Kissing Children in Shul
Poskim quote the halachah that we may not kiss young children in shul. The reason is to emphasize and to reinforce that there is no love comparable to our love of Hashem; since in a shul our love for Hashem should be strongly felt and expressed, no other love should be demonstrated there. This is not only for our own sake, or for our children’s, but also to demonstrate to others that the only love that is relevant in a shul is the love of Hashem. However, a kiss that is given as a sign of respect or greeting is permissible in shul. Accordingly, some suggest that we may kiss a person whom we have not seen in a while in a place where it is a common cultural expectation to kiss upon meeting and not only to shake hands, since it is done as a cultural mannerism. Even when the kissing is done out of friendship, there are many poskim who suggest that it may be done if it is not during the time of davening. However, kissing young children (and, according to many poskim, older children as well), whether our own or another’s, which is clearly done out of love, may not be done in shul. The custom is to be lenient and to permit kissing young children in the women’s section. #295?1
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