While I seem to let myself understand the Rebbe's instructions to not expose young children to images of non-kosher animals I am unsure as to why this is allowed?
In this new book for young children, called GUT YOM TOV , the title page depicts a father-aged chossid holding a bottle of vodka to celebrate the chassidshe yom tov. Yes, though this is a factual representation, as is a picture of a pig, it is unnecessary and inappropriate to add in a picture book for children.
Is this the message chassidim want to give their children? To celebrate Chassidic holidays must one drink and become intoxicated? Is alcoholism a hidden addiction some desguise under chassidism?
What do you think?
I kind of get your point. But then I think, what if he was holding a bottle of Coke? A Big Gulp? A non-organically grown apple (c'v)?? What about a cruelly & ritually slaughtered chicken (or even a live one, aka kapparos)? How about a bag of "junk food" candies? Or, how mean would it be to some kids, if he was holding a bag of peanuts!?
ReplyDeleteThese days, everything is "bad" for you, to certain groups / people, somewhere on this planet. So back to alcohol - it intrisically is perfectly healthy for you, and can even add in simcha, bring out the "sod" of a Yid etc., and is part of all Jewish traditions, especially Chassidim. Just not when abused, as most of the above mentioned items.
So why is it used in this picture, as if implying that it is needed to add to simchos Yom Tov? I suppose for the same reason why all food is used -- we Yidden elevate the mundane of this world, so food is part & parcel of all Yom Tovim (except YK & T'B). But does this point need to be communicated to kids with alcohol of all items, given that they are too young to elevate the use of alcohol? I think the answer is no.
So I guess the dancing man should've been holding a bag of candies, and let all the anti-junk food anti-obesity protestors be darned!
I think I understand what you're saying Ben, but you're kind of allowing the "well someone's not going to like it, so lets do whatever we want" stance.
ReplyDeleteComparing a bottle of alcohol to pig i think is a tad extreme.
(Irrespective of the ruchniusdiker side, where one is shayeich to elevating while the other comes from the shlosha kelipos...)
Mashke has a place in hassidic society, its the importance and reliance thats placed upon it that is an issue.
I agree that its wrong, but no one can deny that mashke is considered a household item in most lubavitcher homes. Most kids grow up seeing the adults saying l'chaim to each other, having a farbrengen in their homes, or at least once or twice a year being exposed to it from the community (Purim, Simchas Torah...)
Do I think its right? Do I believe that the mashke deserves the importance its given? Absolutely not. However, will I deny reality and deny the fact that such importance has been given? Not either.
So to sum-it-up: Does it make me cringe when I saw the front of this book? Yes.
But I think this picture is just as accurate as if you asked any normal crown heights kid to draw what does a chassidishe yom tov look like.
I just think our job is not to ignore alcohol in our society but rather to educate the younger ones to appreciate the potential of mashke and simultaneously, its dangers.