Monday, February 21, 2011

Shomer Negiah

I must divulge here that since perhaps 2008, I have no longer decided to shake the hands of the women I meet.  Jewish law forbids that men and women have this sort of contact.   If you are not a relative, and I mean sister, mother, grandmother or wife or daughter, I am not going to shake your hand.
This is not meant to be mean or discriminatory. It is because men and women are indeed a different mystical creature and men who shake the hands of unrelated women invite them into their hearts in a mystical spiritual psychological level of affairs.  This might seem good, but consider that the man who has a more than innocuous relationship with a non related women may in fact sin in his own soul when it comes to her presence or her touch.  I must say that I find that most women are agreeable to this restriction.  Many find it curious, but only a few are so upset that it shakes their world.

1 comment:

C.J. Brenner said...

All this said, I will indeed consider giving you a hug. This may violate the norm of the Jewish custom, but i will do so. Probably for the non Jew only. Sorry to the jewish women. I may not choose to hug you at all. Too sensitive. But those who I may have a lifelong friendship with, we are still friends. I will consider a breif hug. But let me be the one to decide. Thanks.