2. Our Sages also prohibited wearing certain types of jewelry in the public domain. Some jewelry was prohibited to men, and others to women. [Many of the latter] were prohibited lest a woman remove them [while in the public domain] in order to show them to a friend. Nowadays, the prevailing custom is to permit [wearing jewelry on Shabbos in the public domain], and the halachic authorities have presented a number of possible justifications for this leniency (1). A G-d-fearing person, however, should be stringent.

In particular, a man should not go out wearing a ring that does not have an open seal (2). Similarly, he should not carry a watch, even if it is hanging on a golden chain around his neck, and is definitely considered a piece of jewelry. [This prohibition is Rabbinic in origin, however,] a watch carried in one's pocket is [certainly considered] a "burden" (that is, an object being transported, as opposed to an article of clothing or jewelry), and there is absolutely no room for leniency regarding it (3).

FOOTNOTES:

(1) See Shulchan Aruch 303:18, and Mishna Berura there. One of the reasons presented is that nowadays jewelry is more common than it was during the times the prohibition was created, and it is worn even on weekdays - something that wasn't true back then. Therefore, we are no longer concerned that someone might remove a piece of jewelry in the public domain to show it to a friend, and end up carrying it.

(2) According to the Mishna Berura 303:65, a "Ba'al Nefesh" should not walk into the public domain wearing any ring at all.

(3) For a discussion as to whether wrist watches may be worn in the public domain, see Igros Moshe 111, and Chelkas Yaakov Vol.1:89

Paragraph 1

Table of Contents

Paragraph 3

Halacha-Yomi, Copyright (c) 2002 Project Genesis, Inc.