Married men wear a ring to the office?

[Freddie]

They are called cooties.

If you want to get technical.

[BigDanFan]

Lol. I can see the options now.

"Well he would shake your hands because he doesn't want to offend you. I on the other hand..."

or

"Well he is not as Jewish(religious) as I am"

this lady refused to shake President Bush's hand twice (inauguration time i think)
The first time he was confused - but the 2nd time, he remembered (plus her bearded husband was standing next to her) :
http://www.thechosenview.com/the-no-handshake-thing/

[mod]

this lady refused to shake President Bush's hand twice (inauguration time i think)
The first time he was confused - but the 2nd time, he remembered (plus her bearded husband was standing next to her) :
http://www.thechosenview.com/the-no-handshake-thing/

I had a female co-worker who would explain it to all the partners. I always felt that ladies would receive less backlash as no one would claim gender discrimination.

[12HRS]

this lady refused to shake President Bush's hand twice (inauguration time i think)
The first time he was confused - but the 2nd time, he remembered (plus her bearded husband was standing next to her) :
http://www.thechosenview.com/the-no-handshake-thing/

I shook pres bush hand. Felt like a doctors hand that washes 100x a day.

tangents!

[BigDanFan]

I had a female co-worker who would explain it to all the partners. I always felt that ladies would receive less backlash as no one would claim gender discrimination.

+1
ye true - easier for them.. 

[Freddie]

I shook pres bush hand. Felt like a doctors hand that washes 100x a day.

tangents!

OCD??

[12HRS]

OCD??

About the tangents or the washing?

[Moishel]

Even if one holds you can shake, its a "heter" generally given in extenuating circumstances, EG a job interview, a new client, a boss etc. Not a blanket heter "I shake hands".

Agree?

Not necessarily. Al pi hallacha only נגיעה של חיבה is assur, whereas a handshake can hardly be considered that. This is the opinion of many achronim, including Harav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik and his grandson Rav Aron, Rav Sternbuch, Rav Willig, and Rav Chaim Pinchos Sheinberg  just to name a few.

[Baruch]

Loose pants are more tzanua than what a lot of frum women wear nowadays

like

[Baruch]

My wife was by a Doctor in a University Hospital. The Doc came in with a student, and the student extended his hand to my wife. The Doc turned to the student and said, "first lesson for today -  Orthodox Jewish women don't shake men's hands". The student wrote it down on his notepad!

[CountValentine]

What is the reason for not shaking hands? Short answer please. 

[Freddie]

What is the reason for not shaking hands? Short answer please. 

Men and women don't touch. That's the short answer.

[popcorn1508]

What is the reason for not shaking hands? Short answer please. 

I have a cold

[Freddie]

I have a cold

I have a cold is takke the short answer. But it's weird.

Look, CV, it's a modesty thing. The same reason there are separate men's and women's bathrooms.

[Moishel]

What is the reason for not shaking hands? Short answer please. 

It might lead to mixed dancing. 

[zale]

I work in a large financial services company.  I wear a ring just to the office and shake hands with women in business settings.  IMHO, when there's reliable/sufficient/daas al mi lismoch room to be meikel, I try to be as normal as possible.  It's hard enough never being able to eat the same food, having to run out at 3pm on a Friday, and taking off Thurs-Fri for 3/4 weeks in a month (Tishrei).  ESPECIALLY when outside of NYC/large cities, this may be the only time the woman meets a frum jew.  I'd rather rely on the kulos than have her feel slighted (with a quizzical explanation in her mind) during the only interaction she'll ever have with a frum jew.

I want to ask you a very specific question here:

What would happen if you (politely) didn't shake hands? Would you get fired? Would the client not follow through with the transaction?

From your statement, it appears that your self-heter to shake hands is coming from being image conscious, as you believe that they would see it as "awkward". Putting self-consciousness before Yiddishkeit goes against everything that Judaism stands for. Open a Shulchan Aruch and read the first 10 lines.

It's odd that you want to give off a certain impression of Frum Jews, and you are shaking hands with a woman in order to do that. Think about this.

I'm not here to give you mussar, I'm just reflecting on your statement.

[george]

What about just saying that you're a germaphobe?
Just remember not to shake guys hands either.

Careful! That can easily be perceived as highly offensive - I won't let my immaculate hands near your filthy ones.
Plus, it paints you as a germaphobe for the rest of you career in that office. You'd have to constantly make believe you really are a germaphobe, never shake anyone's hand, etc. And it makes you sound strange. Like you have a psychological ailment that you have no control over. If you were in fact a germaphobe, the responsible thing would be to get professional help, no? 

[Freddie]

Careful! That can easily be perceived as highly offensive - I won't let my immaculate hands near your filthy ones.
Plus, it paints you as a germaphobe for the rest of you career in that office. You'd have to constantly make believe you really are a germaphobe, never shake anyone's hand, etc. And it makes you sound strange. Like you have a psychological ailment that you have no control over. If you were in fact a germaphobe, the responsible thing would be to get professional help, no?

Holy smokes! Which is more "normal"? To have everyone think you are as crazy as Howard Hughes? Or to just tell them that you and millions of other decent folks follow a code of law that has been around for thousands of years?

[LA2NYC]

I want to ask you a very specific question here:

What would happen if you (politely) didn't shake hands? Would you get fired? Would the client not follow through with the transaction?

From your statement, it appears that your self-heter to shake hands is coming from being image conscious, as you believe that they would see it as "awkward". Putting self-consciousness before Yiddishkeit goes against everything that Judaism stands for. Open a Shulchan Aruch and read the first 10 lines.

It's odd that you want to give off a certain impression of Frum Jews, and you are shaking hands with a woman in order to do that. Think about this.

I'm not here to give you mussar, I'm just reflecting on your statement.

If you read earlier in the thread, you'd realize it wasn't a "self-heter" as you call it but rather something that I've discussed extensively with rabbonim.  Whether we hold by the same poskim, that I don't know.  And to what you said, "Putting self-consciousness before Yiddishkeit goes against everything that Judaism stands for."  If there wasn't sufficient basis in halacha, then I wouldn't do it.

I'm happy to take suggestions from those who work in this setting - from your questions, it doesn't seem like you're too familiar.  I'm happy to listen to your mussar shmues, but I've worked with enough Frum Jews to see the opposite occur where what was meant to be a "polite explanation" just leads to a very negative interaction.

[CountValentine]

Men and women don't touch. That's the short answer.

Now I know why she is called the Blessed Virgin Mary.