Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Santa Claus and Halacha





 
Whilst not a Talmudic tradition, the successors of that tradition, the Orthodox Rabbinic world, have in large part adopted a counter-Torah halacha. The special laws and observances on 24th December, i.e. Xmas eve or “Nittel” in Yiddish is total shame to even Orthodox Jews, and would make Maimonides turn in his grave (which was daubed by Orthodox fanatics, calling him a heretic).

According to current superstition, Xmas eve is a particularly impure and unholy evening. It is so unholy, that even the study of Torah is “forbidden”. Thus, yeshiva students, especially in the Hassidic world, will play card games or other silly things, rather than study Torah. (It should be noted that very little Torah is actually studied in Yeshivot. It is mainly Talmud and halacha, which often run contrary to Torah).

Now this is a serious violation of Torah, even by rabbinic standards. Firstly, the Torah forbids superstition and the use of astrology , e.g. to claim certain dates have good or bad portensions.
Next, it is ascribing mystical powers to the alleged birthdate of Jesus, which have bad influence amongst the Jews. Third, it is denigrating the Torah, and alleging that Torah study can actually be harmful.

Whilst this practice is frowned upon in some Lithuanian and Sephardic circles, it has become more widespread, despite the fact that Jews are not physically attacked in the West, to the extent they were in Eastern Europe, and that Xmas is no more dangerous than any other day.

Thus, the development of rabbinic law has become a total mockery, even of Rabbinical traditions.

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