Siman 2

It has already been explained that even in the innermost chambers, a person must conduct himself with modesty, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, fills the whole world with His glory. Therefore, if he sleeps naked—he should not rise naked from his bed, but rather should put on his shirt while still lying down. And he should not put on his shirt even while sitting, for half of his body would be revealed naked. Rather, he should take his shirt and insert his head and arms into it while still lying down, so that when he rises, he will be covered. And similarly, when he goes to sleep and removes his shirt—he should not remove it while standing or sitting, but rather when he is lying down and covered with a covering over his body. And he should place the shirt near him so that when he rises he will not need to sit naked. And this is of the measure of modesty. And let him not say: "Who sees me?"—for the glory of Him, may He be blessed, fills the whole world. (And regarding his feet there is no concern, and similarly in the bathhouse.)

One should be meticulous with his shirt to wear it in its proper manner, so that he does not turn the inside to the outside and the seams and the hems of the shirt are visible, and he becomes repulsive to people. This applies even to a shirt where there is not such a great difference between the inner and outer sides, and all the more so with other garments. For just as a person must satisfy people so that they do not speak ill of him, so too he must not become repulsive in the eyes of people. And we say in Shabbat (Shabbat 114a): Who is a talmid chakham...? One who is meticulous about his shirt, to turn it. That is to say: even if by chance he wore it inside out—he troubles himself to strip it off, turn it, and wear it. And one who is not a talmid chakham would not trouble himself so much. And initially, every person is meticulous in this (Taz, subsection 2). And if with a shirt it is so, with other garments all the more so. And in Bava Batra (57b) we say: What is the shirt of a talmid chakham like? Any that his flesh is not visible from beneath it, and it should reach until the ground when he walks barefoot (Rashbam). And consequently, with us, there is no concern. But the Rambam in the fifth chapter of De'ot explains that it should not be very thin so that his flesh is visible through it. Furthermore, we say there: What is the tallit of a talmid chakham like? Any that his shirt is not visible from beneath it a handbreadth. And tallit is the upper garment, and the intention is that the lower garment should not be longer than the upper one. And any student upon whose garment a stain is found, that is to say, tallow or fat or any repulsive thing—is liable for death, for he makes the Torah hated in the eyes of people (Shabbat ibid.). Rather, his garments should be clean of filth. And it is forbidden for a student to walk in shoes patched with patch upon patch (ibid.) in a manner that he becomes repulsive, unless it is in mud and mire during the rainy season, for then there is no concern.

This is the wording of the Rambam there, law 9: The garment of a talmid chacham is a handsome and clean garment, and it is forbidden for him that there be found on his garment a stain or grease or the like. And he shall not wear purple garments that everyone gazes at, nor the garment of the poor that shames its wearers, but rather intermediate, handsome garments. And his flesh shall not be visible from beneath his clothes, like the light linen garments made in Egypt. And his garments shall not be trailing on the ground like the garments of the haughty. Rather, until his heel, and his sleeve until his fingertips… And he shall not go out perfumed to the marketplace, nor with perfumed garments, and he shall not put perfume in his hair. But if he smeared his flesh in order to remove filth – it is permitted. And likewise, he shall not go out alone at night, unless he had a fixed time to go out for his study. And all these are because of suspicion. Thus far his words. (See Berakhot 43b. And in Chullin 91a it explains because of damaging spirits, and it requires further study.)

He further wrote there in law 7: A Torah scholar should not be one who shouts and screams during his speech. He should not raise his voice excessively, but rather his speech should be gentle with all people. And when he speaks gently, he must ensure that he does not distance himself to the point that it appears like the words of the arrogant. He should be the first to greet every person. He should judge every person favorably. He should speak of his fellow's praise and not of his disgrace at all. He should love peace and pursue peace. If he sees that his words will be effective and heard – he should speak. And if not – he should remain silent… He should not speak except regarding matters of wisdom and acts of loving-kindness and the like. He should not converse with a woman in the marketplace, even if she is his wife or his sister or his daughter. Thus far his words. And all the more so, he should not be accustomed to oaths and vows. He should not frequent feasts in every place. He should distance himself from the company of scoffers and from people who are not upright.

We say at the end of Horayot, five things cause one to forget his learning: one who eats from that which a mouse has eaten or from that which a cat has eaten; one who eats the heart of an animal; one who is accustomed to olives; one who drinks water of the remnants of washing; and one who washes his feet one on top of the other. And some say: even one who places his vessels, meaning his clothes, under his headrest. And five things restore one's learning: bread baked on coals, and all the more so the coals themselves; one who eats a soft-boiled egg without salt, and soft-boiled means partially roasted (see Rashi Shabbat 38b, starting with the words "on account of"); one who is accustomed to olive oil; one who is accustomed to wine and spices; and one who drinks water of the remnants of dough. And some say: even one who dips his finger in salt and eats.

It is further stated there: Ten things are difficult for study (to understand what one learns): One who passes under the halter of a camel, and all the more so under the camel itself; and one who passes between two camels; and one who passes between two women; and a woman who passes between two men; and one who passes under the foul odor of a carcass; and one who passes under a bridge under which water has not passed for forty days; and one who eats bread that was not fully cooked; and one who eats meat from a zuhama listerin, and this is the spoon with which one stirs the pot; and one who drinks from a water channel that passes through a cemetery; and one who gazes at the face of a corpse. And some say: even one who reads writing that is upon a grave, see there. And some have written that those who wear two garments together, it is also difficult for forgetfulness (Magen Avraham subsection 3 in the name of the Kavanot). And it appears that regarding shoes there is no concern.

Our teachers, the authors of the Shulchan Aruch, wrote in section 4: One should put on the right shoe first and not tie it. Afterward, he should put on the left one and tie it, and then return and tie the right one. And with our shoes which do not have laces—he should put on the right one first. And when he removes his shoes—he removes the left one first. Thus far his words. And so too with stockings, also regarding putting them on, the right is first, and regarding stripping them off, the left is first (Shulchan Aruch of the Grsh"z). And there is one who disagrees with this (Artzot HaChaim), but it is not the primary view. And also regarding their tying, as we tie stockings on the leg which are called "podoshkes"—it is also thus: that he should put on the stocking of the right leg and not tie it, and afterward put on the left one and tie it, and afterward tie the right one. And so we practice, and one should not deviate according to the words of our teachers, the authors of the Shulchan Aruch. And the Tur also ruled accordingly, see there.

And the explanation of the matters: For behold, in every place the Torah accorded honor to the right, such as in the service of the Beit HaMikdash where only the right is fit for service. And so too regarding the sprinklings on the thumb and the big toe in parashat "Metzora" it is written: "the right." And so too in all actions of man's hands—the right is the primary one. Therefore, one should dress it first. And therefore, regarding chalitzah, they remove the left first, so that the right will still be dressed, for the honor of the limb is when it is dressed. However, regarding the tying of tefillin, we find that the Torah accorded honor to the left, as the tefillin are tied on the left hand. Therefore, everything regarding tying—one accords honor to the left. And everything regarding putting on shoes and dressing—one accords honor to the right first, and this is according to the words of the Tur and Shulchan Aruch. And so it is in the Gemara Shabbat (61a), where Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said that thus did Mar son of Ravana. And all our teachers the Rishonim—the Rif, and the Rambam, and the Rosh, and the Mordechai, and the Smag—omitted it entirely, and did not mention this matter at all. And their reason is clear, because afterwards it says there: Rav Ashi said: I saw Rav Kahana who was not particular. See there, and Rav Ashi is later. (And in Artzot HaChaim he wrote that Mar son of Ravina is later like Rav Ashi, see there. And it is not so, for here it is Mar son of "Ravana" and not "Ravina." And regarding him Rav Ashi said in Yevamot (22a): Is not Mar son of Ravana signed upon it? And he was earlier. Nevertheless, in the Tur and Shulchan Aruch they were concerned for this, since Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: "A God-fearing person fulfills...", and we must uphold the words of the Tur and Shulchan Aruch.)

It is forbidden for a person to walk four amot with an erect posture, as it is said: "The whole earth is full of His glory" (Kiddushin 31a). And anyone who walks with an erect posture is as if he pushes against the feet of the Shekhinah (Berakhot 43b). The intention is not that he should walk bowed over, but rather that he should not walk excessively erect with an outstretched neck in the manner of the haughty. This is the wording of the Rambam in chapter five of De'ot, law 8: A Torah scholar should not walk with an erect posture and an outstretched neck, in the manner of that which is said: "and walk with outstretched necks." Nor should he walk heel to toe slowly, like women and the arrogant, as it is said: "walking and mincing as they go." Nor should he run in the public domain in the manner of madmen, nor should he bend his stature like hunchbacks; rather, he looks downward as he does when standing in prayer. And he walks in the marketplace like a person who is occupied with his affairs. Also from the gait of a person it is recognizable if he is a wise man and a man of intellect or a fool and an ignoramus. And so Solomon said in his wisdom: "Even as the fool walks along the road, his understanding is lacking, and he says to everyone that he is a fool" — he informs everyone about himself that he is a fool. Thus far his words.

It is stated in Kiddushin ibid.: Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehoshua would not walk four amot with an uncovered head. He said: The Shekhinah is above my head. And he himself said in Shabbat (118b): May I be rewarded because I do not walk four amot with an uncovered head. And there (156b) it is stated: Cover your head, so that the fear of Heaven shall be upon you. And it brings there an incident where uncovering the head brought a person to transgression. And it is stated in Masekhet Kallah: Once the elders were sitting at the gate and two youths passed before them, one covered his head and one uncovered his head. And they investigated after the one who uncovered his head, and it was found that he was a mamzer and a son of a niddah, see there. And the matter is that the head, which contains the brain, which is the source of wisdom and fear—it should not be uncovered before Him, may He be blessed, for the whole earth is full of His glory, just as one may not stand in a holy place with an uncovered head. And if one does not do so, the brazenness of his inclination overcomes him even without realization. And behold, there are some among the great authorities who hold that by the essential law there is a prohibition in this, and there are those who hold that this is only a measure of piety. However, whether it be thus or thus, experience testifies to this. (And in a place of necessity, such as in the courts of the Caesar, may his majesty be exalted, where by the law of the kingdom one must not go with a covered head there—it is permitted. But where it is not a place of necessity, one who wishes to merit the fear of Hashem should guard himself from this. And this is sufficient for the understanding. And examine and you will find it easy.)

And he should check his orifices before prayer, as Rava said (Berakhot 15a): One who wishes to accept upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven completely—should relieve himself and wash his hands, and don tefillin, and recite Kriat Shema, and pray. And a person should accustom himself to relieve himself morning and evening, and this is caution, zeal, and cleanliness. And he has nothing to do but only to check himself. But if he checked and the waste does not exit, even if according to his imagination he needs this—nevertheless, it is called a "clean body" and he is obligated to pray. And Heaven forbid that he should pass the time for Kriat Shema because of this, for the Torah was not given to the ministering angels, and what is there for him to do? And many err in this, therefore one must warn them. And he shall not walk with part of his body naked. And also he shall not walk barefoot, for you have nothing more disgraceful than one who walks barefoot.