Are Uggs Kosher? |
In Memory of Netanel Vayzer on his First Yahrzeit.
May his neshama have an aliya Last year, there was a controversy
over whether Uggs brand boots and shoes were “kosher”. Why would there be an
issue with clothing and footwear needing to be “kosher”? We are commanded in Vayikra 19:19: A garment that is a mixture of
Shaatnez, combined fibers, shall not come upon you. And in Dvarim 22:11: You shall not wear Shaatnez,
combined fibers, wool (tzemer) and linen (pishtim) together. The Mishna (Kilayim 9:1) teaches: The prohibition of kilayim (mixture
of species) in garments applies only to wool and linen. No other kinds are
forbidden to be mixed. Wool is restricted to that of a ewe or a ram. If camel’s wool and sheep’s wool
have been hackled together-to produce mixed cloth- if the greater part is
camel’s wool, it is permitted to mix them with linen since the sheep’s wool is
annulled (batel) by the preponderance of camel’s wool, so there is no kilayim.
But if the greater part is sheep’s wool- it is forbidden to mix the wool with
linen on account of kilayim. If it is half and half- it is forbidden to mix it
with linen, on account of kilayim, since the sheep’s wool is not annulled. The same applies to linen and hemp
(kanbos, a fibrous plant) hackled together- if the greater part is hemp it may
be mixed with wool, since hemp is not classed as linen. Are shoes subject to the laws of
kilayim? In the Talmud, Beitzah 15a, Rav Papa
said: Ardalin, undershoes, are not subject to the laws of kilayim. Rashi explains that he saw in
Tshuvot HaGeonim that Ardalin were placed under the shoes and goat leather was
attached beneath them. The section near the heel was sometimes made of wool.
According to Rav Papa, even if it also contained linen, it would not be
considered kilayim as it was very hard. Rambam points out that the skin of
the heel is very hard and does not warm up the way that the rest of the body
warms up. If it doesn’t warm you up, it doesn’t count as kilayim. Uggs are for sure not Ardalin as
they are very soft, not hard and they warm up the foot. So although there was
discussion in the Talmud, Rashi, Tur (Yoreh Deah 301) and Rambam about Ardalin,
a part of shoe not being susceptible to kilayim, it was definitely not in the
Ugg family. Since shoes traditionally have been
leather, this has not come up very much until now. What did they find to think that
Uggs may be a problem? There were seven styles of Decker’s
Brand Uggs and slippers that a Shatnez lab in Lakewood, NJ tested and found to
be problematic: 1. Blue Canvas linen Sneakers, 2.Black
Ladies Slipper, 3.Pink-Red Canvas Shoe, 4.White Woolen Boots, 5.Striped
Gray/White Woolen Slipper, 6.Pink Australian Shoe-Sneaker, 7. Black Moccasin/ Wool
Fleece Lining. However, according to the lab in
Flatbush, Brooklyn, although there was a trace of linen, it was already batel
before it was put into the shoe (like we saw in the Mishna above in Kilayim
that if the majority is not wool or not linen and is spun together with another
fabric it becomes nullified) so there is nothing to worry about. The lab in
Williamsburg said that you only have to be concerned about something which has
issues in at least 10% of the products that it produces. Seven styles are a
drop in the bucket compared to the amount of Uggs footwear that has been
produced over the years. Unless you have one of the seven
styles listed, you have nothing to worry about. Even if you have one of those
styles you could follow the leniencies of the Flatbush and Williamsburg labs.
If you want to be strict, you can get the Uggs tested to see if your pair even
has linen or you can choose to stop wearing them. So the answer is: Most Uggs are
kosher as far as the laws of Shaatnez go. If you are uncomfortable wearing
products that come from animals, then that is a whole other story. |