Ask The Rabbi  
February 18, 1995  
Issue #56 
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       This issue is sponsored in loving memory of Joseph Intract Z"l  
                      by his son Joel Walter & family  
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This edition contains: 
1.  Earrings for Men; Pants for Women; Problems for Modern Times
2.  Answer to Last Week's Riddle 
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Jonathan from Johannesburg writes: 
 
>Dear Rabbi, 
> 
>Is wearing an earring forbidden for men because of the prohibition of  
>"Lo Yilbash" (A man must not wear a woman's garment)? 
 
Susie of America-On-Line writes: 
 
>Dear Rabbi, 
> 
>I'm a jogging enthusiast and I find it almost impossible to wear a skirt  
>when I run.  Would it be permissible for me to wear pants with a skirt  
>over them when I run? 
 
************************ 
 
Dear Jonathan and Susie, 
 
The Torah says "Male clothing shall not be on a woman and a man shall not  
wear a feminine garment."  The halachic authorities explain that this  
prohibition is designed to prevent members of the opposite sex from  
dressing alike in order to mingle without being recognized; all this for  
the purpose of improper sexual behavior. 
 
As for earrings, though, this reason doesn't seem to apply.  A man wearing  
all men's clothing will be easily recognized as male even with an earring.   
The poskim clarify however, that it would be forbidden to wear an article  
exclusively associated with the opposite sex even if it doesn't disguise  
the wearer. 
 
The real question is:  Are earrings "exclusively" associated with the  
opposite sex?  Aren't there men who also wear earrings?  The definition of  
what constitutes a male or female garment becomes blurred when clothing is  
generally worn by one gender, but is also worn by some members of the  
opposite gender.  I asked Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, shlita, about this  
issue.  Although he doesn't recommend that men wear earrings, he said that  
it would be halachically permitted to do so, since some men do wear them. 
 
As for women wearing pants, the same would seem to apply, provided the  
pants were not designed exclusively for men.  But there is another problem  
-- that the design of pants might be considered immodest for women.   
Wearing a skirt over the pants, however, would seem to take care of this  
problem.  Rabbi Scheinberg, shlita, said that it is permitted for a woman  
to wear slacks that are designed for both men and women (i.e., sweat pants)  
if she wears a knee-length skirt over them. 
 
Speaking of fashion, I'm reminded of the guy who showed up for work one  
morning wearing two different shoes; the right one black and the left one  
white.  Taking a good look at him, his boss said,  
"Your shoes!  They...they're..." 
"Beautiful, aren't they?" the employee said proudly.   
"I have another pair at home exactly like them." 
 
Sources: 
o  Devarim 22:5. 
o  Shulchan Aruch - Yoreh De'ah 182 and commentaries. 
o  Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef - Yabi' ah Omer vol. 6. 
 
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Answer to Last Week's Riddle 
 
Question:  In Parshat Terumah, which three articles of the Tabernacle are 
           spelled with the same letters? 
 
Answer:    Kapporet (25:17, the Ark's cover) 
           Kaphtor  (25:33, the ornamental spheres of the Menorah) 
           Parochet (26:31, the curtain covering the innermost part  
                            of the Sanctuary). 
===========================================================================  
  Ohr Somayach International - Internet Department - wishes MAZEL TOV to  
Moshe Yaakov and Chaya Schwartz, who are to be married on February 19th. 
          We wish our "Internet Techie" and his wife much success! 
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Coming next week... 
 
           INSIGHTS into MEGILLAS ESTHER by Rav Mendel Weinbach 
 
Available to subscribers to the OS-SPECIAL list.  To subscribe, send the 
message: "sub os-special {your name}" to listproc@jer1.co.il 
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