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Halachos of Lefties

Source: Halachipedia: Halachos of Lefties

Link: https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Halachos_of_Lefties

Categories: Meta Concepts of Halacha, Orach Chaim

Exported: 2025-12-30

Getting Dressed

  1. When putting a piece of clothing you should put on the right side and then the left. A lefty should do the same.¹
  2. A lefty should put on his right shoe first and also tie his right shoe first.²

Kriya

  1. When tearing kriyah for seeing the area of the Bet HaMikdash a righty and lefty should both tear on their right side.³ The same is true of tearing kriyah for a parent.⁴

Netilat Yadayim

  1. One who washes his hands fills the cup while holding it in his right hand and then transfers the cup into his left hand and washes his right hand.⁵ A left-handed person should also follow this procedure and wash his right hand first.⁶

Birkat Hamazon

  1. A lefty who is doing birkat hamazon holding a cup of wine should hold it in his right hand according to Sephardim, and in his left hand according to Ashkenazim.⁷

Shema

  1. A lefty should cover his eyes of kriyat Shema with his right hand. See the Kriyat Shema section.

Lulav

  1. A lefty should hold the lulav in his right hand according to Sephardim, and in his left hand according to Ashkenazim.⁸

Links

References

¹: Mishna Brurah 2:4

²: Mishna Brurah 2:6

³: Mishna Brurah 561:13

⁴: Taz YD 340:6

⁵: Shulchan Aruch 4:10

⁶: Itur Yad 5, Beer Moshe 2:3:3, Yalkut Yosef 4:5

⁷: Although Shulchan Aruch O.C. 183:5 quotes some who say that the lefty should hold the cup in his left hand, Birkei Yosef 183:4 writes that Sephardim hold it in their right hand, following what Shulchan Aruch O.C. 651:3 codified regarding lulav. Regarding lulav Shulchan Aruch's view is clarified and by Birkat Hamazon he only quoted one opinion. However, Magen Avraham 183:9 writes that Ashkenazim hold the cup in their left hand.

⁸: Shulchan Aruch and Rama O.C. 651:3. Rosh (Sukkah 3:25), Meiri (Shabbat 103a s.v. memah), Ravyah 2:694, Rashba (responsa 1:1120), Shibolei Haleket 365, and Maharam Rotenberg (Levuv 470) hold that the lefty holds the lulav in his left hand.