Post Thanksgiving Rant
Yesterday was "Turkey-Day", and so millions of Americans got together to eat fat birds, pumpkins, yams and watch football. And why? Well to celebrate the fact that the fanatical Puritans survived there first winter in the "New World" with the help of the Indians. Of course these same Puritans would burn "heretics" at the stake, oppress Jews, and how could anyone forget the fact that their descendants essentially killed all the Native Americans and took all their land, all in the name of Manifest Destiny (there's also some halachic issues in the real of chukat goyim I could get into but I won't get into those here). I for one don't really celebrate this day .
My family never celebrated the day, though when we would get invited to a meal we would generally go, ussually out of politeness. But my father would never have a meal in our home. He just didn't believe in the day. And once Billy Corgan agreed with my father, educating me in the fact that this great "tradition" is wound in hypocrisy then I too developed serious misgivings about this "holiday". Personally I would rather listen to Pumpkins than eat them, would rather have chicken than Turkey, couldn't find the Detroit Lions more boring, and have no idea what a yam is, but can't imagine they taste too good. And this whole thing about going around the table saying what we're thankful for? I think that's what davening is for, no? I wonder if Thanksgiving is more like Tisha Baav for the Indians? I don't think there's anything wrong with having a nice get together as just about everyone is off and it's a good opportunity to do so, but the traditions of the day should be highly scrutinized.
Last night I took my Rebbe from America to a nice Italian dinner. No turkey, pumpkins or yams. Just baked ziti and lasagne. It was just another day with another meal, nothing thanksgiving about it. Now I love America and I look forward to being back there soon. I honestly feel more at home there than I do in Israel. I even watched "A League of Their Own" last night and was overcome with a mixed sense of American pride and nostalgia. It's a shame that America did become so great partially because of the oppression of Native Americans. I think it would be more fitting to add a new tradition of lamentation in memory of the Indians. But hey these are just my feelings about the day, I'm sure many people have very different opinions in contradiction to my own, and that's cool.
In other news, I'm still feeling quite good these days. I also offered some fresh chocolate danishes to a homeless man the other night who turned them down because they were too fattening. I guess this guy was a relocated homeless man from Beverly Hills.
I also saw "Flightplan" this week which was pretty far-fetched, though Jodi Fosters acting, though over-the-top, made it bearable and even entertaining as times. I have to go now though, it's time for "Head of The Class!!"
posted by Hopefool at Friday, November 25, 2005
5 Comments:
I actually disagree with you on many points. First most Rabbis’ agree that you can celebrate thanksgiving including Rav Soloveitchick who would end shiur early on Thanksgiving so people could go home to have the Thanksgiving meal. Rav Schechter gave a shiur last week where he said that Thanksgiving is not chukkas goyim.
The Rabbi of my Shule was speaking with an elderly lady who is a holocaust survivor. She said that she really appreciates thanksgiving in recognition how good America has been to the Jews especially all the Jews they accepted into the country after the holocaust. I’m G-d willing moving to Israel in a month but even once I am there I will still be grateful to America for all it has done for the Jewish people. I might even have Thanksgiving dinner in Israel. That being said, our real home is in Israel, not America. I celebrate in recognition of how good we have it in America but we are guests in this country and it’s not our permanent home. Israel is Our home where we celebrate Our Chagim, not the holidays of the goyim.
Stay in Israel Yoni
Rav Moshe Feinstein holds that you shouldnt eat Turkey on thanksgiving and all the chukas goyim stuff I mentioned came from his teachings. Clearly it's a debatable topic, I just posted my opinion on it.
As far as staying is Israel goes, I dont think so. Truth of the matter is is that I've discovered, unfortunately, that Israel has so much unholiness to it in many parts that the I find the country as a whole lacking in emunah and holiness. At least in America one doesn't need to be as depressed, as the land isn't meant to be kadosh in it's own right.
I guess I'll just have to keep having an extraneous seder.
I think it was Rav Kook who said that just b/c there are people in Israel who don't follow the Torah why punish the land? Eretz Yisrael is inherently holy even if some of the inhabitants don't act holy. I don't undertand how a person can say that Israel is lacking in holliness b/c it has always been holy. If your looking for holliness I don't think America is the place to find it. Or in terms of emunah i don't think America is great on that issue either.
If that issue is depressing you then I don't see how being in America is going to solve the problem. If it bothers you than it's important to do something to improve the emunah and holiness of Eretz Yisrael. Running away from the problem won't solve it. I don't understand how learning an eztra seder in New York is going to improve the kedusha or emunah in Israel.
It's not- just being random. Oh and the holiness issue isnt depressing me.... nor am I really looking for it (And I don't feel bad about that, more relieved actually)- just saying matter of factly. See ya soon.
I dont know about this debate you guys are having, but I do know that I don't feel bad for the Native Americans. They all run these casinos and also they are allowed to run around naked with only that little flap covering themselves. Those two factors alone make them the luckiest ethnic group around. And also the rain dance is fun. The end.
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