Parshas Vayikra – Purim: Intriguing Questions and Answers
May one cut out shapes of the sun, moon, or stars for a child’s costume?
Q: We recently heard a shiur on Shabbos about the prohibition of making images of the sun, moon, and stars. As these have always been worshipped in avodah zarah, creating shapes or images of them involves a chashash of idol worship. Oddly enough, my daughter has just announced that she wants a Purim costume covered with moons and stars. Would the issur apply to costume making as well?
A: Based on the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah (24b) and Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 141:4, it is forbidden to make any type of image of the sun, moon, and stars unless they are made to teach people about them. Being that we do not find a dispute over the matter, we must be stringent even in the case of costume making. However, we do find Rishonim and Acharonim who permit some forms of fashioning such generally forbidden shapes. For instance, the above-mentioned issur entails making complete shapes, so cutting out partial figures of the sun and stars would be permitted. The moon, however, would continue to pose a problem because its shape fluctuates. Sometimes it is full (i.e., circular) and sometimes it’s partial (i.e., banana-shaped). Any partial shape of the moon would therefore mirror its full shape at that time in its cycle. Yet, one possibility of avoiding this difficulty with the moon might be to cut out its shape (be it full or partial) and conceal part of the figure with overlaying material such as a piece of fabric. Displaying the moon, sun, and stars in this manner does not fall within the prohibition.
If a Jew’s gentile colleagues occupy offices within his facility, must he put mezuzahs up on those office doorways?
Q: I own a healthcare facility. Some of my doctors are Jews and some are gentiles. The Jewish doctors, as well as I myself, often enter the offices of our gentile colleagues for brief encounters throughout the day, and I’ve been wondering: Should I have put mezuzahs up on those offices?
A: An office that is dedicated for a gentile’s use and is rarely visited by Jewish owners and colleagues need not have a mezuzah affixed to the doorway (see Sefer Daas Kedoshim 286:17). Though in an earlier issue we mentioned the Aruch Hashulchan’s opinion stating that the room of a live-in gentile maid should have a mezuzah, that case differs from our own in that the maid sleeps in her room and stores her belongings there as well. As such, the halachah views her as more like the Jew’s servant than employee. In our scenario, however, the non-Jew’s usage of the office is relatively less by far. The mere fact that the Jewish owner and Jewish colleagues visit the space does not warrant placement of a mezuzah.
May one fulfill the obligation of Mishloach Manos by giving the gift to a non-observant Jew?
Q: This Purim, however, I’ll be traveling for work and will largely be around non-observant Jews. Can I still fulfill this mitzvah by giving mishloach manos to them?
A: I’d like to first mention in short that this person does have different options to ensure that he’ll fulfill the mitzvah in the most optimal way possible, such as by appointing a family member as his shaliach to bring his shalach manos to someone in his community or by sending the shalach manos via a delivery man on the day of Purim. Regarding his specific question, however, we can explore some answers. The main question is whether someone who desecrates Shabbos in the presence of ten Jews and would do so in front of any Jew, regardless of the high esteem in which he is held, has the halachic status of a non-Jew. Contemporary Poskim are stringent (and we share this standpoint) that non-religious Jews are not halachically considered Jews with regard to sending gifts. According to the strict letter of the law, therefore, one cannot fulfill the mitzvah of shalach manos by giving to them. However, if the individual was born into a completely secular environment and is regarded as a tinok shenishbah (as are the vast majority of today’s secular Jews), or if he is merely someone who despite his irreligiosity does not deny the Torah, one can fulfill the mitzvah by giving to him. Additionally, if involving such a person in the special mitzvah of shalach manos would bring him closer to Yiddishkeit, or at the very least, provide him with kosher food that he would not otherwise purchase on his own, then one should certainly fulfill the mitzvah with him. Be sure, however, to teach him the proper berachos to recite on the food so as not to generate “a stumbling block” for him in eating without a berachah.
May one drive his cleaning lady to church?
Q: After she has finished working in our house, my non-Jewish cleaner often asks for a ride to the bus stop. Sometimes, however, she requests a ride to a nearby church so that she could spend a little time in prayer. Is there any problem with my driving her to church? Should I avoid doing this?
A: There is a dispute among the Poskim as to whether or not Christians who believe in G-d as the Creator but who additionally ascribe divinity to other entities (a belief system known as shituf) are regarded as idol worshipers. In general, we ascribe to the stringent opinion that they are indeed ovdei avodah zarah and treat them accordingly. Part of the restrictions dictating our interaction with such gentiles is the prohibition of assisting a person to perform idol worship.
Is driving a Christian to church, however, regarded as “assisting” the individual in practicing idol worship? As seen in the Shach to Yoreh Deah (151:6) and the Mishnah Berurah (347:7), it is not prohibited to assist a non-Jew to sin if he is capable of doing so in any event on his own. Given that the housekeeper could just as well walk or take a taxi to church, driving her would not constitute assisting her in sinning.
However, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein shlit”a adds that there still remains the issue of desecrating Hashem’s Name in publicly taking a non-Jew to church services. Should a Torah-observant Jew, Hashem’s ambassador in the world, be seen pulling up in front of a church and dropping off his gentile housekeeper as though he’s thrilled she’s going to pray to who-knows-what? Absolutely not.
On the other hand, refusing to give the housekeeper a ride may cause her to nurture a grudge and develop animosity toward her employer and by extension toward other Jews she meets. In practice, then, the best solution would be to somehow avoid the scenario altogether and certainly not offer her a lift to church outright. If this is impossible, however, drop her off near the church or perhaps even one street over but not right in front of its doors.
Harav Yaakov Skoczylas Shlit”a is the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Lihoraah Yerushalayim and is the author of the series of seforim “Ohel Yaakov” on numerous Halachic topics. Harav Skoczylas is highly regarded as a reputable Posek and Moreh Tzedek in Yerushalayim and receives numerous Halachic inquiries from around the globe seeking his guidance and clarification.
Feel free to reach out with comments and any halacha inquiries by emailing halacha@kollellihoraah.org.
Download the PDF -> Parshas Vayikra-Purim