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| Sign in a Williamsburg store - source VIN |
What did they do that deserves a lawsuit? They posted signs
requiring modest dress by patrons in order for them to be admitted to their
stores. By modest they include prohibiting (among other things) sleeveless dresses
and low cut necklines. I have little patience for such restrictions. Not because
they do not have Halachic significance. They do. But because they project an
image to the world of extremism that subjects Judaism to ridicule.
Even though these restrictions are based in Halacha, they
should not in my view become standard for patrons who shop there. As long as
the dress is modest by communal standards of decency (not Hollywood standards -
but what I would call ‘silent majority’ standards) a store-owner should just
learn to avert his eyes. If he feels that a woman wearing a sleeveless dress is
too enticing for him to bear let him not look directly at the arms of these women
– or wear ‘blurry eyed’ glasses.
Nonetheless I defend their right to impose any restrictions
they wish as long as they are not harmful to others or discriminating based on personal
prejudice – like skin color or religion.
All they are trying to do is maintain their own standards for
Tznius. In my view that is their right, whether I or anyone else likes it or
not. These are private businesses and I don’t see any reason why a merchant can’t
establish any shopping rules he wants.
If he posted a sign requiring people to wear underwear on
their heads, before entry that would be their right too. I don’t have to shop
there – if I don’t like the conditions for entry. Or if I choose - I can try
and reason with the owner to change the rules if I don’t like them. But at the
end of the day, it should be his right.
This has nothing to do with whether I agree with what they
are doing or not. Nor does it have anything to do with my views on whether such
restrictions are mandated by Halacha. The point is that these people do believe
that do be the case and they have a right to run their businesses any way they
choose as long as they do not harm anyone or unfairly discriminate against a
particular group of people.
So as much as these kinds of business practices bother me,
I defend the right of anyone to do business the way they choose.
The best way to oppose such restrictions is to ‘vote
with your feet’. If you don’t like the way they do business, don’t shop
there. Unless it can be shown that there was discriminatory intent clothed in
religion - no business owner should be forced to violate their religious
principles just because a random shopper doesn’t like the rules based on them.
