Shoe Removal – Parshas Shemos 5771

3:5 ( וַיֹּאמֶר, אַל-תִּקְרַב הֲלֹם; שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ--כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עוֹמֵד עָלָיו, אַדְמַת-קֹדֶשׁ הוּא) In this week’s Parsha we find that Moshe Rabbeinu arrives at the Sneh and the Ribbono Shel Olam speaks to him and says ( שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ) remove your shoes from on your feet. Rashi explains (של: שלוף והוצא, כמו (דברים יט ה) ונשל הברזל, (דברים כח מ) כי ישל זיתך) that the word (שַׁל) is similar to the word (ונשל) which is a language of things falling off, so too (שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ) means take your shoes off your feet. The question is that we have a very common word for taking shoes off ones foot and that is the word Chalotz or Chalitzah which means to remove ones shoes specifically. Why here does the Posuk use (שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ)?

In Derech Sicha, Rav Chaim Kanievsky is quoted as answering the question as follows. There is a basic difference between Chalotz and Shal. The word Chalotz is used when a person takes off his shoes with his hands. There the word Chalotz is used as in the Chalitzah of a Yevamah when the Yevamah is required to remove the shoes off the foot of her brother in law and that is typically done with the hands. Here (שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ) is used because since we know that a person who touches his shoes is required to wash Netillas Yadaim (to wash his hands afterwards), Moshe Rabbeinu was not going to remove his shoes by touching them as here he was standing talking to the Ribbono Shel Olam, so rather (שַׁל-נְעָלֶיךָ, מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ) slip the shoes off your feet without touching them. The word Sh’al is used. This is the Vort said B’sheim Rav Chaim Kanievsky and it is a nice Vort for itself.

There is something else that I would add that is absolutely beautiful. In Navi, in Shmuel Bais Perek Gimmel we find the story of Yoav and Avner. As many of you know, Yoav killed Avner because Avner had killed Yoav’s brother and felt about himself as a Goal Hadam. However, he fooled Avner by speaking with him. In speaking to him he caught Avner not on guard and was able to kill him. The Posuk says 3:27 (וַיַּטֵּהוּ יוֹאָב אֶל-תּוֹךְ הַשַּׁעַר, לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בַּשֶּׁלִי). Yoav called Avner to talk to him in the gateway, to speak to him with trickery. (בַּשֶּׁלִי) is an unusual word. Chazal Darshun in Maseches Sanhedrin 49a (11 lines before the end of the Perek) (לדבר אתו בשלי אמר רב יהודה אמר רב על עיסקי שלו). Yoav pretended that he had a Shaila to ask him and he went to speak to him about Chalitzah. In asking this Shaila he caught Avner by surprise and killed him.

The question is why is Sheli or Shal used there? The reason is that Shal is used to meaning to take off the shoe, Chalitzah. If he wanted to talk about Chalitzah why not use the word Chalitzah? It is actually very beautiful.

The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin tells us which Shaila did he ask him when he called Avner to the side. Which question of Hilchos Chalitzah did he ask him to fool him into being able to kill him? Rashi explains (על עסקי שלו. לשון של נעלך (שמות ג) שאל לו בערמה יבמה גדמת היאך חולצת התחיל שוחה מלפניו ומראהו כך היא חולצת בשיניה והוא שלף חרבו והרגו כדכתיב (מלכים א ב) בחגורתו אשר במתניו ובנעלו אשר ברגליו) If a woman has no arms Lo Aleinu, how does she do Chalitzah? To which Avner responded, she does Chalitzah with her teeth. He proceeded to bend down to show Yoav how it is done. Of course when Avner bent down, he was especially vulnerable and Yoav was able to kill him.

It is so beautiful because the word Shal means taking off a shoe without using ones hands. So Chazal understood (לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בַּשֶּׁלִי) that this is what he asked him, about taking off shoes without using ones hands. It is a beautiful TzuShtel of the Yesod that Rav Chaim Kanievsky says. 

(א"ה - יל"ע במגילת רות דכתיב שלף איש נעלו ולא חלץ.
וע' בשוע או"ח סי ד' שה"חולץ" מנעליו חייב נט"י ומג"א ס"ק  י"ט כת' "פי' בידיו" שהחיוב הוא כיון שנגע בהם. ועפמ"ג שם שהעולת תמיד חולק שצריך ליטול אף אם לא נגע, דלא כתיב נוגע רק חולץ. אבל להנ"ל מתיישב פי' המג"א דאדרבא הלשון חולץ משמע בידיו.)