shaking hands

Asked by nemo · February 23, 2004 · Family Purity & Modesty (Tzniut)

Question

sholom alehecha rebi, i see all over that you are not aloowed to shake a womens hand. now i do remeber learning this in yeshivah, but when i got to the working world, i was told that it wasn't true, and that for business reasons it is ok. now i know that these people are wrong, but when working in a frum company, it is hard to be the new guy who doesnt shake womens hands, when all the other frum men do.. i am afraid of possibly ebing reprimanded because of narishkeit, and maybe being fired, bec my bss was the one who told me that it is ok. should i take the risk?

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

Absolutely. It's "Yaharog Ve'Al Ya'avor. If you don't want to insult people or create a scene, just smile and say, "everyone has there own version of the laws..." or something like that. If you get fired, it's religious discrimination, and will be worth more than working there. I seriously doubt that a religious Jew will even contemplate that. I think you'll make many men feel guilty. AA