Written in 2015
Wearing leather shoes on Yom Kippur – is it a Minhag or a strict Jewish law?
Wearing leather shoes is one of the five prohibitions of Yom Kippur. Just as a reminder, the five prohibitions are: (1) Eating and drinking, (2) washing or (3) anointing the body, (4) having marital relations, and (5) wearing leather shoes. Wearing leather footwear is a strict prohibition connected to the verse in Vayikra 23:27 “On the 10th of Tishri you shall deprive yourself”, which means refraining from the most basic physical needs, comforts, or pleasures for a day. And not wearing leather shoes is one of these prohibitions. The Torah did not command us to be barefoot but just to avoid wearing shoes made of leather. This prohibition is the same for men and women. Moreover, unlike other Yom Kippur’s prohibitions, such as fasting, the prohibition of wearing leather shoes should also be taught to children, even when they are still not at the age of fasting.
If it is such an important issue, why do so many people in our community not know about it?
The Jews in Iran, or at certain times in Syria or Morocco, did not live in open and respectful societies. Jews were, in the best case, tolerated by the local population, and they had to be very discreet in what they did. It is often difficult to determine if a specific element or behavior concerning religious customs is a Minhag or a consequence of living under entirely different circumstances. For example, I had previously wondered why my grandmother, who came from a very traditional family in Syria, did not know about Tebilat Kelim (immersing the utensils in the Mikveh before using them). And I remember that when I asked her this question, she resented it, implying that if Tebilat Kelim had been such an important Mitzvah, she should have known about it. She hinted that I was trying to bring a new Minhag or new Mitzvot, etc. Later on, I discovered that in Damascus, some Jews were so poor that they never got to buy new utensils or tableware in their lifetime. They used what they had inherited from their parents, so there was never an opportunity for them to practice Tebilat Kelim. It was not because they did not know about it, but because they did not have to. Since then, I have become more cautious when classifying certain traditions. Sometimes it is a real Minhag that should be kept, and sometimes, our grandparents did not do certain things in the past because of living in a different scenario. Mr. Nassim Bassalian told me that in Iran and in many other Muslim countries, snickers or other fabric shoes were not available many years ago, and even when available, it did not look good for a respectable person to be walking with those fabric shoes. I also heard that on Tisha beAb and Yom Kippur, many people wear leather shoes to walk to Kanissah. Then, at Kanissah, they would leave the shoes outside and be inside the Synagogue barefoot, stepping on comfortable carpets. Mr. Nassim Bassalian told me that a few people in Teheran wore slippers or even socks, but most people did not know the importance of it.
Our circumstances today, BH, are entirely different:
1. We live in total freedom to practice our religion openly.
2. Snickers, of all footwear, are the most common, popular, and accessible footwear.
