I don't know where you heard that

My male, Jewish friend handed me something yesterday, infront of a Rabbi. So, I'm guessing the answer to this question is: "No, that is not true". Why? Because it's ridiculous!

Maybe during an ultra Orthodox temple service (where they sit on separate sides of the room, like at the Western Wall in Israel), many decades ago, in a small town...

The short answer is yes, but this is not widely praticed. Negiah (× ×’×™×¢×” meaning "contact" or "connection" or "touch" in Hebrew) is the concept in Jewish law (Halakha) that restricts (or forbids) physical contact with, or touching of, a member of the opposite sex (particularly in an erotic manner), except for one's spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents. A person who abides by this code of conduct is colloquially described as a shomer negiah ("observant [of] negiah"). - Wikipedia Explore: # http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shomer_negiah # http://www.google.com/search?q=shomer+negiyah # http://tinyurl.com/3boc2x

wtf that would be like a punishment

YES, in the times of Jesus of Nazareth, teacher, prophet, healer, also called the King of the Jews by non-Jews who did not believe that Jesus born in Bethlehem was the Son of God andthe virgin Mary; so 2007 years ago, yes. When Jesus reached out His Hand to the woman with the issue of blood after she touched the hem of His garment quietly so as to be unnoticed with faith that she would be healed. She was healed but when Jesus asked 'who touched Me?" she spoke up and he touched her hand, therefore those of the Jewish religious leaders who were trying to trap Him in sin, made the touch of man to woman be a major issue to prove to others who heard that Jesus had broken the law. The law that He had supposedly broken was one of more than 600 laws, including the 10 commandments, that God Almighty gave to the Israelites/Jewish people when they were on their way to the land promised to them by God. Moses brought all the laws, not just 10 that He told the people to follow. Those laws are written in the Books of the law on that trip from slavery in Egypt where they had been for over 200 years after going there during the great famine that occurred after Joseph's jealous and angry brothers sold him to Egyptian travelers then took his coat of many colors, dipped it into the blood of a sheep and showed it to his father, their father, to prove that his favorite son, Joseph, had been killed by wolves. Today no one abides by all of the 600 laws in the various groups/sects of Jewish followers and NOT by the Christian churches from Catholtic to Baptist to FourSquare and all others...they pick and choose...even choosing just one sentence or one verse from a long chapter to preach and teach as if it is the only truth of that chapter or book of the old Testament lawbooks that include Exodus, Levicticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Example: the hatred and condemnation of God's creation who have DNA and a heart of romantic love toward their same gender are condemned by one verse in Leviticus 18 or 26...surely God meant that all of His given laws were all to be followed or none of them...as taught by Jesus, according to non-Jewish believers in Jesus according to John 3:16: He said "I come to fulfill the law, not to destroy it." They have too much hatred of those people who are different that they in religion, even religion based on the King James Version of the Bible as chosen by the Catholic church so many, 1900 to 2006 years ago, in race during certain periods of history, other Christians as in the "Christian Crusades" when the pope sent armies to kill nonchristians and sack Constanople that was a Christian City, and by judging the addicts to substances, those who do not attend church, and others. Yes, read through the Bible to understand when and not, it was against their religion for a Jewish man to touch the hand of a Jewish woman, married or unmarried, with monthly cycle or not with her menstrual cycle.

Judaism, contrary to popular perception, places a premium on male-female relationships. There are many facets of Jewish observance that are designed to protect and enhance these relationships. More specifically, Judaism aims to create a uniqueness about marriage that is vibrant and unlike any other interpersonal relationship. One aspect of this is the Jewish approach to physical touch. Touching between the sexes is totally blasé in modern society. Judaism sees male-female touch as a potentially sensuous tool to be preserved for husband and wife. In other words, Judaism would like a man to feel there is something special about simply touching his wife's hand (and vice-versa). So, Judaism says that men and women should refrain from touching members of the opposite sex (except immediate relatives), and reserve that right for their spouse. This way, even a casual physical encounter between husband and wife is special. The practical application of this would more commonly mean that religious Jewish men/ women refrain from shaking hands with members of the opposite sex. It is rather uncommon for people to take it to the extreme of not handing anything directly to a male/ female. Take a look: http://tinyurl.com/3dcwl3 http://tinyurl.com/2a4mzs [Not exactly on the topic, but a similar insight: http://tinyurl.com/yodfzd]