Question: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch states that a person should first put on his right shoe, then his left one, then tie the laces of the left shoe, then tie the laces of the right shoe. He explains that the right side always comes first except in the case of tying, which is why tefillin are wrapped on our left arms. My question is: Since we wrap tefillin with our right hand, couldn’t one argue that there is no exception to the rule and we should tie our right shoe first?
Y. Malinsky
Answer: The ruling you cite is Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 3:4, which is based on the Mechaber (Orach Chayim 2:4), which is in turn based on the ruling of R. Nachman b. Yitzchak (Shabbos 61a), which is really a compromise of two views on which shoe to put on first. R. Nachman b. Yitzchak concludes:
“One who fears Heaven should satisfy both [opinions],” and for support, he notes the behavior of Mar b. Rabina, who “first put on the right shoe, but did not tie it, then put on the left shoe and tied it, and then returned to the right shoe and tied it.”
The Rema (Orach Chayim 2:4, citing Tosafot, Shabbos 61a s.v. “Ve’seyam d’sma’ileih ve’katar”) adds that if the shoes have no laces, one still puts on the right shoe first. This ruling is presumably necessary because of the dispute on which shoe to put on first and because no compromise solution is possible in such a case.
The Talmud in many places notes the primacy of the right side in doing mitzvot. One mishnah (on Yoma 43b) states that kohanim would ascend the mizbe’ach on the eastern side of the ramp and turn right when they reached the top and then would descend the ramp on its western side, turning right once again to do so.
Another mishnah (Sotah 15b) discusses the earth that was put into the water a sotah drank and states that a kohen entered the Heichal and turned to his right to take this earth. The Gemara (infra, Yoma 45a) explains that we have a principle: “Any turn you make shall be to the right.”
The Gemara (Zevachim 62b) derives the primacy of the right from II Chronicles 4:4: “Omed al shenayim asar bakar, shelosha ponim tzofona, u’shlosha ponim yama, u’shlosha ponim negba, u’shlosha ponim mizracha ve’hayam omed aleihem – It [the pool of Solomon] stood upon 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was on top of them…”
Rashi (s.v. “lo yehu elah derech yemin”) explains that a person turning in these directions will constantly be turning rightward. Based on this passage in the Gemara, the Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah 14:13) rules that during the Priestly Blessing, when the kohanim turn to face the people to bless them as well as when they conclude their blessing and turn away, they should turn to the right.
The Talmudic passage that derives the primacy of the right from II Chronicles 4:4 seems at first to be at odds with another Talmudic passage (supra 24b) that cites a different source for this principle: Leviticus 14:16, which states, “Ve’taval ha’kohen et etzba’o ha’yemanit… – And the kohen shall dip using his right forefinger…” In actuality, though, these two passages focus on different matters. One concerns the primacy of the right while the other concerns turning to the right.
More directly relevant to your question is Yoma 58b-59a, which debates whether a kohen sprinkling the blood of sacrifices on the Golden Altar should do so with a turn of his hand or with a turn of his leg to the right, going from one corner of the altar to the next.
The question is whether turning to the right must involve the entire body (i.e., one’s leg) or can suffice with a movement of the hand. The Chatam Sofer (Responsa Orach Chayim 187) concludes based on our Gemara that when a mitzvah only requires moving one’s hand, the initial turn should be to the left so that one moves to, and ends at, the right. A perfect example is kindling the Chanukah lights. We move our hand to the left and then progress to, and end at, the right.
As you point out, the right hand wraps the tefillin. And we start at the top of the arm, which from our angle appears to be at the left, and work our way down to the fingers, which appears to be at the right. Thus, even in wrapping tefillin, an element of primacy of the right seems present. But this conclusion is mistaken. At the end of the day, tefillin are worn on the left hand, so when it comes to tying, we have an exception to the rule of the primacy of the right.
The Mishna Berurah (Orach Chayim 2:6) writes that a left-handed person should put on tefillin on his right hand and should put on his left shoe first (and tie the right one first).
The Aruch Hashulchan (Orach Chayim 2:7) writes that people who wear shoes without laces should take off their left shoe first (since they can’t tie their left one first).
May the right time for Moshiach be imminent so we can return to a rebuilt Jerusalem in our beloved land of Israel in peace and tranquility.