Knitting During the First 30 Days of Mourning

Halakhah, Halakhah, Life Cycle, Modern Judaism

by Rabbi Alan J Yuter

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.

May an aveil/aveilah (mourner) in shloshim (30-day mourning period) crochet/knit/sew? I’m not finding anything on this.

You are not finding anything because nothing is there.

The only time Aveilut (mourning) is de-oraita (Oral Torah Law) is when mita u-qevura (death and burial) bis on the same day.
For an act to be forbidden, the Oral Torah Law has to say so.
Shall we say that a mourner may not where a tie? Why is knitting different?
There are those who believe in an expansive halakhah. To them I ask
how do you know that there is an implied prohibiting decree?
how do you understand that by law we are to be lenient with regard to the family purity, eruv, and mourning?
If you believe that the halakhot that we have are points of information from which we generalize and assume new restrictions, we have rendered the Law chaotic and subjective.
One has a right to be strict with oneself–but one must make a decision according to the Oral Torah Law.
As a mater of policy, I would not recommend knitting during Shiva, as knitting can divert one’s concentration. So if a women wants to crochet, I would be lenient. I would be strict with regard to putting the mattresses on the floor in the mourner’s residence, even against the Shulhan Aruch (but not the Rambam) because this is rule is memorialized in the Talmud. The Rambam and Maran are of two minds on this matter.

We obey the Tradition as required, not as imagined.

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About Rabbi Alan J Yuter

Educated and first ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Rabbi Alan J. Yuter earned additional ordinations from Yeshiva University, supervised by Rav Moshe D. Tendler, and the Israeli Chief Rav Mordecai Eliahu. He further received Yadin Yadin from Rav David Weiss Halivni and earned a PhD in modern Hebrew Literature from New York University.

A founding member of the UTJ, Rabbi Yuter served as a faculty member at the UTJ’s rabbinical school and has held multiple pulpits, including extended stints in Springfield, NJ, and Baltimore, MD.

Rabbi Yuter is a prolific writer on ritual and philosophical issues, underpinnings of halakha, Biblical criticism, and much more. His essays can be found on UTJ’s Viewpoints . He is also a frequent contributor for The Institute of Jewish Ideas and Ideals.

In addition to his activities with the UTJ, Rabbi Yuter teaches at Torat Reva in Jerusalem and is associated with the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding, affiliated with Ohr Torah Stone in Efrat.

Rabbi Yuter and his wife Linda reside in Israel.

Knitting During the First 30 Days of Mourning

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