Do upper arms need to be covered as tzniut? Males or females?
Answer:
For men, there is no obligation to cover the upper arm. Indeed, in the hot summer days Rav Moshe Feinstein wore a short sleeved shirt that left part of the upper arm uncovered, and of course there is no problem with this.
For women, the upper arm is considered a “covered area” of the body, and must be covered, as the Mishnah Berurah rules (75:2).
This is also the common custom among observant Jews.
Best wishes.
I seem to recall seeing a picture of R’ Moshe Feinstein sitting and learning with a short sleeved shirt. Does anyone know if such a picture is available on line? (I tried finding it, but wasn’t able to).
I’ve seen the picture, too. If I recall correctly it was taken in the mountains during the summer months.
Just to clarify, does this mean I can wear a top that shows my whole arm (e.g. a mens tank top)?
I am training for a long distance race, and was going to ask wether this would be permitted to make my running easier in the heat, but I found this in the archives…
Yes, this is permitted.
Best wishes.
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