Halachot and Customs
Is it permitted to tie shoes on Shabbat?
Question
Shalom,
One of the labors that was performed in the Mishkan is the melacha of tying. Does that mean that on Shabbat I am forbidden to tie the laces of my Shabbat shoes?
Thank you very much
Answer
Shalom,
It is permitted to tie shoes on Shabbat if one intends to untie the knot within twenty-four hours. According to the opinion of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, it is permitted if one intends to untie the knot within less than seven days.
Sources: See Shulchan Aruch and the Rema (section 317, subsection 5) and Mishnah Berurah (subsection 29). Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s opinion is found in his work Chazon Ovadia Shabbat, part 5 (pages 47-48).
With blessings,
Hillel Meirs
