Question:
I have always been told that one should not sleep with one’s feet towards the door.
I understand that it has to do with ל”ע taking a niftar out of the room in that way.
Does it mean feet directly opposite doorway or even feet towards the wall which has the door in it?
Where is the source for this?
Thank you
Answer:
There is such a minhag however it’s source is not known therefore, it is hard to give exact answers more than just the basic fact. See sources.
Best wishes
Sources:
דעת נוטה ח”א תשובה רנ”ד, (סגולות רבותינו ענינים שונים שאלה י”א) – “מה מקור המנהג לא לישן עם הרגלים כנגד הפתח, והאם זה דוקא אם הדלת פתוחה בשעת השינה, והאם מועיל יתן דבר המפסיק בין המטה לפתח כגון כסא וכיוצא בזה. עוד יש להסתפק האם הקפידא היא דוקא בפתח שיוצאים ממנו לרחוב או גם בפתח של מרפסת שאי אפשר לצאת משם כלל [ובפרט שזה בקומה עליונה]. תשובה העולם מקפידין על זה משום שדרך מת להשכיבו כנגד הפתח. יותר איני יודע”.
I saw in a kuntros of Inyanei Halacha on Sakana and Shemiras Haguf Vehanefesh from R’ Moshe Heinemann that someone asked him if it’s a problem to sleep with a persons head facing the door, and he said that they actually take Meisim feet first (Nitei Gavriel Aveilus 1:50:6) but anyway there is no problem sleeping either way halachically.
True, it isn’t halachically assur, however many have the minhag to be careful about it.
I think that he meant that there is no problem at all not only halachically because the only reason people seem to give is because of the way they take out meisim, and he said that it’s actually not true and meisim are not taken out head first, so there would be no reason to be makpid at all.
Meisim are taken out feet first. This is why some people are careful not to sleep this way.
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