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I have been brought up with the belief not to walk over someone because it can stunt their growth. Can anyone else here say where they have also heard of this? If yeah, where is the source?

msh210
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Yehuda
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1 Answers1

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The Be'er Moshe 8:36 discusses this issue and says it is something that they used be makpid on not to step over a child and if they went over him they would ask the person to step over him the other way so he can grow to his full height.

The Be'er Moshe continues that this custom is considered among the custom of old women which the Rashba (Shu"t 1:69) wrote that we should not belittle even if we can not understand the reason, they are certainly established on "mountains of holliness".

Michoel
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sam
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    That's Be'er Moshe leshitato: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/7348/759 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/17433/759 see also R Waxman's answers to those questions. – Double AA Nov 18 '12 at 01:04
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    indeed, see here where it is listed as a Jewish and Pennsylvania German (/Dutch) superstition. http://books.google.com/books?id=3XWREKracNsC&lpg=PA179&dq=walk%20over%20child%20growing%20superstition&pg=PA179#v=onepage&q=walk%20over%20child%20growing%20superstition&f=false – josh waxman Nov 18 '12 at 01:57
  • When did the Be'er Moshe live? – Yehuda Nov 18 '12 at 13:14
  • @yehuda , Rav Moshe Stern aka the Debichzner Rav lived from 1914-1997,he wrote on alot of topics which were new . – sam Nov 18 '12 at 14:02
  • @sam thanks. I suppose one can still search for an older source though! – Yehuda Nov 18 '12 at 17:11
  • As far as I know there is not, it just is their mother did it and so on. – sam Nov 18 '12 at 17:34