House of the Shoe Off (Biblical term for the man performing chalitzah)
A Biblical term for a man performing chalitzah (after he refuses to marry his deceased brother’s widow).
("And she shall spit in his face and answer and say: ‘Thus shall be done to the man who will not build his brother’s house.’ And his name shall be called in Israel ‘House of the Shoe Off’ – Deuteronomy 25:9, and also: ‘And his name was Ge’el, and his name was called in Israel House of the Shoe Off, and the girl was from the height of heaven above, and when she matured her eyes longed for a husband’ – Emmanuel HaRomi, 13th century, The Jar of Manna and Jeroboam’s Calf")
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בֵּית חֲלוּץ הַנַּעַל
Definition (Hebrew)
כִּנּוּי מִקְרָאִי לְאָדָם הַמְּבַצֵּעַ חֲלִיצָה (לְאַחַר סֵרוּבוֹ לָשֵׂאת אֶת אֵשֶׁת אָחִיו שֶׁנִּפְטַר).
("וְיָרְקָה בְּפָנָיו וְעָנְתָה וְאָמְרָה כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִבְנֶה אֶת בֵּית אָחִיו. וְנִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ בִּיִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּית חֲלוּץ הַנַּעַל" – דְּבָרִים כֹּה ט, וְכֵן: "וְשְׁמוֹ גּוֹאֵל/ וְנִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ בִּיִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּית חֲלוּץ הַנַּעַל/ וְהַנַּעֲרָה הָיְתָה מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמָיִם מִמַּעַל/ וּכְשֶׁבָּגְרָה כָּלוּ עֵינֶיהָ מְיַחֲלוֹת לְבַעַל" – עִמָּנוּאֵל הָרוֹמִי, הַמֵּאָה י״ג, צִנְצֶנֶת הַמָּן וְעֵגֶל יָרְבְּעָם)