Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Foot covering

7 May, 2006
Question:

Can you help me in the area of the halachic requirements regarding foot/leg covering? I was wondering about sandals also.


Answer:

There are no hard and fast halachot regarding foot covering.  According to most halachic decisors, the knee should be covered, even in a seated position.  Covering the rest of the leg is more a matter of debate.  As such, foot and leg covering follow the standard practice of the religious community with which one affiliates.

For more details on modesty of dress, we recommend the book Understanding Tzniut by Rav Yehuda Henkin, our rabbinic supervisor. The book incorporates his article “Contemporary Tseni’ut,” which was printed in Tradition magazine (vol. 37 no. 3, Fall 2003) and is available online here. Deracheha is another excellent online resource.

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional.

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