Barefoot
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bareheadedness
Leshon Aranii," studies in the Aramaic language, Odessa, 1865; "O Yevreiskom Sklonenii Pinskera," on the declension of Hebrew nouns according to Pinsker, Odessa, 1886; " Mazkir li-Bne ReSHeF," catalogue of the Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts left by Simhah Pinsker, Vienna, 1869 a Russian translation of Geigcr's "Lehrbuch zur Sprache der Mischnah," Odessa, 1871; "Polny Kurs Yevreiskavo Zakonoycheniya, " a complete course in Jewish religion a Russian translation of the Prayerbook and Haggadali, "O Yevreiskoi Stilistikye," on Hebrew style. These last three works were left in manuscript. Many of his articles in Hebrew and in Russian were published in "Ha-Maggid," "Ha-Shahar," and the two publications known as " Razsvyet."
Bibliography
N. Sokolow, Srfcr Ziklsaron, Warsaw, 1889.
Modern opinions
30
is
it
Data: In
mentioned that David, on
fore Absalom,
went Barefoot
show
II
his
Sam. xv. flight be-
Mibe barefooted " (according to LXX. "stripped," A. V.) is, likewise, a sign of mourning. In Isa. xx. 2 the nakedness and the bare feet of the prophet may be intended to symbolize the neglected condition of captives (compare Job xii. 17, 19, where probably the true translation is " barefoot " "spoiled," A. V. and R. V.). All these passages seem to refer to the discomfort of going without sandals on long journeys over stony roads. On the other hand, in and around the house the wearing of sandals seems to have been very uncommon. For a different explanation of the custom of going Barefoot as a sign of mourning and then of grief in general, see Jastrow on " Tearing of Garments " (" Journal of the Amer. Oriental Society," xxi 23-39). See
cah
8,
i.
to
his grief.
" to
Sltob. J.
W. M. M.
JR.
In Rabbinical Literature is
the
common custom
in the
To go Barefoot Orient when walking
about one's house or on holy ground, or even in the street in cases of mourning. The shoes Historical worn in antiquity were only sandals
Survey.
that tect
is, soles tied upon the feet them against the pricking
to pro-
of the hard stones or thorns of the road whereas stockings were altogether unknown. It therefore appeared as desecration of a holy place to walk thereon with dustcovered shoes, instead of having the feet perfectly cleansed by ablutions, as was the custom before sitting down to a meal.
—
The
wore no shoes (see Theodoret on Ex. iii., quxstio 7 Yer. Shek. v. 48<7). Moses and Joshua were told to take off their shoes on holy ground (Ex. iii. 5; Josh. v. 15). "No one was allowed to walk on the Temple ground with shoes on or with dust on his feet " (Ber. ix. 5 compare Iamblichus, " Pythagoras," § 105). Similarly, in Islam no one is allowed to enter the mosque except when barefooted. For the same reason the priests, when going upon the platform before the sacred Ark in the synagogue to priests in the sanctuaries
"Silius
Italicus, "
iii.
28;
bless the congregation,
must take
off their shoes;
though to-day they wear stockings and are not supposed to be Barefoot (Sotah 40" R. H. 315 Shulhan 'Aruk, Orah Hayyim, 128, 5).
see
differ as to the reason for
the
removal of the shoes as a sign of mourning; some scholars see in the custom a trace of ancestor worothers a return to primitive modes of life, while others again, in agreement with the Jewish view, suggest that it is a symbol of humility approship,
priate to occasions of grief or solemnity.
For this not worn on the Day of Atonement or on the Ninth of Ab. Occidental life, however, did away with the custom of going Barefoot; stockings and the like being worn on all occasions for which removal of shoes is prescribed (see Shulhan 'Aruk, Orah Hayyim, 614, latter reason shoes are
2; 554, 16).
Bibliography: Winer, B. B. s.v. Priester and Schuhe; Riehm, Hamlwrirlcrhueh ties Biblbschen Alterthums, s.v. Schuhe.
H. R.
BAREFOOT.— Biblical
530
J.
K.
SK.
BAREHEADEDNESS
Jewish custom has for ages required women to cover the hair as an evidence of their modesty before men, and required men to cover the head in order to show their humility and reverence before God. In ancient Biblical times there is no indication that women covered their hair except with head-gears, The Shulammite's long flowing locks for ornament. are an object of admiration in the Song of Songs, (iv. 1; vi. 5; vii. 5; compare Ezek. xvi.7); and much art is bestowed in coquetry upon the braiding (see Isa. iii. 24; II Sam. xiv. 26; Judges xiii.). The
woman
Bareheadedness
suspected of adultery was therefore signally disgraced, or humiliated like a mourner, when for punish-
Women, ment
was disheveled by the. (Num. v. 18; compare Lev. xxi. A. V. " uncover ") and shaving off the hair was
of
her head
priest
10;
only on captive women (Jer. vii. In Mishnaic times, however, it 29; I Cor. xi. 15). was regarded as an inviolable Jewish custom ("dat Yehudit ") that women should not be seen in the streets with uncovered hair (Ket. vii. 6); and the infringement of that rule by a married woman was deemed sufficient ground for divorce, a view stated
an insult
inflicted
Roman law (Marquardt and Mommsen, "Handbuch der Romischen Alterthumer," vii., part
also in
2, pp. 554 et seq.). Accordingly, the Mosaic law (Num. v. 18) mentioned and above is taken by the Septuagint and Mishnaic the Rabbis to mean " the priest shall Times. uncover the woman's head"; and, consequently, R. Ishmael derives from it the law forbidding the daughters of Israel to walk abroad with uncovered hair (Ket. T2a; Sifre, Num. 1 1). The great importance of the traditional'custom may be inferred from the following, story, related
Biblical
in
Num.
R. xviii. 20:
"On, the son
o( Peleth, companion of Koran, was saved through the device of his wife, who, having made him so drunk that he fell asleep, sat with her daughter in front of the tent, both having their hair uncovered. When On's companions came to call for him, and saw the women in such an attitude, they turned away for no one would enter a house where this Jewish custom was so openly disregarded."
The distinction of Kamhit, who saw seven of her sons made high priests, and two officiate on one and the same day, one of them being Simon ben Kamhit,
mentioned by Josephus ("Ant."
xviii. 2,
§
2)
as
