SUMMARY OF LAWS FOR THE LEFT-HANDED PERSON

(Orach Chaim)
Law For Left Handed People
Shulchan
Follows Follows Disagreement In
Aruch Standards for Right-Handed People
Right-Handed Opposite Deciding the
Siman #
Standards of Standard Law
2. CLOTHING
Put on Right Part First XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Put on Right Shoe First XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Tie Left Shoe First ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
Take Off Left Part First XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Tie Other Clothing Left First XX
Buttoning Right Over Left XX
Washing, drying or applying cream: Right Side First XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
3. TOILET
Wiping with Left Hand ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
Not Using Left Middle Finger XX
4. MORNING NETILAS YEDAIM
Take Water Container in Right Hand XX
First Wash Right XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Drying Right Hand First ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
8. TALIS
Put on Right Side & Throw Over Left Shoulder XX
24. TZIZIS HOLDING
Hold in Left Hand to Kiss XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
27. TEFILLIN PLACEMENT
Place Hand Tefillin Inclines Towards Heart XX
If All Work with Left Hand XX
Only Writes with Left Hand, Rest with Right Hand XX
Position of Dalet on Head XX
Straps of Right Longer than Left XX
28. TEFILLIN REMOVAL
Touching Tefilin While Wearing with Right Hand XX
Positioning Head Tefillin on Right Side of Bag ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
Rashi’s on Left Side; Rabbainu Tam’s on Right in Bag XX
Take Off Head with Left Hand XX
Take Off Tallis with Left Hand XX
32. TEFILLIN WRITING
Writing with Right Hand XX
Three Headed Shin on Right Side XX
Placement of Parshios to Right Side XX
Longer Retzuous on the Right Side XX
34. TEFILLIN PLACEMENT OF HEAD’S PARSHIOS
Placement to Right XX
43. TEFILLIN REMOVAL PRIOR TO TOILET
Removal of Tefillin with Right XX
51. TEFILLAH
Holding Tzizis in Left Hand XX
56. KADISH
3 Steps Back Beginning with Left ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
61. KRIAS SHEMA WITH KAVANAH
Covering Eyes with Right Hand XX
Holding Tzizis with Right Hand XX
95. SHMONEH ESREH KAVANAH
Placing Right over Left Hand upon Heart XX
97. SHMONEH ESREH – NEED TO SPIT
Spit to Left Side XX
98. SHMONEH ESREH KAVANAH Moving Right Hand
over Forehead 3 Times Remove Foreign Thoughts XX
 Law For Left Handed People
Shulchan
Follows Follows Disagreement In
Aruch Standards for Right-Handed People
Right-Handed Opposite Deciding the
Siman #
Standards of Standard Law
123. SHMONEH ESREH
In Oseh Shalom, First Incline Head to the Right XX
125. KEDUSHA
Custom to Lean to Right & Then Left XX
127. BIRCAS COHANIM BY SHLIACH TZIBUR
Turning to Right and Then Left XX
128. BIRCAS COHANIM BY COHANIM
Removal of Shoes – Left First ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
Raise Right Hand Higher than Left XX
Turn to Right at Beginning and at the End XX
Turning of Face to Right & Left During Blessing XX
131. NEFILAS APAYIN - TACHANUN
Strike with Right Hand on Left Side Above Heart XX
When Not Wearing Tefillin, Fall on Left Arm XX
134. TORAH READING ORDER
Bring Torah Out of Ark with Right Hand XX
When Lifting Torah, Show Torah Writing to Right & XX
Then Left
Raising Finger of Right Hand at Hagbah XX
139. TORAH READING AND ITS BLESSINGS
Hold Talis or “Belt” in Left Hand To “Kiss” Place XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Reader Uses Right Hand to Point XX
By End of Blessing, Hold Torah Only with Right Hand XX
141. READING TORAH LAWS
Approach Bimah from Right XX
The One Making the Blessing Stands to the Right of
the Reader XX
158. NETILAS YADAIM TO A MEAL
Take Cup in Right Hand and Wash Right Hand First XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
162. NETILAS YADAIM - LIFTING HANDS
Lift Right Hand Higher when Drying XX
167. MEAL DIPPING BEAD IN SALT
Dip the Cut Bread in Salt with Right Hand XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
181. MAYIM ACHRONIM (WATERS AFTER MEAL)
Washing Fingers Beginning with Right Hand XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
183. BIRCAS HAMAZON CUP
Hold Cup of Wine in Right Hand ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
206. BLESSING ON FOOD
Hold Food Item in Right Hand XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
224. HAND ON GRAVE
Honor to Dead, Place Left Hand on Grave XX
233. PRAYER
Hold Right Hand on Top of Left Hand; Signifies Power
of Midas Rachamin on Midas HaDin XX
239. NIGHT LYING DOWN
Begin Night Lying on Left Side and End Up on Right XX
260. SHABBOS CUTTING NAILS BEFORE
Cut First Nails on Right Hand (or Left Per Custom) XX
261. SHABBOS BO’EI KALAH
Incline First to the Right XX
Turn Around Starts to the Right (or Left Per Custom) XX
264. SHABBOS CANDLES’ LIGHTING
Light with Right Hand XX
271. SHABBOS BLESSING OF THE CHILDREN
Some Have Custom to Only Place Right Hand on XX
 Law For Left Handed People
Shulchan
Follows Follows Disagreement In
Aruch Standards for Right-Handed People
Right-Handed Opposite Deciding the
Siman #
Standards of Standard Law
Child’s Head
274. SHABBOS CUTTING OF CHALAH
After Blessing Cut 1st the Right Chalah with Right Hand XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
296. HAVDALLAH – WINE & SPICES
Hold Wine or Spices in Right Hand when Blessing ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
298. HAVDALLAH – LOOKING AT NAILS
Look First at Right Hand’s Nails XX
330. SHABBOS BIRTH
Placement of Right Hand on Belly to Assist in Birth XX
340. SHABBOS WRITING
Forbidden Labor of Normal Writing with Right Hand XX
366. EREV CHATZEROS
Acquiring Items for Eruv with Right Hand XX
417. SHABBOS BLESSING NEW MONTH
Hold Sefer Torah With Right Arm ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
472. PESACH – INCLINING
Lean to the Right ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
473. PESACH – VARIOUS ITEMS AT MEAL
Placement of items on Seder Plate XX
Cups of Wine by Right Hand XX
Dipping of Vegetable with Right Hand XX
Breaking Middle Matzah with Right Hand XX
Lifting Seder Plate with Right Hand XX
Spilling of Wine with Right Hand XX
475. PESACH – DIPPING AT SEDER
Dipping in Charoses with Right XX
Some Dip in Salt with Right XX
561. MOURNING TEARING CLOTHING
Tear Clothing over Heart on Right XX
583. ROSH HASHANA – SPECIAL FOODS
Eat Special Items with Right Hand XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
585. SHOFAR
Placement of Shofar on Right Side of Lips ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
Placement of Prompter on Right XX
Holding Shofar to Right During Blessing XX
605. KAPORROS
Holding Chicken in Right Hand XX
Cover Blood with Right Hand ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ Doesn’t matter
607. VIDUI
Hitting Right Hand on Heart XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
651. LULAV
Hadas on Right and Aravah on Left XX ‫מנהג חב"ד‬
Holding Lulav in Right & Esrog in Left for Blessing &
Waves XX
660. SUKKOS ENCIRCLING THE BIMAH
On Sukkos, All Turns to the Right XX
664. SUKKOS BANGING ON THE GROUND
Bang with Right Hand ‫מנהג חב"ד‬ XX
671. CHANUKAH PLACE OF LIGHTING
If No Mezuzah, Place to the Right XX
676. CHANUKAH ORDER OF LIGHTING
First Night Place the Light to the Right; Add Each
Night to the Left and Light Left First XX
Use Right Hand to Hold and Light XX
Per Sefer Itar Yad and per Dini Itar (Chabad)
 www.practicalhalacha.blogspot.com

General Principals in the Laws for Left-Handed People

1. Definition of a Left-Handed person is one that more powerful hand is the left and does most
work with the left hand when requires strength. This applies whether born like this, or changed
one’s nature later in life. The only exception is for the mitzvah of Tefillin, where the
determining factor is which hand one uses for writing.
2. Definition of a Left-Footed person is one that more powerful foot is the left whether born
such or changed later in life. General method to determine is which foot one starts when
beginning to walk.
3. Definition of one who “rules with two hands” (ambidextrous) is one who displays power
with either hand without distinction, whether born as such or trained later in life. Such a person
has a legal status just like a “right-handed” person.
4. The primary method to do any mitzvah or Jewish custom is with the right hand due to
importance (‫)חשיבות‬. A left handed person uses the left hand since that shows primary
importance. If a right handed person has lost a portion of that hand, then anything that can be
done with the right hand should be done with that hand; if not, then done with the left hand.
5. Any matter should have preference to be done with the right hand or side first (for example,
getting dressed, putting on shoes). A left-handed person usually performs actions with the left
hand or left side first due to the importance displayed with the more significant hand.
6. In all matters that display an allusion to the primacy of Chesed (right) before Gevurah (left),
then no distinction depends whether the person if left or right handed.
7. All matters that involve internal organs do not have an effect on this issue.
8. Chabad (per the Tzemach Tzedek) decide the law according to the opinion (Rambam) that a
left-handed status is considered a mum (defect). Since most others establish the law per the
other opinion (not considered a mum, just an inability to properly perform avodah correctly in
the Bais haMikdash), this is the source of many differences between Chabad and the “standard”
procedures.
9. Preparatory actions that are required to perform a mitzvah have the same status of
importance to the right hand (see rule #4).
10. All laws regarding left and right hands applies equally to men or woman, unless noted
otherwise.
11. No distinction in these laws whether the action is performed privately or in public settings.