Thematic Bible: Customs connected with
Thematic Bible
Shoes » Customs connected with » A man who refused to marry a deceased brother's wife disgraced by pulling off his shoes
then his sister-in-law will go up to him in the sight of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she will declare, 'This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother's house.' And his [family] name in Israel will be called 'The house of the man whose sandal was removed.'
Shoes » Customs connected with » The right of redemption resigned by a man's giving one of his shoes to the next of kin
At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to the other party in order to make any matter [legally] binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was [the method of] legally binding a transaction in Israel. So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, "Buy back [the property] yourself."