Q:
Why does the halacha recommend that a person give preference to his right hand and right foot over his left when getting dressed? When you put on a shirt, we do the right sleeve first and with shoes, we put on the right shoe first. But then we’re supposed to tie the left shoe first. What’s this about?
A:
The answer is we have to train ourselves for greater ideals, even when getting dressed.
For example, we know that we have to give precedence to someone who is older. An older person must walk in first. That’s the Jewish way. Don’t look at the fools in the street. Here is a boy and his father going to shul; the boy walks through the door first, a yeshiva boy even, he walks through first. He’s an am ha’aretz, he’s a boor, he’s an ignoramus. The father must walk first! A boy has to learn that a father goes first. A boy has to learn that an older boy goes first. An older man goes first. That’s how we have to train ourselves.
Now in order to learn this lesson, we give our right arm precedence. The right arm does more mitzvos than the left arm. The right arm is the arm that puts on tefillin for you; the left arm can’t put on tefillin. The right is the arm that points in the siddur and in the sefer where you’re reading. The right arm does a lot of good things! The right arm gives tzedakah. You don’t give with your left arm, you give with your right. So with your right arm, you do so many good deeds, you have to honor the right arm.
The right foot also is more dexterous than the left.
Therefore when you wash, when you’re in the bathtub, you have to wash your head first, you have to learn that the head is important. The head of the family, the head of the nation, is very important. You wash your head first, then your torso, then your right arm, then your left arm. Then your right foot, then your left foot.
Now don’t think this is a meaningless ceremony. It’s good practice. It’s good practice in being a mentch. It’s good practice in derech eretz.
That’s why you put on your right shoe first. It’s practice. And then your left shoe. And you tie your left shoe first, because your left shoe resembles your left arm, where you tie your tefillin, so you tie the left shoe first to remind yourself that when it comes to tying, the left side has a preference.
Now all these things are training. You’re only getting dressed but at the same time you’re reminding yourself of even bigger ideals. All these forms of behavior in Jewish life are really a training for greater things, for bigger ideals.
(November 1975)
