Warning! Xmas!
Latest update: December 24th, 2012
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Photo Credit: Yori Yanover
With Santa Claus scheduled to arrive any minute, here are a few pre-Xmas warnings. Be sure to stay away from Xmas parties, non-kosher wine, frivolity, and kissing Suzy under the mistletoe. If there’s a Xmas party at the office, tell them you have a stomach ache. On Xmas day, keep as far away from their festivities as possible. Since Christians are considered idolaters, on their holiday it’s best not to have any business with them at all (Rambam, Laws of Idol Worship, Ch.9, 1-4).
Don’t be fooled into thinking that those twinkling Xmas lights are romantic, and that exchanging gift-filled stockings and candy canes is a harmless gesture of love. Remember, in the name of brotherly love, the Xtrians massacred millions of Jews throughout history. The color red that you see everywhere at Xmas-time is the blood of the Jews.
If I were in the Diaspora on Xmas, I’d spend the whole day locked in the john. It’s a lot purer there than out on the street. Xmas is the most impure day of the year. Its cloud of impurity is 100 times greater than the radioactive cloud that spread out over Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped. All over the world, in America, and Europe, and countries all over the globe, hundreds of millions of people are paying homage to Western civilization’s best loved idol worship.
The prohibition against idol worship tops the list of the Ten Commandments. No one is allowed to make or worship a graven image. As the Rambam explains, “The essential principle concerning idolatry is that people are not to worship anything created – neither angel, planet, star, the elements, or something derived from them.” That includes worshiping a man, and bending down to a statue, and praying to Buddhas, Hindu monkey gods, totem poles, crucifixes, and the like. I would post a few photos in illustration, but it is even forbidden to gaze upon the picture of an idolatrous figure, as it says, “Turn not after their idols” (Vayikra, 19:4. See Rambam, 2:2, loc. cited).
In Rabbi Kook’s writings on Christianity, he explains that it began as a break-away sect of Judaism which grew in influence and ultimately led the world astray with its doctrines. He categorizes it as idol worship, and says that its founder brought the majority of the world to err by serving a god other than the Almighty. By abandoning the mitzvot, Christianity enshrouded the world in a seemingly legitimate offshoot of idol worship. While imitating many of Judaism’s values and beliefs, Christianity actually led the world away from the true service of God.
Referring to Christianity’s renegade founder, the Rambam writes: “Can there be a greater stumbling block than this one? All of the Prophets spoke of the Messiah as the redeemer of Israel, and its savior, who would gather the dispersed and strengthen their observance of the commandments, while this one caused the annihilation of Israel by the sword, and caused its remnants to be scattered and scorned. He caused the Torah to be altered, and brought the majority of the world to err, and to serve a god other than the Lord…” (Laws of Kings and Their Wars, Uncensored version, Mosad HaRav Kook edition, Ch11).
This is what we affirm several times a day in the concluding“Aleynu” prayer. The following verse is deleted in many prayer books used in the Diaspora, but here in Israel, we say it concerning the nations, “They bow down to vanity and emptiness, and pray to a god that cannot save.”
The “Aleynu” prayer expresses our heartfelt wish that idol worship be uprooted from the earth, and that the world come to understand that God alone is the One and Only King, “We hope, therefore, Lord our God, soon to behold Your majestic glory, when the abominations will be removed from the earth, and the false gods exterminated; when the world will be perfected under the reign of the Almighty, and all mankind will call upon Your Name, and the wicked of the earth will be turned to You. My all the inhabitants of the world realize and know that to You every knee must bend and every tongue vow allegiance….”
There is no question that we have a lot of problems and challenges facing us in Israel, but at this time of the year, I have to take time-out from the headlines to thank Hashem for granting me the incomparable blessing of living in His Holy Land, and not in the spiritually polluted lands of the Diaspora, where Christmas is being celebrated in all of its insidious force and make-believe holiness.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Tzvi Fishman was awarded the Israel Ministry of Education Prize for Creativity and Jewish Culture for his novel "Tevye in the Promised Land." For the past several years, he has written a popular and controversial blog at Arutz 7. A wide selection of his books are available at Amazon. The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of The Jewish Press
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53 Responses to “Warning! Xmas!”
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That picture is worth a thousand words and they would all be true. Great job Yori.
What a close minded ignorant ignoramus. Like the new Jew in the City post says, people are secure in their own religious practice will not begrudge others of theirs.
Meanwhile the author talks about switching on a tv, an indication that he has one in his home. It doesn't bother him that his kids minds are being corrupted and brainwashed with violence, foul language, obscenity, luden
What a close minded ignorant ignoramus. Like the new Jew in the City post says, people are secure in their own religious practice will not begrudge others of theirs.
Meanwhile the author talks about switching on a tv, an indication that he has one in his home. It doesn't bother him that his kids minds are being corrupted and brainwashed with violence, foul language, obscenity, luden
What a close minded ignorant ignoramus. Like the new Jew in the City post says, people are secure in their own religious practice will not begrudge others of theirs.
Meanwhile the author talks about switching on a tv, an indication that he has one in his home. It doesn't bother him that his kids minds are being corrupted and brainwashed with violence, foul language, obscenity, luden
What a close minded ignorant ignoramus. Like the new Jew in the City post says, people are secure in their own religious practice will not begrudge others of theirs.
Meanwhile the author talks about switching on a tv, an indication that he has one in his home. It doesn't bother him that his kids minds are being corrupted and brainwashed with violence, foul language, obscenity, luden
What a close minded ignorant ignoramus. Like the new Jew in the City post says, people are secure in their own religious practice will not begrudge others of theirs.
Meanwhile the author talks about switching on a tv, an indication that he has one in his home. It doesn't bother him that his kids minds are being corrupted and brainwashed with violence, foul language, obscenity, luden
Darren, I've been in Tzvi's house and didn't see a TV. I think that Tzvi is writing as if it is you or a third person who is the one switching on a TV not him. Also, anybody of any truth should not be secure with himself in his religion until the day of his death. Such is what the Sages have said and anyone who states otherwise is an ignoramus. And to those who know the truth and do not share it nor prevent others from going against it (the truth), the truth will flee from him in an instant. Then their lives are lived in delusions thinking all the while foreign countries are okay even though those countries are being taken over by Islamic Jihadists like London UK for instance.
This type of thinking represents exactly how medieval and irrelevant so much of religion is in the 21st century. The real reason for the season is the Winter Solstice: http://laurelsplutoblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/solstice-is-reason-for-season.html. As we rush headlong into destroying our only planetary home, we should be thinking of those things that unite us as humans rather than those that divide us.
Laurel, clearly the author wants to incite some bigotry here:( Christians, after all are ALL half Jewish anyway…The Old Testament is from the first 9 books right? Jesus was Jewish, So was Mary his mother and Joseph his foster father…
That's exactly the problem–his attempt to incite bigotry. Religious extremism seems to be in vogue among all Western religions, as can be seen from some of the ridiculous comments made by political candidates and commentators during this past election season. Things like this or remarks that Hurricane Sandy was God's "punishment" for whatever imagined sin make me cringe, no matter what the religion of the writers.
I am not a big fan of Christmas! it's gotten way too commercialized thanks to our friendly big bad bankers!
I can't wait for SPRING!
Admittedly, Christians ripped off a pagan Roman holiday for Christmas. It was just easier when working with the "recently converted".The bottom line as a Christian is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Word made flesh. Christ actually "upped the standard" beyond just "following the laws" and checking the blocks to "living" the law. I'll be the first to admit i have failed in many ways but I am still striving for that goal. It certainly can't hurt anyone to try and strive for that standard.
From the play "Hair," in which I once was a cast member in East Brunswick, NJ. "Be free, no guilt. Be whoever you are; do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anybody."
From the play "Hair," in which I once was a cast member in East Brunswick, NJ. "Be free, no guilt. Be whoever you are; do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anybody."
When “Israel crossed the Jordan” they were referred to as a whole nation in the singular, rather than in the plural, signifying a collection of individuals. As soon as they crossed the Jordan everyone was responsible for everyone else and each person actions would then likewise affect everyone as a whole. Everyone was righteous, unified as one and HaShem helped them conquer Jericho with a miracle. The next battle at Ay, Israel was defeated. One person, Achan, made Joshua’s army fall. His greed for riches taken without anyone knowing about it, except HaShem, turned the success of conquering Israel into a failure in which 36 innocent soldiers were killed. Achan "did whatever he wanted" and you think that you and your supporting subscribers are going to get away with such evil advice?
When “Israel crossed the Jordan” they were referred to as a whole nation in the singular, rather than in the plural, signifying a collection of individuals. As soon as they crossed the Jordan everyone was responsible for everyone else and each person actions would then likewise affect everyone as a whole. Everyone was righteous, unified as one and HaShem helped them conquer Jericho with a miracle. The next battle at Ay, Israel was defeated. One person, Achan, made Joshua’s army fall. His greed for riches taken without anyone knowing about it, except HaShem, turned the success of conquering Israel into a failure in which 36 innocent soldiers were killed. Achan "did whatever he wanted" and you think that you and your supporting subscribers are going to get away with such evil advice?
I would love to make an eloquent retort like so many people here. But I cannot be bothered. I am sick of you stereotypical whining jews. Even when another people is in thick of it with you, you don't even mention them (Belarus, WW2 for example). The recent various crises, how many *bergs, *mans, rosen*, etc are at the head of so many companies that literally almost raped the world economy to death. So instead of a thorough, point for point annihilation of you and your viewpoints, I will settle for telling you to man up and kiss my ass.
I would love to make an eloquent retort like so many people here. But I cannot be bothered. I am sick of you stereotypical whining jews. Even when another people is in thick of it with you, you don't even mention them (Belarus, WW2 for example). The recent various crises, how many *bergs, *mans, rosen*, etc are at the head of so many companies that literally almost raped the world economy to death. So instead of a thorough, point for point annihilation of you and your viewpoints, I will settle for telling you to man up and kiss my ass.
I am not a religious person, but I respect all religions equally. I may be wrong here, but are you looking down on Christians for just idolising physical images of Jesus. Didn't the jewish people hand over Jesus to the Romans, directly leading to him being nailed to a cross? Which is kinda a bit worse than worshipping idols really… This is something that always intrigued me, so please anyone referring me to some solid info on this would be greatly appreciated.
Real Christians don't have Santa Claus in their Christmas. Cheryl Semrau