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| What kind of Chinuch produced this obscene gesture? |
Obviously most Chasidim wouldn’t do this, nor would they
even know what it means. That’s because they live isolated lives and wouldn’t
have any way to learn such gestures.
Or do they? Well, obviously some do. The young Chasid in the
picture didn’t just think it up on his own and know what it means. It wouldn’t surprise me if he found out about
it on the forbidden but increasing utilized (by Chasidim) internet. What he
apparently did not learn is what a Chilul HaShem it is when a religious looking
Jew who is the midst of a religious ritual makes an obscene gesture to a member
of PETA.
Now I am no fan of PETA. I think they are a group of
misguided people that think they act on behalf of the humane treatment of
animals. In some instances they are right to protest obviously inhumane
treatment. But in other cases they simply go too far in what they consider
inhumane treatment. And worse – the tactics they use to achieve that goal.
In this case a member of PETA was protesting the practice of
Kaparos. This is a ritual whereby one takes a live chicken wave it over his head; while
reciting words to the effect that the chicken should be in his (or her)stead
for the punishment from God they deserve for sinning over the past year. They
then throw the chicken on the ground after which they slaughter and either eat it or
donate it to charity.
This custom is frowned upon in the Shulchan Aruch as it mimics
an ancient idolatrous practice (Darkei Emori).
What most Orthodox Jews do in the modern era do is use money in lieu of
a chicken and then give it to charity.
But the practice has been resurrected in our day (for some
reason) and many Orthodox Jews (mostly Chasidim) do Kapros with a chicken. I personally
abhor the practice as I still see it as mimicking ancient idolatrous practice -
and I am also uncomfortable throwing the chicken on the ground. That said, I do
not think that chicken suffers if used for Kapporos. When it is thrown on the ground
it lands on its feet. So there is no
harm to the chicken until it is slaughtered. PETA would like to stop this
practice.
While I agree with the goal, I don’t agree with the motive. Nor their
tactics. But what I disagree with even more is when a religious looking Jew responds
to a misguided but perhaps well in intended member of PETA with one of the most
universally recognized obscene gestures in the world. Nor should Kapaors with a
Chicken even be done in public as seems to be the case here. (I wonder if it’s
even legal to do that.)
If there was ever an argument for better Chinuch, I’d like
to know what it is. I do not accept the argument that this is an exception to
the rule –or that this is an immature teenager. That might work in some cases.
But this fellow is obviously involved in what he believes is the sublime Mitzvah
of the season, working diligently to help his co-religionists do what they
believes is an important component of Teshuva.
It is unlikely that it would be someone that would be an OTD
adolescent Chasid or even one at risk. It is very likely that this is a mainstream
Chasid -albeit a teen. That he thinks he’s standing up for God by using an
obscene gesture can only mean his education was faulty. And I’m talking about
his religious education, not his ‘nonexistent’ secular education.
What a Chilul HaShem!!!
If there is a lesson here, it is that insularity does not
work. Somehow the general culture seeps in. That this community pretends it
doesn’t, just makes matters worse –
since that ends up ignoring the problem.
