Are we allowed to sit low?

4g01o ↓

Thu, May 05 2022, 5:24 pm

I want to buy adult sized, but low bean bag chairs. I was always taught that one isn't allowed to sit on a low chair/sofa unless we're in mourning /9 av.

Is this a thing that you have heard?

Genius ↓

Thu, May 05 2022, 6:42 pm

I heard you shouldn’t sit on the floor directly, have something underneath you, even a towel is good. Never heard that a bean bag chair could be a problem.

essie14

Fri, May 06 2022, 2:53 am

Never heard of this. I sit on the floor all the time with my kids.

↑ 4g01o

Fri, May 06 2022, 3:30 am

essie14 wrote:

Never heard of this. I sit on the floor all the time with my kids.

So do I! Thought it was only low chairs/sofas.

Sesame

Fri, May 06 2022, 4:50 am

essie14 wrote:

Never heard of this. I sit on the floor all the time with my kids.

Me too.
I know obviously we don’t sit low or on floor in a shiva house. Never heard a bean bag is forbidden by Judaism….

Blessing1 ↓

Fri, May 06 2022, 8:30 am

I don't think it's a problem to sit on the floor when playing with our children. I think that we shouldn't sit on the floor when davening, learning, eating a meal.

mommy3b2c

Fri, May 06 2022, 9:56 am

I sit on the floor and on beam bags and wherever I want. Just not in a shiva house.

imafriend ↓

Fri, May 06 2022, 10:49 am

What about all the Middle Eastern communities that officially just sit on cushions when eating etc.?
It seems sitting low was an official way of sitting in the past.

↑ Blessing1

Fri, May 06 2022, 10:57 am

imafriend wrote:

What about all the Middle Eastern communities that officially just sit on cushions when eating etc.?
It seems sitting low was an official way of sitting in the past.

I think the issue is sitting directly on the floor.

↑ Genius

Fri, May 06 2022, 11:12 am

essie14 wrote:

Never heard of this. I sit on the floor all the time with my kids.

I sit on the floor too. This was the closest inyan to bean bags I’ve heard about.

↑ imafriend

Fri, May 06 2022, 11:43 am

Never heard of it either and I sit on the floor too.
We had one teacher who taught not to.
Her reasoning was that the kids won't respect you later in life 😀 A mother needs to be seen as aloof and not friendly.
Nothing about mourning though.

(Don't ask me why the school hired her. She taught us "life methods.")

BatyaEsther

Fri, May 06 2022, 12:07 pm

imafriend wrote:

That is the saddest thing I have ever heard.

gr82no

Fri, May 06 2022, 2:24 pm

I think only not to sit on chairs that are Davka for a mourner like the misaskim chairs.

AllAlone

Fri, May 06 2022, 2:33 pm

I think in ancient times, after the bais hamikdash was destroyed they didn’t even have chairs. Even while learning, the talmidim sat on the floor and only the rebbe sat on a pillow.