Married men wear a ring to the office?

[Drago]

LOL! 

It's okay to make fun, Drago. I did sound a little intense there. I am not really a kanoy. Besides, it's a spear, not a sword.

A similar question for you posek's out there.
Can a gay religous guy shake a man's hand?

[Freddie]

A similar question for you posek's out there.
Can a gay religous guy shake a man's hand?

Yes. Absolutely. He can hug a man too. Aderaba.

[LA2NYC]

Halacha draws the line at handshakes.

This is the part I don't get. How can some say that it is then all right in business situations? Forget about the rules when it doesn’t benefit you?

CV - the reason behind the laws against touching, as you quoted earlier, is due to the fact that at the most basic basic level, it's a precursor for more serious physical actions.  The Rabbis who allow hand-shaking for business purposes rely on the fact that this type of touch, a handshake in a business setting, is not considered "derech chibah," or pleasant touching.  Meaning, since a handshake in the workplace wouldn't be considered an act of pleasant touch, it would not be considered a precursor to a more stringent act and would therefore be allowed.  Those who disagree and forbid hand-shaking outright wouldn't make the distinction between pleasant and unpleasant touch.

That make more sense?

[CountValentine]

That make more sense?

Yes but that leads to more questions. Let’s start with the easy ones. Then we will move on to the hugging and I and afraid to say the dreaded kiss on the cheek.

For handshaking:
Funerals - OK?
Weddings - Not OK?

[Dr Moose]

A similar question for you posek's out there.
Can a gay religous guy shake a man's hand?

then he's not religious

[CountValentine]

then he's not religious

So a gay Jew can't be religious?

[Jkhein]

Yes but that leads to more questions. Let’s start with the easy ones. Then we will move on to the hugging and I and afraid to say the dreaded kiss on the cheek.

For handshaking:
Funerals - OK?
Weddings - Not OK?

I think your question might have the answer, I don't remember handshaking to deceased friends and family at a funeral.

[mod]

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.

That's not an accurate quote of all parties you claim said that.

[CountValentine]

How about a man/women that has SRS/GRS done. Are they allowed to shake anyone’s hand?

[CountValentine]

I think your question might have the answer, I don't remember handshaking to deceased friends and family at a funeral.

Handshaking/hugging is very common at funerals I have been to.

[LA2NYC]

So a gay Jew can't be religious?

He can be religious in 99% of his actions, but if he acts on his gay impulses then he is committing a very severe transgression in the Torah's eyes.  Not entirely similar as the transgressions are viewed a bit differently, but a married man who commits adultery could also be considered religious even though he's committing a severe sin.

Let’s start with the easy ones. Then we will move on to the hugging and I and afraid to say the dreaded kiss on the cheek.

For handshaking:
Funerals - OK?
Weddings - Not OK?

Again, touching in general is considered to be forbidden and only allowed in very very limited circumstances.  IF you believe it's truly necessary not to offend another and the handshake would be completely without "pleasure/affection," then you might be able to say that in a wedding or funeral it would be ok.  YET, it's still highly frowned upon and ideal to refrain.

A handshake is in itself not an affectionate act so there are times when leniency is allowed.  However, all would agree that a kiss and hug in and of themselves are affectionate acts and would therefore be forbidden...

[LA2NYC]

How about a man/women that has SRS/GRS done. Are they allowed to shake anyone’s hand?

1) Here I'm less familiar, but in general there is much less of an issue with a woman shaking a man's hand.  They have less restrictions on actions that are precursors to more stringent physical acts.

2) I'm not 100% sure how the Torah views those who go through SRS/GRS.  Thankfully, I don't see too many of those in the office .

[CountValentine]

LA2NYC/Freddie/others – I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I tried to mix in humor with some real questions. I understand your reasoning but don’t agree with some of it. An example would be the workplace. If anything handshaking should be forbidden there. How many affairs do you think start at the work place?

[CountValentine]

Don't rules have by laws?

I'm not commenting on this specific but your question has an easy answer and that's bylaws of the laws.

In politics/government, yes but when it comes to religion I would say NO!

[Drago]

then he's not religious

how about thieves, pedophiles, ppl who embarrass others in public, ppl who hold a grudge, ppl who don't daven every day, gossip, etc....
We tend to view them all as being religious despite their sins.

Besides, 'religious' isn't a simple binomial yes/no. Ppl are on all levels within the spectrum.

And yes, no need to lecture about how the torah uses an extra strong language to describe this specific sin. I'm well aware.

[LA2NYC]

Don't rules have by laws?

I'm not commenting on this specific but your question has an easy answer and that's bylaws of the laws.

In politics/government, yes but when it comes to religion I would say NO!

CV - welcome to Orthodox Judaism.  The bylaws of the bylaws have their own bylaws....which are subject to interpretation .

[CountValentine]

CV - welcome to Orthodox Judaism.  The bylaws of the bylaws have their own bylaws....which are subject to interpretation .

That is the problem with religions (not just Judaism). No wonder so many go OTD ( I was waiting to use that  ) or question their own religion.

[churnbabychurn]

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.

Cmiiw but even poskim who are matir because its not chibba, that is only in extenuating circumstances where due to the nature of the circumstance the chibba is removed.

Do all your rabbis hold you can shake your neighbors hand good Shabbos? Of course not! (I would imagine).

So don't poo poo this serious Issur of negia, only shake where absolutely necessary.

[Emkay]

CV - welcome to Orthodox Judaism.  The bylaws of the bylaws have their own bylaws....which are subject to interpretation .

That is the problem with religions (not just Judaism). No wonder so many go OTD ( I was waiting to use that  ) or question their own religion.

to me thats part of the beauty

[chaimmayer]

You tell 'em, Count! R' Moshe Feinstein z"l said that handshakes were yaharog v'al ya'avor. Some people like RMF when it's time to eat M&M's but not when it's time to explain to some important business lady why you can't shake her hand.

you sure rmf said that.  I know the steipler held that way but Iirc Reb Moshe was not as strict.

The local shaliach in town told me once that he refuses to invite a certain well traveled chabad speaker because he shakes women's hands.  He told me if someone has a kula that's ok but in chabad we don't allow it and I "have to offend women every single day because of this".  It upsets him too much that the presents himself as a Lubavitcher but then shakes.