Q. K’vod Horav. Someone who when he davens in shul almost always wears a suit and a tie as well as shoes. When he davens at home does he have to do all the above?
A. on question 3625 regarding davening without shoes on where there is a minyan in a house Motzei Shabbat and its winter in Toronto, so no one is wearing shoes inside the fancy house. Also a similar situation where the host regularly had a Maariv minyan at his home and he had slippers for everyone for davening.
To what we answered: The wearing of shoes in shul and during davening, has undergone a historical transformation.
Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 91: 5) rules that one should not enter a Shul with and uncovered head or feet, if the custom in that place is not to do so in front of great people. Mishna Berura (12) adds not to daven with boots on if the common practice is not to do so in front of leaders. (see also Maharam Mintz 38, Rashbash 285 and others)
Oruch Hashulchan (O. H. 151:9): rules; “And there are Muslim lands where they go to the synagogue barefooted, but this is not a good custom, and they learned this from the Muslims, and it should be abolished.”
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that, as mentioned in Mishna Berura it all depends. If one would receive and encounter guest of importance while wearing the clothes and shoes one is, he can daven and enter Shul with them on.”
In principle, the accepted tradition is to daven in a shul or elsewhere dressed as mentioned, as if one would be welcoming and encountering a guest of importance.
Horav Dovid Pam and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a added that one should dress when possible as if he was to receive the President or Prime Minister.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit'a
Important Numbers
