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7/28/2019 The West African Jews of the Diaspora Custom of Taking Off One’s Shoes Before Entering the Sanctuary or Going …

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The West African Jews of the DiasporaTraditions: (Taking Off One‟s Shoes BeforeEntering the Sanctuary or the Tebah.)by West African Jews of the Diaspora on Wednesday, December 31,1969 at 7:00pm ·

Many have asked, what are some of the customs of

the West African Jews of the Diaspora, that differ

from those of other Jewish communities? I‟ve

decided to write this note to answer this question

and to begin a series, which will acknowledge other

customs of the West African Jews of the Diaspora as

well, one subject at a time.

Whenever I mention the practice of removing one's

shoes before entering the sanctuary, tebah or

prayer, the scripture where G-d tells Moshe robennu

or Yehoshua Ben Nun to take off his sandals,

immediately comes to mind by most who hear it. For

those of you who are not familiar with these

passages, the scriptures says:

“

”

(He (G-d) said [to Moshe], „Do not come any

closer‟. „Take off your sandals, for the place

where you are standing is holy ground.‟) Shemoth/Ex

3,5

" '

"

(“Remove your sandals off and away from your feet;

for the place whereon you stand is holy.' And

Yehoshua did so.”) Yehoshua/Jos 5,15

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One of my teachers, Rabbi Eliezar Brooks z”l,

explained that we practice this because the act of

prayer is holy, and we are commanded to prepare to

call on our Maker who is Holy, Amos 4,12. In the

Torah, G-d also commands us saying „be holy, for I

AM HOLY‟ Wayikra/Lev 19,1-2. This is why the

preparations for prayer are extremely important,

and they are as follows:

1. Thikun Haguf ( =preparation of the

body)2. Thikun HaMalbush ( =preparation of

one's clothing)

3. Thikun HaMakom ( =finding a suitable

location)

4. Nokah HaMikdash ( =facing the Temple)

5. Amidah ( = standing)

6. Hashwayath HaKol ( =lowering one's

voice)

7. HaKri'ah ( =bending onto one's knees)

8. Yoshev La'ares ( =sitting onto one's

own legs on the ground)

9. Kidah, al Apayyim ( , =bowing on to

one's face)

10. Hahishtahwaya ( =the prostration)

Only those who are experienced in making Hakri'ah,

Yoshev La'ares and Kidah al appayyim, truly

understand the discomfort, inconvenience and

awkwardness of wearing shoes while attempting to

render the service of the heart unto our Creator,



through prayer.

Another reason for the tradition of removing your

shoes relates to the Beth HaMikdash. The West

African Jews of the Diaspora respects the sanctuary

of their Beth Kenessoth as a holy place. For not

only is it a place for prayer, but also a place

where the very words of the Most High are chanted

from the sifre Torah.

In this sense, there is always a reminder of the

days when the Beth HaMikdash stood, and when Mosherobennu first encountered the Most High. This

usually brings on an intense sense of reverence and

awe to an oleh (one of 7 people representing a

particular tribe of Israel) approaching the sifre

Torah when called to read.

We must also consider that whenever one prays the

Amidah, we are taught to take three steps forward,

representing the approaching of Eres Israel (the

land of Israel), Jerusalem and the Beth HaMikdash

(Holy Temple/G-d's presence) for those in the

galuth, where shoes are off limits. This is why our

sages also teach that we take three steps backwards

when we are done...

"

"



(R. Alexandri said in the name of R. Yehoshua b.

Lewi: One who prays [the „Amidah] should go three

steps backwards, and then recite „peace‟.

R. Mordecai said to him: Having taken the three

steps backwards, he ought to remain standing,

as should a disciple who takes leave of his

master...") BT Mas. Yoma 53b

The Sages attest to the fact that shoes were off

limits in at the Beth HaMikdash (Holy Temple)

saying:

"

( )

"

(„A man should not enter the Temple mount either

with his staff in his hand or his shoe on his foot,

or with his money tied up in his cloth, or with his

money bag slung over his shoulder, and he should

not make it a short cut, and spitting [on it is

forbidden] a fortiori from the case of the shoe:

seeing that regarding a shoe, the wearing of which

does not show contempt, the Torah has said, Put off

your shoes off from your feet,‟) BT Mas. Berakhoth62b

However, many would argue that the sages say, that

one may wear shoes in the beth kenesseth

(synagogue), as opposed to the Beth HaMikdash, and



this is correct.

"

"

"

(“Rather, said Raba: [The beth kenesseth

(synagogue) is] on the same footing as a man's

house. Just as a man objects to his house being

made a short cut but does not object to the wearing

of shoes or to spitting there, so in the case of

the synagogue, the using it as a short cut isforbidden, but wearing the shoe and spitting in it

is not forbidden.”) BT Mas. Berakhoth 63a

Additionally, the Talmud even tells us that the

kohenim must take off their shoes in a beth

kenesseth before giving the „birkhath hakohen‟

(priestly blessing, BaMidbar/Num 6,23-27), which

indicates that even in ancient times, shoes/sandals

were worn in a beth Kenesseth.

"

"

(“The Rabbis said: It is derived from the

regulation that the kohanim are not permitted to

ascend the platform wearing their shoes. This is

one of the ten ordinances, which R. Johanan b.



Zakkai instituted. What was the reason? Was it not

out of respect for the congregation? R. Ashi said:

No; [the reason] there was lest the shoe-lace

become untied and he proceeds to retie it, and

people will say: „He is the son of a divorcee or a

Haluzah‟”) BT Mas. Sotah 40a

The context of the above Talmudic passage regarding

the beth kenesseth being “on the same footing as a

man's house”, means that like a Jewish home, the

Beth Kenesseth should always be holy. But there

remains the option for the community to do as theyplease regarding the rules, policies and sanctity

of their individual places of worship. Whereas the

Beth HaMikdash is on the highest level of sanctity

and there is no halakhic tolerance for the wearing

of shoes, at all.

The West African Jews of the Diaspora have a

tradition to regard our sanctuaries as holy, and

apart from approaching the tabah and aron kodesh

(the Ark, a place where the sifre Torah is stored)

being even holier, both of which are located within

the sanctuary, shoes are normally allowed to be

worn within the building.

There is still an additional practical reason for afew other congregations, in which the shoes must be

removed, and this issue is in regards to a halakhic

ruling that is not practiced by most Jews today.

According to both the Torah and Talmud, Jews are to



wash their faces, hands and feet before entering

prayer.

"

'

”

(Make a bronze kiyor, with its bronze stand, for

washing. Place it between the tent of meeting andthe altar, and put water in it. Aharon and his sons

are to wash their hands and feet with water from

it. Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they

shall wash with water so that they will not

die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister

by presenting a food offering to YHWH, they shall

wash their hands and feet so that they will not

die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aharon

and his descendants for the generations to come.”)

Shemoth/Ex 30, 18-21

“

( ) ' ”

(As what was taught: One must wash his face, hands,

and feet daily in his Maker's honor, for it issaid, „YHWH has made everything for His own

purpose‟ Mishle/Prov 16,4.) BT Mas. Shabbath 50b

“ ”

("But in during the shaharith (morning) he washes



his face, his hands, and his feet, and afterwards

he prays.") RaMBaM MT Hilkhoth Tefillah 4,3

Today many will also argue that in ancient times,

most Jews didn‟t cover their feet with shoes, but

wore sandals which allowed their feet to get dirty,

so washing was necessary then, and since the advent

of shoes this halakha is no longer applicable.

Nevertheless, many of the West African Jews of the

Diaspora, regard such reasoning equal to that of

one who says, a person who wear gloves isn't

obligated to wash their hands.

There remains the fact that Jews are obligated to

follow a set of halakhic protocols before prayer

(the Shema/Amidah), as prescribed by the HaZaL.

Most West African Jews of the Diaspora still wash

our feet before entering prayer and of course this

means, that we must take off our shoes and will

keep them off while wearing our socks or disposable

slippers as we enter the sanctuary.

Furthermore, this practice extends even into the

many homes of the West African Jews of the

Diaspora. Where we regard our homes as places of

holiness, and/or simply carry the traditions of our

forefathers for the sake of keeping our homes„clean‟. Additionally, I‟m sure that many of you

are aware that practice removing your shoes before

entering the home is not isolated amongst the West

African Jews of the Diaspora, but it is also

practiced by many Mid-Eastern Jews as well.



Notwithstanding, the practice of removing one's

shoes before entering prayer, the sanctuary and the

tebah is one of many customs that distinguishes

the West African Jews of the Diaspora from other

communities, more will information on our other

traditions will come soon, b'ezrath HaShem. Any

question or comments are welcomed. Shalom uvrakha…

the west african jews of the diaspora custom of taking off one’s shoes before entering the...

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