Laws for Lefties | Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | Beit Midrash

Torah Portion and Tanach
Vayechi

קטגוריה משנית

2 min read

Question #1: Keep left!
I am left-handed. On which foot do I put my shoe first and which do I tie first?

Question #2: Lulav
How do I hold and shake my lulav and esrog?

Question #3: Clockwise or counterclockwise?
Are there halachos that determine whether I should drive around a traffic circle clockwise or counterclockwise?

Introduction:
At the beginning of Parshas Vayechi, the Torah teaches that, when Yaakov blessed his grandsons, major significance was attached to where he placed his right hand and where his left. As we know, there are many halachos in which we are instructed to use our "right" hand, such as which hand holds the lulav and which one the esrog, and which hand we hold food or a mitzvah item when we recite a beracha upon them.

Similarly, many halachos are contingent on our right or left sides, such as, how we recline on seder night; with which foot we back up first upon completing the shemoneh esrei; when there are two people walking together, the more respected person should be positioned to the right when (Yoma 37a; and in the middle when there are more than two).

And then, there are halachos dependent on direction, such as: in what order we kindle the Chanukah lights; the direction in which someone holding the sefer Torah walks from the aron kodesh to the shulchan; how we perform the na’anu’im when we shake the lulav; how we walk for hoshanos; and how a kohein rotates prior to and after duchening.

This article is devoted to explaining whether a left-handed person does these activities the same way that a right-handed person does. When a left-handed person performs mitzvos, which hand does he use? Does he use his left hand, which is his stronger and more agile hand, or his right hand?

In each instance, we need to explain first what a right-handed person is supposed to do and why, and then discuss what a lefty should do. There are different rationales why we emphasize the right when performing mitzvos, and, dependent on these reasons, a lefty would do them as a righty does or with his left hand. Sometimes, the explanation is because of the anatomy of the human body, including reasons that are because of safety or because of imagery. For other mitzvos, it is to demonstrate that we carry them out with alacrity, devoting our strongest energies to their performance. Other times it is because of kabbalistic or other symbolic bases.

The right anatomy
There are halachos for which there is an anatomical basis why we use the right or left. For example, at the seder, when we lean to fulfill the mitzvah of heseibah, the Gemara (Pesachim 108a) states that we should incline to the left side. The rishonim dispute why this is true. Rashi explains that leaning on the left side makes it more comfortable to eat using the right hand. Logically, following his opinion, one would conclude that a left-handed person should lean on his right side, in order to be able to eat with his left hand. The Rashbam disagrees with his grandfather, Rashi, contending that leaning on the left side is a safety consideration; because of the location of the trachea and the esophagus, it is dangerous to lean on the right side, because this may cause food to go down the trachea, causing someone to choke. Following his approach, everyone should lean on the left side, even a lefty, and this is the way the Shulchan Aruch concludes (Orach Chayim 472:3).

Heart on left
Here is another halacha that is dependent on anatomy. When someone, chas veshalom, needs to tear keriyah, the Gemara does not specify any preference to tear the garment on the right side or the left. The early poskim discuss this issue. Although a person fulfills the mitzvah regardless of which side he tears, accepted custom is to tear keriyah on the left side of the garment when someone has lost a parent, because of the location of the heart, which tilts toward the left of the chest cavity (Maharshal and Bach, quoted by Taz, Yoreh Deah 340:6). (There is a phenomenon in which the heart tilts to the right side, called dextrocardia, which occurs in only one of 12,000 people. I am unaware of any halachic literature concerning whether someone whose heart tilts to his right should tear keriyah for his parent on the right side of his garment.) In this instance, since left-handed people usually have their hearts on the left side, just as do most right-handed people, there is no difference in halacha between righties and lefties.

Keep left!
At this point, let us begin discussing our opening question:

"I am left-handed. On which foot do I put my shoe first and which do I tie first?"

Although this question might seem to be a "shoo-in," it is actually far from simple. The Gemara’s conclusion is that a right-handed male should first put on his right shoe, then his left shoe, tie his left shoe and then tie his right shoe (Shabbos 61a). The reason for putting on the right shoe first is that, in general, we place the right ahead of the left. However, since a right-handed person places his tefillin on his left arm, it is preferred that he tie his left shoe first, since a mitzvah such as tefillin, which involves tying, is done on the left side. On the other "hand," women, who do not wear tefillin, should put their right shoe on first and tie it, and then put on their left shoe and tie it (Rav Shelomoh Zalman Auerbach, quoted in Halichos Beisah 1:7, footnote 14).

The question is, what does a left-handed man do? Does he put on his left shoe first? And, assuming that he places his tefillin on his right arm, does he tie his right shoe first?
The poskim compare this situation to the following: As we are aware, the halacha is that we fulfill the mitzvah of lulav and esrog by holding the lulav in the right hand and the esrog in the left. What does a lefty do?

The rishonim dispute what he should do. The Ba’al Ha’itur and the Tur (Orach Chayim 651) rule that a lefty takes the lulav and esrog the exact same way that a right-handed person does -- with the lulav in his right hand and the esrog in his left, and this is how the Shulchan Aruch concludes (Orach Chayim 651:3). However, the Rosh and many other rishonim paskin that a lefty should take the lulav in his left hand, and this is the way the Rema (Orach Chayim 651:3) rules. The Rema notes that a left-handed person who took lulav and esrog the way a right-handed person does is yotzei bedei’evid. This implies that a right-handed person who takes the lulav in his left hand and the esrog in his right has not fulfilled the mitzvah, an inference that troubles both the Taz (651:4) and the Magen Avraham (651:9), who feel that someone should fulfill the mitzvah bedei’evid regardless of which hand he used to pick up the four species. The Magen Avraham then notes that he found evidence in the commentary of Rabbeinu Chananel that taking the four species in the wrong hands does not fulfill the mitzvah. Therefore, the Magen Avraham concludes that a right-handed person who took the lulav in his left hand and the esrog in his right should take the lulav and esrog again, this time making sure to take the lulav in his right hand and the esrog in his left. (See also Bikkurei Yaakov [651:16], who reaches the same conclusion.)

Bensching
The same dispute regarding with which hand a left-handed person holds his lulav should seemingly address which hand he uses to hold the cup of bensching -- left-handed Sephardim should hold it in the right hand, in accordance with the Shulchan Aruch,) and left-handed Ashkenazim in the left, in accordance with the Rema). However, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 183:5) rules that a lefty should hold the cup in his left hand, which prompts the Magen Avraham (183:9) to note that the two rulings of the Shulchan Aruch appear to be contradictory.

Holding a Sefer Torah
The same question exists regarding holding the sefer Torah. If a right-handed person is to hold the Torah with his right hand because he uses it more to perform mitzvos, a left-handed person should take and hold the sefer Torah with his left hand, which is the one he uses to perform mitzvos. On the other hand, if a right-handed person holds the Torah with his right hand because the pesukim discussing the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people place emphasis on the right, a left-handed person should also use his right hand, closer to the reference of the posuk.

We find different approaches among the halachic authorities. The Pri Megadim (Eishel Avraham 134:5) is uncertain whether a left-handed person should take the Torah in his left hand, and, in one place, seems more inclined that he should. However, the Shaar Efrayim concludes that a left-handed person may take the Torah out with either hand, but he should rest it in his right hand against his right shoulder, notwithstanding that this is his weaker hand and arm, unless he is afraid that he might drop it (Shaar 10:2). The Mishnah Berurah (282:1) rules that, when a sefer Torah is handed from one left-handed person to another, they should both use their right hands.

Removing Tefillin
Removing the tefillin shel rosh with our weaker hand is a custom whose written source we find in the early acharonim. The basis of this practice is the Shelah, who notes that he saw his rebbe, who is sometimes called the Rash of Austria, remove his tefillin with his left hand. This is to demonstrate that, although the mitzvah min haTorah is that we should wear our tefillin all day long, since it is difficult for us to fulfill the requirements that tefillin necessitate, we cannot wear them the entire day and we need to remove them. To demonstrate our sorrow at this state of affairs, we remove them with our weaker hand, to show how difficult it is for us to part from the mitzvah (Magen Avraham 28:3). It thus appears that a left-handed person should remove his tefillin with his right hand.

However, what about someone who writes with his right hand, and therefore wears tefillin on his left hand, but does most of his work, both fine motor and gross motor, with his left hand? With which hand does such a person remove his tefillin? It would seem that he should remove his tefillin shel rosh with his right, less dexterous hand. I believe that this is the conclusion reached by the Mishnah Berurah.

Wash right
When washing our hands, the halacha teaches that we should wash our right hand and then our left. Based on the Zohar (Parshas Mikeitz), the Magen Avraham (4:6, and beginning of 158) explains that this is to elevate the concept of chesed (right) above that of judgment (left). The Pri Megadim (Eishel Avraham, beginning of 158) notes that, according to this approach, a left-handed person should also wash his right hand first. This approach is accepted by the later authorities (see, for example, Artzos Hachayim and Mishnah Berurah 4:22).

Backing up after shemoneh esrei
The poskim state that, when completing the shemoneh esrei, one should back up with his left foot first. This is to demonstrate that it is difficult for us to leave the Divine Presence, and, therefore, we back up with our "weaker" foot. Therefore, a left-handed person completing davening should back up with his right, weaker foot to demonstrate the same thing (Magen Avraham 123:10).

Also, when we back up after completing the shemoneh esrei, we bow to the left and then to the right (Taz; Levush; Pr Megadim, Mishbetzos Zahav 123:2). The reason we bow first to the left, is that this is the "right" from Hashem’s perspective, and thus it is more respectful to bow to His right. In this case, a lefty should do the same thing that a righty does. Of course, we all realize that Hashem has neither right nor left, and that any allusion to G-d’s physicality is merely so that we can appreciate the personal relationship we have with Him.

Left footed
As the Gemara notes, most people enter a doorway with their right foot first, since most people are right handed (and right footed). There are also some mitzvos done with the feet or legs, such as chalitzah, in which case it might need to be determined which foot is dominant Prior to performing a chalitzah, the beis din asks the yavam to kick a wall, without giving him prior notification, to see which foot he uses when he is not focused on the issue. The foot with which he kicks indicates which foot he favors, which is essential for performing the mitzvah of chalitzah. (We should note that many armies drill their soldiers to march left foot first. This does not make it the dominant foot.)

Clockwise or counter-clockwise
There is also the question as to whether someone walks in a circle clockwise or counter-clockwise. The halacha states that someone should, as a rule of thumb, walk to his right,
as evidenced by the following Mishnah, "All those who enter the Har Habayis enter and turn to their right, walking in a direction like a circumference around it" (Middos 2:2). The Mishnah notes that there are two exceptions, but that is not the topic for this article. Similarly, the Gemara states many times, "All turns that you make should be to the right" (Yoma 15b, 17b, 45a, 58b; Sotah 15b; Zevachim 62b).

If you approach a circle from the outside and turn to your right, you are going counterclockwise. Think about this the next time you enter a traffic circle in a country in which you drive on the right side of the road. This affects shaylos such as which way we bring and return the sefer Torah to the aron kodesh and in which direction we circle around the sefer Torah and the shulchan for hoshanos and hakafos.

However, if you approach a circle from the inside, and you move in a rightward direction, you are going clockwise. This affects in which direction we turn as we shake the lulav, if you follow nusach Ashkenaz. It also impacts how to rotate the sefer Torah when performing hagbaha and in which direction the kohein turns before and after duchening (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 128:17).

There is an opinion that disagrees, contending that "turning to the right" is not affected by whether you are entering the circle from the inside or the outside. The Levush accepts that approach, ruling that "turning to the right" is another way of saying "moving counter-clockwise," whether you enter the circle from the inside or the outside. However, the Beis Yosef disagrees strongly with this opinion. The accepted practice is like the Beis Yosef, that we rotate to the right while performing hagbahah or shaking the lulav and move in a clockwise direction.

What about a lefty?
The Pri Megadim (Mishbetzos Zahav 128:11) is uncertain whether a kohein who is left-handed should turn to face the people prior to duchening by turning to his right or to his left. He explains that in the cases of hoshanos and hakafos, the left-handed person should follow what everyone else is doing, since he should be part of their circle. (This is the same reason why it is safe and legal to drive around a traffic circle the way all of the other traffic is going, which is counter-clockwise in a country where driving is on the right side of the road.) However, when the kohein rotates, he is not affecting anyone else’s movement.

According to the suggestion of the Pri Megadim, it would seem that a left-handed person should move to his left when performing hagbahah on the sefer Torah. Yet, this seems to run counter to the statement of the Gemara that someone should always move to his right. I believe that the accepted practice is not like the Pri Megadim and therefore a lefty, when performing hagbahah should rotate to his right while showing the sefer Torah to all the assembled.

Na’anuim
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 651:10) rules that, when performing na’anuim, one should move to his right for the four directions, which is clockwise, because we are on the inside of the circle as we move to our right. (It should be noted that the Levush [Orach Chayim 651:11] understands that na’anuim should also be performed counter-clockwise, and that "moving to the right" is another way of saying counter-clockwise, whether you are inside the circle or outside of it.) The consensus of the later authorities is that we follow the Shulchan Aruch, and the Magen Avraham (651:21) explains that there should be no difference between a right-handed person and a left-handed person. The reason why this is true, even according to the Rema, who contends that a left-handed person holds the lulav in his left hand, is that the principle of moving to the right is a concept of orientation to the world around us, not necessarily our own specific direction (Shu’t Shevet Halevi 8:151).

Conclusion
We should always thank Hashem for the opportunity to observe His mitzvos and to pay careful attention to performing all their details in the way that He desires.

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Vayechi