(ב) אָסוּר לִנְעֹל סַנְדָּל אוֹ מִנְעָל שֶׁל עוֹר, אֲפִלּוּ קַב הַקִּטֵּעַ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁל עֵץ וּמְחֻפֶּה עוֹר, אָסוּר
It is forbidden to wear leather sandals or shoes [on Yom Kippur], even if just a segment of the shoe has leather. Even if the sole is wood and the covering is leather, it is still forbidden.
(ה) כִּֽי־יֵשְׁב֨וּ אַחִ֜ים יַחְדָּ֗ו וּמֵ֨ת אַחַ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ וּבֵ֣ן אֵֽין־ל֔וֹ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֧ה אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּ֛ת הַח֖וּצָה לְאִ֣ישׁ זָ֑ר יְבָמָהּ֙ יָבֹ֣א עָלֶ֔יהָ וּלְקָחָ֥הּ ל֛וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃ (ו) וְהָיָ֗ה הַבְּכוֹר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּלֵ֔ד יָק֕וּם עַל־שֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו הַמֵּ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יִמָּחֶ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ז) וְאִם־לֹ֤א יַחְפֹּץ֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ לָקַ֖חַת אֶת־יְבִמְתּ֑וֹ וְעָלְתָה֩ יְבִמְתּ֨וֹ הַשַּׁ֜עְרָה אֶל־הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים וְאָֽמְרָה֙ מֵאֵ֨ין יְבָמִ֜י לְהָקִ֨ים לְאָחִ֥יו שֵׁם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה יַבְּמִֽי׃ (ח) וְקָֽרְאוּ־ל֥וֹ זִקְנֵי־עִיר֖וֹ וְדִבְּר֣וּ אֵלָ֑יו וְעָמַ֣ד וְאָמַ֔ר לֹ֥א חָפַ֖צְתִּי לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃ (ט) וְנִגְּשָׁ֨ה יְבִמְתּ֣וֹ אֵלָיו֮ לְעֵינֵ֣י הַזְּקֵנִים֒ וְחָלְצָ֤ה נַעֲלוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְל֔וֹ וְיָרְקָ֖ה בְּפָנָ֑יו וְעָֽנְתָה֙ וְאָ֣מְרָ֔ה כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יִבְנֶ֖ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אָחִֽיו (י) וְנִקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בֵּ֖ית חֲל֥וּץ הַנָּֽעַל׃ (ס)
(5) When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and leaves no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married to a stranger, outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall unite with her: he shall take her as his wife and perform the levir’s duty. (6) The first son that she bears shall be accounted to the dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out in Israel. (7) But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, his brother’s widow shall appear before the elders in the gate and declare, “My husband’s brother refuses to establish a name in Israel for his brother; he will not perform the duty of a levir.” (8) The elders of his town shall then summon him and talk to him. If he insists, saying, “I do not want to marry her,” (9) his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, pull the sandal off his foot, spit in his face, and make this declaration: Thus shall be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house! (10) And he shall go in Israel by the name of “the family of the unsandaled one.”
לֹא יִכָּנֵס לְהַר הַבַּיִת בְּמַקְלוֹ, וּבְמִנְעָלוֹ, וּבְפֻנְדָּתוֹ, וּבְאָבָק שֶׁעַל רַגְלָיו, וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂנּוּ קַפַּנְדַּרְיָא, וּרְקִיקָה מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר.
One may not enter the Holy Mount with his staff, or with his sandal, or with his belt-pouch, or with dust on his feet, and may not make it a shortcut, and spitting is forbidden, as deduced from [the principle of] lesser to greater.
(א) מֵאֵימָתַי חָל הָאֲבֵלוּת, מִשֶּׁנִּקְבַּר וְנִגְמַר סְתִימַת הַקֶּבֶר בְּעָפָר, מִיָּד מַתְחִיל הָאֲבֵלוּת וּמְעַטֵּף רֹאשׁוֹ, אֲבָל אֵינוֹ חוֹלֵץ מִנְעָלָיו עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְבֵיתוֹ (רַמְבַּ''ן). וְעַכְשָׁו נוֹהֲגִים לַחֲלֹץ מִנְעָל אַחַר סְתִימַת הַגּוֹלָל מִיָּד, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסִימָן שע''ו. הַגָּה: וְע''ל סִימָן שפ''ב. הָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁנִּסְתַּם הַקֶּבֶר וְהִתְחִיל לְהִתְאַבֵּל, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹדַע לוֹ שֶׁטָּעָה, חוֹזֵר וּמַתְחִיל הָאֲבֵלוּת מֵחָדָשׁ (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרֹא''שׁ כְּלָל כ''ז).
When does the mourning period take effect? — As soon as the body has been interred and the closing of the grave with earth has been completed, the mourning period begins. The head is covered immediately, but we do not remove our shoes until we arrive back home. But now we have the custom to remove our shoes immediately after burial [still at the cemetery].
Questions for Reflection
1. What role do shoes play in the biblical narrative, and why would that interpretation be linked to Yom Kippur?
2. The legal codes consider taking off the shoes to be a serious part of mourning, why do you think they find it so important?
(ד) נוֹהֲגִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם לְהַרְבּוֹת נֵרוֹת בְּבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת, וּלְהַצִּיעַ בְּגָדִים נָאִים בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לִלְבֹּשׁ בְּגָדִים לְבָנִים נְקִיִּים בְּיוֹם כִּפּוּר, דֻּגְמַת מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת; וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין לִלְבֹּש הַקִּיטְל שֶׁהוּא לָבָן וְנָקִי, גַּם הוּא בֶּגֶד מֵתִים וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה לֵב הָאָדָם נִכְנָע וְנִשְׁבָּר (דִּבְרֵי עַצְמוֹ מֵהַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פ''ז דִּשְׁבִיתַת עָשׂוֹר).
It is customary in all places to increase the candles in the synagogues and to wear nice clothing in the synagogue...
Remah: There are those who have written that we should wear clean white clothes on Yom Kippur, to make ourselves like the Malachei Ha'Sharet, and yes it is our custom to wear a kittel, which is white and clean. It is also the clothing of the dead, and because of this it assists in the opening and breaking of the heart [for tshuva]
Likewise, at first taking the dead out for burial was more difficult for the relatives than the actual death, because it was customary to bury the dead in expensive shrouds, which the poor could not afford. The problem grew to the point that relatives would sometimes abandon the corpse and run away. This lasted until Rabban Gamliel came and acted with leniency, instructing that the corpse be taken out for burial in linen garments. And the people adopted this practice after him and had themselves taken out for burial in linen garments. Rav Pappa said: And nowadays, everyone follows the practice of taking out the dead for burial even in plain hemp garments [tzerada] that cost only a dinar.
A Prayer for the Day of Atonement - Yehudah Halevi [ca. 1085-1141]
O Lord! all my desire is toward You,
even if it does not rise to speech.
Grant me Your favor a mere moment --
and I would die.
Please grant my wish, and I will commit
my spirit to Your keeping.
I would sleep, and my sleep be sweet.
For when I am far from You --
my life is death;
And were I to cleave to You --
my death would be life!
But I don't know what to do,
what I should bring You in service.
רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר אלו תלמידי חכמים שממיתין עצמן על דברי תורה כדר' שמעון בן לקיש דאמר ר"ש בן לקיש אין דברי תורה מתקיימין אלא במי שממית עצמו עליהם שנאמר (במדבר יט, יד) זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל וגו'
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: These people in the verse are Torah scholars who kill themselves over the words of Torah, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: The words of the Torah endure only for one who kills himself over them, as it is stated: “This is the Torah, when a man dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14).
Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz [the ShLaCh or the Shnei Luchot HaBrit]
A person must offer himself as a sacrifice in action. How does he do so? By means of mourning for Jerusalem, which he demonstrates through all his actions...
And he must offer himself as a sacrifice in word. How so? By means of the principle "Instead of bulls we shall pay the offering of our lips"; as our Rabbis have taught us: "Whoever occupies himself with the portion of the sacrifices is as if he offered the sacrifices themselves.:
And he must also offer himself as a sacrifice in thought. How so? This is does through the mystery whereby one determines in his mind and in his heart to devote himself to the sanctification of the name [Kiddush HaShem]; for then he fulfills in himself [the verse] "A person who would offer from among you a sacrifice to G-d..." [Leviticus 1:2], since he offers himself sacrificially to G-d, may He be praised. [The verse continues] "If his offering is from the sheep..." this may be understood with regard to the passage "we are regarded as sheep for the slaughter" [Psalm 44:23]
(18) All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten You, or been false to Your covenant. (19) Our hearts have not gone astray, nor have our feet swerved from Your path, (20) though You cast us, crushed, to where the sea monster is, and covered us over with deepest darkness. (21) If we forgot the name of our God and spread forth our hands to a foreign god, (22) God would surely search it out, for He knows the secrets of the heart. (23) It is for Your sake that we are slain all day long, that we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. (24) Rouse Yourself; why do You sleep, O Lord? Awaken, do not reject us forever! (25) Why do You hide Your face, ignoring our affliction and distress? (26) We lie prostrate in the dust; our body clings to the ground. (27) Arise and help us, redeem us, as befits Your faithfulness.