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HALISAH (Hebrew, ny'S " untying ")

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 844 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HALISAH (See also:Hebrew, ny'S " untying ") , the ceremony by which a Jewish widow releases her See also:brother-in-See also:law from the See also:obligation to marry her in accordance with See also:Deuteronomy See also:xxv. 5-10, and obtains her own freedom to remarry. By the law of See also:Moses it became obligatory upon the brother of a See also:man dying childless to take his widow as wife. If he refused, " then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and loose his See also:shoe from off his See also:foot, and See also:spit in his See also:face, and shall See also:answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's See also:house." By Rabbinical law the ceremony was later made more complex. The parties appearbefore a See also:court of three elders with two assessors. The See also:place is usually the See also:synagogue house, or that of the See also:Rabbi, sometimes that of the widow. After inquiry as to the relationship of the parties and their status (for if either be a See also:minor or deformed, halisah cannot take place), the shoe is produced. It is usually the See also:property of the community and made entirely of See also:leather from the skin of a " clean " See also:animal. It is of two pieces, the upper See also:part and the See also:sole, sewn together with leathern threads. It has three small straps in front, and two See also:white straps to bind it on the See also:leg. After it is strapped on, the man must walk four cubits in the presence of the court. The widow then loosens and removes the shoe, throwing it some distance, and spits on the ground, repeating thrice the Biblical See also:formula " So shall it be done," &c.

Hali*ah, which is still See also:

common among orthodox See also:Jews, must not take place on the See also:Sabbath, a See also:holiday, or the See also:eve of either,' or in the evening. To prevent See also:brothers-in-law from extorting See also:money from a widow as a See also:price for releasing her from perpetual widowhood, Jewish law obliges all brothers at the See also:time of a See also:marriage to sign a document pledging themselves to submit to halisah without See also:payment. (Compare See also:LEVIRATE).

End of Article: HALISAH (Hebrew, ny'S " untying ")

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