Rav Elyashiv: Crocs Not Permitted Footwear On Tisha B’Av

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rav-elyashiv2On Tisha B’Av it is assur to wear leather shoes. Crocs are synthetic and do not contain any leather. However there is a Machlokes between Rashi and the Rambam if wooden shoes that are not wrapped in leather, are assur on Yom Kippur because since you cannot feel the ground they are like shoes even though they don’t have leather. The Shulchan Aruch (614:2) paskens like the Rambam who says that it is permissible while the Mishna Brura (5) says we should be Machmir like Rashi.
On one hand, Tisha B’Av is not as stringent as Yom Kippur, which is Min HaTorah, so maybe we need not be machmir. On the other hand, Crocs are worn by millions of people as shoes every day of the year. The Gilyon Halacha U’Maaseh asked the leading poskim their opinion.

Rav Elyashiv said that since Crocs are worn all year round you are not permitted to wear them on Tisha B’Av. Rav Moshe Shternbuch said that while technically you may wear them, on Tisha B’Av it is better not to. Similarly Rav Nissim Karelitz and Rav Meir Brandsdorfer held that it is not assur but Yirei Shamayim should not wear them.

{Matzav.com Newscenter/Revach.net}


29 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t understand. When they brought the shaylah to Rav Elyashiv Shlit”a, he most-probably asked what crocs is, an according to the way the person described it, this is what he said, but ????? ???? that that person described it right? That’s why you can’t rely on what Rav Elyashiv’s shamish asked him, because who knows if the the shamis knows what he’s talking about?

  2. It is really important for the editors of the site to mention that while Crocs are worn by millions all year in Israel , they are not worn by millions in the United States . I have spoken with several rabonim that said therefore it is permissable to wear Crocs in the U.S. on Tisha Baav and Yom Kippur . It is very important that you print this comment and or an explanation / addendum since you will cause many people to have a major issue without need otherwise.

  3. It is actually wrong on Matzav to post this erev Tisha baav without explaining that it applies to Eretz Yisroel only and not to the U.S

  4. pray tell ..

    black sneakers are used on a daily basis by all
    based on above logic snekers should be assur
    further slippers should also be assur since women now walk in the street with plastic flip flops

    yet .. we see sneakers and slippers used

    as such
    what is the halachik difference between croks and sneakers and slippers

    not emotional but halachik responses please

  5. Everyone should ask their own competent posek their own personal shailah.

    I personally think all these hallachic items should stop being posted. You cannot generalize such vague questions, because the psak depends very strongly on the matzav (pun intended) of the individual asking the shailah.

  6. First of all, if you want to be machmir and not wear crocs you are entitled to do that but you dont have to impose these chumros on everyone else.

    Secondly the reason that Crocs would be prohibited is based on a dei’ah in the Rishonim that would prohinit all man made sneakers for the same reason – and all you would be able to walk around with is flip flops and house slippers.

  7. On the other hand, Crocs are worn by millions of people as shoes every day of the year.

    this is not true!!
    Millions of people wear them every day as crocs! not as shoes.
    I have never met anyone who wore them to a meeting or anyone who played basketball with them or anyone who went jogging in them.
    whoever presented the shailo to R’ Elyashiv had no idea what he was talking about

  8. Sneakers are ALSO worn by Millions of people everyday, and you do NOT feel the ground when you wear them. The same Sevorah should apply.

  9. Just about any slipper that you wear – there are people who wear it year around. Many people walk around in slippers whenever it is warm. We don’t really have shoes today that are just for tisha ba’av etc. Everything is worn by different people

  10. I dont understand.
    How are crocs different then sneakers? who doesnt wear sneakers or crocs on tisha bav and yom kippur?
    we should go barefoot? no crocs, no sneakers,

  11. > “since Crocs are worn all year round you are not permitted to wear them on Tisha B’Av.”

    >> I don’t get it. Probably MORE people wear sneakers all year round than crocs, and yet sneakers are okay and crocs are not? Can someone with some expertise please explain this?

    And don’t tell me that we have a mesorah for sneakers! The first sneaker was not introduced until 1917 — “Keds” made by the U.S. Rubber Company — and I guarantee you that no one’s European zaidy was wearing them at the time.

  12. I asked my own Rav (a prominent posek) this question before it was posted here and he said that it is better not to wear Crocs on Tisha B’av or Yom Kippur.

    Thank you, Matzav, for making us aware of the shailos needed to be asked. Of course, we are then each responsible to find our own Rav’s halachic position on the matter.

  13. Rav Elyashiv’s psak against crocs has nothing todo whether you where them all day or not, it’s because you don’t feelthe ground

  14. people will usually not wear synthetic sneakers all year round. if it is a certain style like in the 80s where it was normal to wear those canvas sneakers, then ain hacha nami maybe its the same shaila as crocs, and should also be brought to a posek.

  15. CHECK THIS OUT. 28 PEOPLE RESPONDING REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING CROCKS. PEOPLE GET A LIFE THESE A CROCKS!!!!. THERE IS MORE TO TISHA B’AV THAN CROCKS. WHETHER YOU WEAR THEM OR DON’T WEAR THEM IT WONT MATTER TO MOSHIACH!!!!!!

    ONE THING IS CERTAIN, MOSHIACH AND THE RIBBONO SHEL OLAM WILL NOT CARE. HE WILL CARE MORE IF YOU PERFORM ACTS OF CHESSED AND AHAVAS CHINAM.

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