What does "shomer" mean

amother

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 7:49 am

If one says "he/she is shomer", what does it mean in a general sense?

Does it mean that the person is G-d fearing?

twizzlers1

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 7:55 am

The first thing that came to mind is shomer negia.

FranticFrummie

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 7:56 am

Context is everything. You'll need to use it in a full sentence. "Shomer" in general means to guard.

Having a child of a certain age in your home can be a shomer against yichud.
Not touching during dating is shomer negiah.
A person who sits with a deceased person while waiting for the chevra kedisha is a shomer.
Someone who carefully observes Shabbos is called "shomer Shabbos".

I'm sure there are lots more examples, but this is just off the top of my head.

Elfrida

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 7:57 am

The word shomer literally meaqns to guard, keep, or preserve.

Shomer Shabbat is to guard the sanctity of Shabbat by being careful about the halachos.

Saying that someone is shomer without any context, is often used as an abbreviation for being shomer negiah in societies where this halacha is regarded as optional.

Generally the precise colloquial meaning will often depend on the context.