HazyElf wrote:

I have a question regarding something that happened to me this evening.

I was at Starbucks, enjoying a visit with a new friend. The man who delivers our mail came in with a friend. They stopped at our table, and the mailman introduced his friend. I held out my hand to shake the friend's hand, and he just looked at me. Eventually, I lowered my hand.

Before they left to go get their coffee, the man said he's Jewish, and he is not permitted to touch a female to whom he is not related.

Is this truly part of Jewish faith?

I've never heard of this before and wanted to get feedback from people who actually know.

Thank you in advance for replying to my question. I admit that I don't know much about Judaism, but I do want to understand.

Hazy

Hi Hazy,,,

Wow,,,how great that you came here looking for answers,,,I think that shows an open mindedness that I wish all people had :)

It is indeed part of  observant Orthodox Jewish beliefs, and neither will an Orthodox Jewish woman shake hands with a man,,,,the man was not being rude. It actually has to do more with men than women, and avoiding even the smallest temptation to engage in forbidden relations. I know it must seem strange to you, and I imagine you were a bit put off,,,but he truly meant no disrespect.

Here's an article on it :)

http://jewish.families.com/blog/why-don … with-women

Holly

This concept, called negi'ah (literally "touching") is just one of the many absurd and nonsensical restrictions imposed by Orthodox Judaism on its adherents. Allegedly, it's based on the bizarre belief that a man can't even shake hands with a woman, see her hair, or hear her voice singing without being overcome with lust and the urge to have sex with her right then and there. In order to protect men against these temptations, Orthodox Jewish law places all manner of restrictions on women and their conduct in public life. What this results in is a worldview where women are treated as second-class citizens, not to mention something dirty and unclean that must be avoided.

Like in fundamentalist Christianity and fundamentalist Islam, misogyny (masquerading as "respect" for women) is an integral part of fundamentalist Judaism.

[QUOTE=ItsAllALie;739883]Wow,,,how great that you came here looking for answers,,,I think that shows an open mindedness that I wish all people had :)

It is indeed part of  observant Orthodox Jewish beliefs, and neither will an Orthodox Jewish woman shake hands with a man,,,,the man was not being rude. It actually has to do more with men than women, and avoiding even the smallest temptation to engage in forbidden relations. I know it must seem strange to you, and I imagine you were a bit put off,,,but he truly meant no disrespect.

Here's an article on it :)

http://jewish.families.com/blog/why-don … with-women

Holly[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Holly, and the rest of you for your responses. I do have an open mind, and whether I agree with a point of view or not, I always seek to understand it first.

You have all helped me to understand, and I do appreciate it.

At first, I admit, I was put off by the encounter, but I realize that it was not personal. I will say that I don't feel that shaking hands with someone I've newly met is unreasonable. I think it's a way of connecting with another human being, and I don't have any underlying sexual intent, whether the person I'm meeting is male or female.

The man was dressed in black, and he was wearing a hat, but it looked like a regular ol' hat someone would wear on a rainy night, not a religious piece of clothing. I didn't know he was Jewish until he told me, and since I've never heard of the Hasidic custom, I wouldn't have known not to offer my hand in the first place.

I've learned something, and you have all helped me with that, so again...thanks! I know where to come if I've ever got more questions about Judaism.

Hazy

The type of head covering is not that important.   A regular cap or hat of any kind is OK.  Same for married women.  Some wear wigs.  It's a very small group of Jews who follow this custom. 

Some Christians also have their unusual customs. The Amish-Mennonite, for instance, continue to dress in black clothing, shun the use of mechanized tools, automobiles and electrical appliance, and observe Sundays by singing only 16th-century hymns.

lauramushkat wrote:

No because it is not done by mainstream Jews.

There are certain types of Jews where they have varried types of contact or no contact at all between children of different sexes up thru adults except with members of their families and those whom they marry.
Hugs
Laura

Is the 'no touching' thing applied to people of different faiths? Meaning I have known of some people who have strict customs but they don't hold people outside their tradition to that same standard. Or they have a different way of behavior when addressing someone of a different faith than they would someone of their own faith. And do the same standards apply to both genders (i.e. would a Jewish woman who hugs a Gentile man as a friend be looked at funny)?