by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com
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It is a not uncommon experience for people that have family members in the hospital. Nice well-meaning people give out gifts for the holiday season. Throughout the year this is a wonderful thing, as it represents the fulfillment of chessed among the umos haOlam.
There may be an issue, however, when it is given bedavka on yom idan, since it commemorates the yom holedes of a worshipped Avodah Zarah. The question posed to Rav Zilberstein by this author involved a young girl who received an expensive gift on yom idan. May she keep it? Granted that lechatchilah, one may not take it – but b’dieved may she keep it?
Rav Zilberstein responded that she may not be neheneh from it and that it is a very serious issue. He did suggest that it can be regifted as long as the future recipient is unaware of the initial avodah zarah commemoration.
ילדה בת… הייתה בתאונת דרכים. היא נלקחה לבית חולים של גויים וקיבלה מתנה
ממישהו שהתחפש ל”סאנטא קלאוס “. זו הייתה מתנה יקרה. האם היא יכולה לקבל את זה
היא כבר לקחה את זה ורוצה לדעת אם מותר לה להנאות מזה
אסור להנות מזה, המחלק הוא ממש מתכוון לעבודה זרה, זה חמור מאד, מתנה ביום אידם. העצה היא, לתת את זה מתנה למישהו אחר, אבל לא לומר לו מהיכן המתנה, ואז הוא לא יכיר טובה לעבודה זרה, ומותר.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
In this modern age it’s probably hard to find people with any Avoda Zarah intentions, even if many are celebrating these holidays.
I thought that the gemorah says there is no avoda Sorah in our time
this is difficult to understand – it seems to be ignorance of what avodah zarah is and what the kavanah is
Chas v’sholom to argue with the Rav.
However that’s the problem with immediately running to a posek in Eretz Yisroel. You need to first go to a posek locally. He would be more likely to understand the psyche of the average non jew perspective in that country.
And whether the gift giving is religious or more likely just a cultural thing that’s done.
Every Christmas gift I give is certainly for the sake of glorifying the the birthday of Jesus. LOL. BTW the birth of Jesus was at a different time of year.
Totally understand
On Xmas I still feed the meters and move my car to the other side of the street