people remove them when entering the home of an important person, and especially when appearing before ministers, one should remove them before davening.
However, if removing them will prevent one from davening with kavanah—such as it will be too cold for him if he removes them—he may daven without removing them. This is similar to the halachah of an apunda [money pouch] that one carries under their clothing— if one fears that it will be stolen, he may daven while wearing it.
He further notes that regarding snow boots, people are generally not careful about removing them before they daven. He rejects the argument that this halachah does not apply because most people don’t appear before ministers but only before dignified people. While the wording of the poskim is that it depends on how he would appear before a minister, the Shulchan Aruch implies that it depends on how he would appear before “gedolim—important people.”
However, regarding boots, which are typically removed when visiting someone’s home, it is difficult to find a heter to daven in them, unless one fears that they will be stolen or swapped if left outside, which would prevent him from davening with kavonah. However, if he can remove them and leave them near his feet for the duration of the tefillah, it is preferable to do so. He concludes that we must try to be melamed zechus on people who do so, as most people are not careful in this halachah.
Conclusion
Therefore, practically speaking, during the rainy season, it is permissible to daven while wearing boots if it is difficult to remove them or time-consuming, as this would interfere with his kavonah. See Aruch HaShulchan (91: 6). This is also the ruling of Rav Avigdor Nebenzhal shlita, and Rav Shamai Gross shlita, in his Sefer Orach Kahalachah (p. 86).
The Masores Moshe (Vol. 4, p. 24) brings a similar conclusion from Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, he writes: “R’ Moshe replied that it is advisable to be stringent and remove rubber boots before davening Shemoneh Esrei, as the halachah of “hichon” requires that one be dressed as if standing before the king. However, many people are lenient due to the difficulty and time required to remove them. Since this is only a “ma’alah” in Tefillah and is not “meakev,” people are lenient. Nonetheless, it is certainly appropriate to be stringent and remove them before davening.
(Based on a Teshuvah from R’ Yaakov Skoczylas shlita)
