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<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From:
Arie Folger <A href="mailto:afolger@aishdas.org">afolger@aishdas.org</A><BR><BR>>> What
are the parameters of 'huqot hagoyim. Shul'han 'Arukh YD 178<BR>includes among
the prohibition of 'huqot hagoyim the prohibition to<BR>wear costumes
specifically associated with idol worship.<BR><BR><BR>....But what about dress
that is more explicitly tied to foreign religious<BR>celebrations or religious
orders, are these not violations of 'huqot<BR>hagoyim? Is it sufficient that
in their neighborhood they are unaware<BR>of the Christian connection, or do
they remain assur since most of<BR>their non-Yerushlami neighbors, ten blocks
down, would recognize<BR>these?<BR><BR>At issue are two costumes, one of girls
dressed as nuns, but with a<BR>magen david (and upon reflection, that means
they are likely not<BR>'Hareidim) and a family in Meah She'arim all dressed up
in red<BR>costumes with white trimmings, reminiscent of some famous
fictional<BR>character associated with gifts at some major Christian holiday.
I am<BR>operating here under the reasonable assumption that they are
unaware<BR>of the Christian connection.<BR><BR>Can one unknowingly transgress
'huqot hagoyim, meaning, when knowing<BR>the halakha but not knowing of the
cultural connection? Does it matter<BR>when the clothing in question is not
associated with AZ in that<BR>neighborhood? <<<BR><BR>Arie
Folger,<BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV>It seems to me that if you live in a neighborhood (or a time) where the
association between a particular costume and some A'Z religion has been
forgotten and is not known, then there is no longer any prohibition. How
could people be culpable for something they didn't even know about?</DIV>
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<DIV>This reminds me of something else that has become common in
Jewish homes (but which my father did not permit): candles on a birthday
cake. I think most people don't know that this custom had pagan
origins. Those who do know, should not have birthday candles. Those
who don't know, well, they don't know. </DIV>
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<DIV>I would make a distinction, BTW, between Santa Claus costumes and the nun
costumes that you mentioned. In the case of the former, it is safe to
assume that the Meah She'arim kids had just never heard of SC and had no
clue. I've heard variations on this story a number of times -- e.g, an
Israeli kid visiting America and thinking SC is a chassidishe rebbe who wears a
red suit. In the case of the nun costumes, you can assume they /did/ know
and that the purpose of dressing as nuns was to /make fun/ of them. IMO
wearing an A'Z costume in order to make fun of A'Z is mutar and is quite
different from wearing an A'Z costume in order to "be like the goyim."</DIV>
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<DIV>You could ask a related question, is it mutar to dress in a way that makes
you appear to be a rasha? Well? How about dressing your kid up as
Achashverosh or Haman?</DIV>
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<DIV>Generations have held this to be mutar.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR></FONT><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV>
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