Why can you wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur?
Exodus 3:5 tells us that Moses removed his leather shoes (or sandals) before entering a holy place. As Yom Kippur entails a “re-living” of Temple days, we too remove our leather shoes at this time. As is so often the case in Judaism, this is not the only reason – shoes are also desaigned to protect our feet and, in doing so, provide comfort. On Yom Kippur we avoid all physical pleasures – such as eating, sexual relations and so on; and leather shoes are a luxury that will detract from the sense of humility that we should feel when atoning.
