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Sleeping position and removing shoes

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Rabbi David Sperling

Elul 20, 5779
Question
Thank you for everything You’re doing. Please advise me in halacha. 1) Heard the position of sleep is on the left side, but due to spinal cord issues, doctors say to sleep on the back. But I read it’s against halacha. Please advise because I want to sleep and I cannot sleep if I don’t stick to halacha answer, please. Thank u 2) how to take off shoes? whats the order? some say left shoe first some right ? is there principle difference for ladies and man? for right-handed or lefthanded? thank you
Answer
Shalom, Thank you for your question. First let me send you blessings for good health. 1. You are correct that one should not sleep on their back or on their front, but rather on their side. However, the Talmud records that some people are unable to sleep on their side for medical reasons. As such, it is permitted when needed for medical reasons to sleep on one's back. 2. Removing shoes – The left shoe is removed first and then the right shoe. Some say that one should untie the right shoe first, then the left shoe, only then removing the left shoe before the right one. Most opinions though believe that one unties and removes the left shoe and then unties and removes the right one. Many hold that this is true for women also. As for a left-handed person – here too there is an argument with some holding that he should follow the order mentioned above for all people, and some saying that he reverses the order. You should note that when it comes to putting shoes on, a man should put on the right shoe before the left, and then tie the left before the right. There is an argument if this is true for women, with some saying that for a women the left never takes precedence, and she should also tie the right before the left. There is also an argument as to what a left handed (or left footed) person should do in relation to the order of putting on and tying their shoes, with some holding that they should both put on and tie their right shoe first, and others holding that they should not change the order that is mentioned above for everyone. Blessings.
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