Q&A: Feet on the Table
Feet on the Table
Question
Nowadays, the idea that you’re not allowed to put your feet on the table because it is like an altar — is that Jewish law or a custom? And is that custom still relevant today?
If it is permitted today, and there happens to be a sacred book on the table at the other end of the table where I’m putting my feet, is that possible?
Answer
It is customary to honor the table based on the saying of the Sages that when there is no altar, a person’s table atones for him. This is not Jewish law but a custom. As for sacred books, the obligation to honor them is Jewish law and not merely a custom. What exactly is included in that honor is already another question, and it depends on the circumstances and accepted norms. It seems to me that putting one’s feet down is not respectful.
Discussion on Answer
We’re talking about a table designated for eating.
What’s the problem with putting little feet on the table if it is similar to an altar?
After all, the priests themselves would walk with their little feet (and exposed and barefoot, no less) on the altar itself, wouldn’t they?
Because that is not a respectful way to act. This is not a formal comparison.
Could the ruling depend on the type of table?
There is a table for eating, which is the main one (and presumably that is what they were talking about), and there are tables in the living room or on the balcony that usually do not serve a person in the sense of “the table,” but rather function like some kind of side cabinet or even a decorative piece of furniture. The question is whether they fall outside the definition of a table.