Q&A from the Bais HaVaad Halacha Hotline

Trouble Shooting

July 31, 2025

Q I run a summer program for 18-year-old girls, and we’re considering taking them to a local gun range for recreational shooting. Is there a problem with that?

A The pasuk says (Dvarim 22:5), “Lo yihyeh chli gever al ishah velo yilbash gever simlas ishah (A man’s garb shall not be on a woman, nor shall a man wear a woman’s garment)…” Targum Onkelos says the first clause means that a man’s weapon shall not be on a woman (see also Nazir 59a). That is, a weapon is a masculine tool, so a woman may not carry it. The halacha is codified in the Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 182:5): A woman may not wear combat garb, like a battle helmet or a suit of armor. Where they face danger and require protection, women are permitted to carry weapons and practice using them (see Igros Moshe O.C. 4:75 on teachers in Israeli settlements; also see Yechaveh Da’as 5:55).

Interestingly, the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Shoftim 56) says that kli gever is why Ya’el killed the Kna’ani general Sisra with a tent peg rather than a sword, when either tool was suited to the task.

For men, there is no halachic basis to prohibit sport shooting, provided that the targets are inanimate. With regard to hunting, there are halachic sources, most notably the Noda Bihuda (Y.D. 2:10), that advise against it. The Noda Bihuda maintains that if the carcass will not be utilized for any purpose, hunting is forbidden for two main reasons: bal tashchis (destroying something useful) and tza’ar ba’alei chaim (causing unnecessary pain to an animal). If the carcass will be used, these prohibitions do not apply, but hunting should still be avoided because sport hunting is associated with traits contrary to Jewish values, as it is considered an act of cruelty if the game is not to be used. The only hunters mentioned in the Torah are Nimrod and Eisav, both evil men.

The Noda Bihuda also notes that hunting comes with some risks, and these should not be undertaken for mere recreational purposes, only when necessary for one’s livelihood.