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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
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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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,
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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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...
"
"
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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(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
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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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.
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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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
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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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
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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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.
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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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…