[Avodah] Are Upsherin and Bonfires Taken from the Gentiles?

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R"n Toby Katz wrote:
> Can we not agree that once a minhag has become so accepted
> and its origins largely forgotten, that we can forget about
> how it started and not object to it anymore?

That is an interesting suggestion. But if one is going to be honest, then that principle would have to work in the opposite direction as well. Speciifcally, I'm thinking about Halloween.

Can we agree that since Halloween has become so accepted among the non-Jews, and its origins almost entirely forgotten, that we can forget about how it started and not object to it anymore? Or more precisely, can we reduce our "objection level" about Halloween, to the same level as that of January 1? Or maybe even to the level of Mothers Day?

I suspect not. We object to Halloween not only because its origins happen to be non-Jewish, but because its origins are specifically pagan. We find ourselves unable to "forget about how it started and not object to it anymore," because we are a people who refuses to take things at face value. Things are always much more than they appear to be on the surface, and we train ourselves to be vigilant of this.

On the other hand, there is also the possibility of taking something which was originally objectionable, and "kashering" it, infusing it with kedusha and new meaning. Like the kashering and toveling of a kitchen utensil, this is done by carefully removing the tumah and objectionable aspects, and replacing them them with kedusha and proper kavanos. Offhand, I can't think of any good examples of this. I invite the chevra to suggest some. But the cynical side of me suspects that all the examples will turn out to various kabbalistic and/or chassidic minhagim. In fact, this whole paragraph, this whole idea of kashering a pagan practice is beginning to sound a bit modern and odd. Perhaps someone can suggest an example of this which predates the Zohar.

Akiva Miller

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