WHAT IS SHATNES?

What is Shatnes?

' Sometimes spelled as "shaatnez"

It is the mixing wool and linen in the same garment. There are various prohibitions

(19)You shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not mate your cattle with a different species: you shall not plant your field with mixed seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and wool come upon you. ("be worn by you"). (Vayikra 19:19........ Lev 19:19)

AND...

(9)You shall not sow your vineyard with mixture of seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which you have sown, and the fruit of your vineyard, be defiled.

(10)You shall not plow with an ox and an donkey together.

(11)You shall not wear a garment of mixed fibers, [as] of wool and linen together.

(Dvar'eem 22:9-11.....Duet 22:9-11)

Ask your Rov (Rabbi) concerning these matters. However, if he does not even believe in Torah Observance...well....time to change to a Messianic Synagogue that actually IS a "Synagogue" (or "Shul" in Yiddish). No Torah=No Judaism.

The obvious way of observing the Shatnes prohibitions is to first check the garment's tag. The lining and padding in many garments such as suits or the embroidery thread, such as designs on sweaters (men's and women's) may cause shatnes problems. The padding filler in many suits is made of assorted rags which may be mixed linen and wool in themselves (so it is not just a worry of linen threaded padding in a wool shell suit).

Since the fabric tag on suits usually refer only to the shell, (and ignore lining, padding or ornamental threads), the label can only be used to identify garments which definitely have shatnes. If the label indicates that the suit (for example) can be good, yet you really want to make sure, take it to a Shatnes lab for testing. Most cities with at least a decent sized Orthodox community have qualified Shatnes (shatnez) testers. If the city has a local Vaad Hakashrus they can usually refer you to a reliable tester.