Mar'it-ayin (Mish.: מַרְאִית הָעַיִן; ModernHebrew:מַרְאִית-עַיִן 'appearance to the eye';Ashkenazic transliteration:maris ayin), is a concept inhalakha (Jewish law) which prohibits certain actions which mightseem to observers to be in violation ofJewish law, even if they are in fact permissible, in order to prevent onlookers from drawing false conclusions.[1] For example, according to theTorah law it is forbidden to eat the blood of an animal, but the blood of fish is permissible. However, according to the principle ofmarit ayin, it is forbidden to eat the blood of fish, as an onlooker might believe the blood is from an animal, and mistakenly conclude that eating animal blood is allowed.[2]
According toOvadia Yosef, former chiefSephardic rabbi of Israel,marit ayin applies only when the onlooker might mistakenly interpret the action as violating alaw given in the Torah.[3]
There is a disagreement in theTalmud as to whether the concept ofmarit ayin applies in private.Beit Shamai believes thatmarit ayin applies even in private, whereas Beit Hillel believes thatmarit ayin does not apply in private.[4]
According to theShulchan Aruch, if something which was prohibited in the times of the Talmud because ofmarit ayin is no longer a concern due to modern day circumstances, the prohibition is cancelled.[5]
Some examples of marit ayin include:[6]