Why are men not allowed to wear jewelry?

 

In a place where it is common that men, including religious men, wear rings there isn’t really an issue. However, in a place where men do not wear rings, this can be a serious concern of lo yilbash, a Torah violation of dressing with female ornaments.

Additionally, one must always take into account the local custom; one may never breach what is locally acceptable. At times, violation of local mores can be as severe as breaking Torah law.

An additional issue is the prohibition of chukos hagoyim. This includes any non-Jewish mode of behavior which has no ta’am (logical basis) or to’eles (obvious benefit)—and when a Jew performs them they are acting solely to imitate what is in vogue. Even behaviors which have an appreciable rhyme or reason, if it’s a conduct that is derech pritzus, shachatz v’gaavah ([an aspect of] immodesty or pretentiousness) is forbidden; the Toras Kohanim also includes elegant dress associated with the non-Jewish elite.

According to one interpretation, it includes any mode of conduct that was initiated by non-Jews and gained widespread popularity before Jews adopted this behavior.

Even when none of these issues are present, we want to seriously consider why they wish to wear jewelry and whether this stems from a place of kedusha, or this is simply the desire of nefesh habahamis; she uses even matters that are permissible to lure one in her net.

 

לא ילבש – שו״ע יו״ד רסי׳ קפב.

טבעת – ראה ר״ן שבת כו, א (בדפי הרי״ף). ריטב״א שבת סד, ב. שערי הלכה ומנהג יו״ד לט.

וראה שו״ת יבי״א ו, יו״ד ד, ו. שו״ת אג״מ אה״ע ג, יח. שם אה״ע ד, לב, ב. אול״צ ב, כג, יא.

בענין חוקות הגוים – ראה הלכה יומית אות תרצג.

לא ילבש כשנפרץ הגדר – להעיר משערי הו״מ יו״ד לז. וראה שקו״ט בנוגע להנ״ל ועוד אג״ק במ״מ להלכה יומית אות רמג.

וראה אין למו מכשול ב, ב – ע׳ קנג בשם הגרשז״א. ועלהו לא יבול ב ע׳ עב.

ובלינק דלעיל – הלכה יומית אות תרצג – במ״מ בסופן – לענין חוקות הגוים.

 

 

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