Answer by Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov in Kfar Chabad Beis, Israel:
One may only walk outside on Shabbos wearing items that are considered either a garment (beged) or an ornament (tachshit), and are therefore nullified to one’s body. Otherwise, it is considered a burden (masui) and one may not carry it on Shabbos even by wearing it.
Moreover, even such items may not be worn outside if they might fall off or they are the type that one may take off and carry in his hand (unless they are attached in a way that he cannot take them off).
One who requires eyeglasses in order to see properly, and therefore wears them all the time, is allowed to walk outside with them, for they are considered as a garment and not an additional item.
While poskim in previous times were concerned that one’s glasses might fall and one will come to carry them, contemporary poskim write that that this concern is no longer applicable to most current glasses.
Reading glasses, however, are not needed for walking and they are therefore considered something extra at that time. In addition, there is a concern that he might take them off or slide them back over his head. Bifocals may be worn if one wears them all the time.
One who is just starting to wear contact lenses should not go outside with them on Shabbos if there is concern that he might remove them because they irritate his eyes.
Regular sunglasses that are for protection from the sun may not be worn outside, even in a situation where they help him walk, because he may take them off when he reaches a shady area and mistakenly carry them. The same is true for clip-on shades.
However, prescription sunglasses are permitted if he won’t take them off even in a shady area because he needs them to see.
Certainly, prescription glasses that change color in the sun are allowed since they are like regular glasses in the shade. (It isn’t an issue of coloring on Shabbos since the color change is temporary and will disappear soon after.)
For one who must wear sunglasses all day due to a medical concern, the sunglasses are considered his regular glasses, and he may wear them outdoors on Shabbos as well.
Published in the Weekly Farbrengen, a publication of Merkaz Anash. See Sources
When Jewish shabbos laws were ratified, in ancient times, spectacles/sunglasses had yet to be invented. So, pray how can one make super stringent laws/rules to fit circumstances of a modern, scientific and technological age?
How foolhardy to advise people not to protect their eyes in the sun!!
#16: An otherwise removable garment does not have to be an ornament to be allowed to be worn on Shabbos, provided it is securely attached to the rest of the garment, for example it is allowed to wear a coat that has a hood, even if the hood is attached by means of buttons, as long as putting the hood up or down does not detach it. This is different from a key, which is being carried for use later, it is not a garment at all unless made into a decorative pin (becoming an ornament); the hood may be… Read more »
Carrying anything four amos in the street is EXACTLY like carrying from private to public or vice versa. Therefore it is FORBIDDEN to wear anything that, if it falls off, one is not sure to immediately replace before moving on. One who can’t see well enough to walk without his glasses is sure never to carry them in the street. If he removes them for a second he stops walking and does not resume until they are back on. But one who can see without them may very well remove them while walking, or if they fall off he may… Read more »
#12: Crown Heights does not have an eruv. If you carry in it, you are being flat-out mechalel Shabbos. #13: no. If the item itself is a tachshit (ornament), then that’s one thing. But the glasses themselves are not one, so suspending them from a necklace is still carrying. (That is why, for example, keys have to be put on a Shabbos belt, where they’re an integral part of the belt and where the belt itself serves a function, rather than just putting them on a chain around the neck.) #14: if a person indeed wears their sunglasses as they… Read more »
Some people have to wear sunglasse for medical reasons, not just for vanity, or mild discomfort from sunlight – eg people who recently had cataract surgery, those who are likely to get a migraine if they don’t, etc. Big Jewish Shabbat sin if they take them off for a fraction of a second to rub an itch! Not exactly carrying is it like from private to public and vice versa. Why can’t normal intelligent people trust themselves to use a modicum of commonsense in this modern technological age?
For one who must wear sunglasses all day due to a medical concern, the sunglasses are considered his regular glasses, and he may wear them outdoors on Shabbos as well.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in older people. A big contributor is exposing the retinas to UV rays, i.e. sunshine. To protect the eyes a person should wear wraparound-type sunglasses whenever outside, regular sunglasses do not prevent UV rays from getting in at the sides or from the top. Wraparound sunglasses that fit over regular prescription glasses are available. The article mentions an exception to the stated opinion, “unless they are attached in a way that he cannot take them off”, perhaps if the sunglasses are attached to a chain so that if removed from the face… Read more »
So grateful that I live in a place like Crown Heights, that has an eruv.
The brim will shield your eyes from the sun. What do you think people did for the last few thousand years before sunglasses became invented…
last week i was on a shabaton an the question came up
I wear Bifocal Prescription Glasses all the time. I believe it’s called Photo Grey, this is the automatic Tony that makes my glasses become sunglasses when outside.
It’s a little costly, but most Eye Plans cover it.
It’s a true blessing to curb the sun’s glare. In fact, it even works in the car.
#5 suggestion … no need to stay home at all .. y’all to your doctor and then your Rav about your discussion with doctor and see what comes of it … one good thing about Yiddishkeit it is not black and white .. GD leaves room for doctors and Rabonim to decide what is best for an individual .. so go for it ..
same as a hat over a sheitel ..
From the gist of the article, I think perhaps there is a lack of understanding of the damage unshielded UV does to the eyes. This isn’t about fashion. It’s about medical necessity.
Guess this means I am confined to the house. No prescription sunglasses here. The sun bothers my eyes and speaking with a doctor I now know it can be ruinous to my vision. (This applies to anyone.) Eyes get damaged from sunlight. Many people unknowningly ruin their eyesight by sun exposure.
Thank you so much for all halacha review.
Very clear and to the point.
I understand that for someone who was not aware of the halacha it’s going to be a challenge.
Sounds like something to ask a Rav since you have a special situation.
It never occurred to me that I couldn’t wear sunglasses on Shabbos, it’s literally medically necessary.
Every time you walk outside without sun protection you are damaging your eyes. This certainty should easily overwhelm the slight possibility that you might take off your sunglasses outside.