shomer negiah

Question

i was just wondering......lets say someone was getting a ride somewhere from a non-jew and he is a man. In the car he says " hi my name is this and sticks out his hand to shake yours. what r u supposed to do? do u shake his hand back? b/c if you dont, isnt it a chillel Hashem to make the non-jew feel stupid and uncomfortable? and wat r u supposed to say?"im jewish, i dont touch men"??? They wouldnt understand and would feel stupid and may look at us jews as if we were crazy and not polite.

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

You say, "I'm sorry, but my religion prohibits men & women to shake hands ." They will be uncomfortable for a minute, but then they will respect you. It's refreshing nowadays to see someone following a set of morals. AA