History and Origins of Halloween
“According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Halloween originated with the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain, a day on which ‘The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes ...The autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins … said to be roaming about.’ In the early Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church instituted All Hallow’s Eve on October 31 and All Saints Day on November 1 to counteract the occult festival. It did not work. All Hollow’s Eve was simply co-opted into the pagan celebration of Samhain.”
(1) The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I the Eternal am your God. (3) You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. (4) My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I the Eternal am your God. (5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which people shall live: I am the Eternal. (6) None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh to uncover nakedness: I am the Eternal. (7) Your father’s nakedness, that is, the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover; she is your mother—you shall not uncover her nakedness.
(ג) ובחקתיהם לא תלכו. מה הניח הכתוב שלא אמר, אלא אלו נמוסות שלהן, דברים החקוקין להם, כגון טרטיאות ואצטדיאות רבי מאיר אומר אלו דרכי האמורי שמנו חכמים:
and you shall not follow their statutes: What did Scripture omit [until now] that it did not state [and includes in this clause]? However, these are their social practices, things that assumed the status of law (חָקוּק) for them, for example, [certain days set aside for attendance at] theaters and stadiums. Rabbi Meir says: These [practices referred to here,] are the “ways of the Amorites,” [the superstitious practices] enumerated by our Sages.
(ז) אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם הֱיִיתֶם דּוֹמִים לְשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאַתֶּם נִכְנָסִין לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, הֱיוּ דּוֹמִין לְשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים, וּתְנוּ דַּעְתְּכֶם שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשׂוּ לֹא כְמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ וְלֹא כְמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ויקרא יח, ג): כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם.
Rabbi Berechyah said: The Holy Bountiful One said to Moses, "Go and say to them to Israel when they were in Egypt, they were like a rose among the thorns, now that you have entered the land of Canaan, you are like a rose among the thorns, and pay attention that you do not do neither this or that practice of theirs, as it is written, "Like the practice of the land of Egypt."
שחיטת עובד כוכבים נבלה
וניחוש שמא מין הוא אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה אין מינין באומות עובדי כוכבים והא קאחזינן דאיכא אימא אין רוב עובדי כוכבים מינין סבר לה כי הא דאמר ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן נכרים שבחוצה לארץ לאו עובדי עבודת כוכבים הן אלא מנהג אבותיהן בידיהן
The Master stated above: ‘That which is slaughtered by a gentile is neveilah’. But perhaps he is a min? — Rav Nahman in the name of Rabbah bar Abbuha answered: There are no minim among the gentiles. But we see that there are! Say: The majority of gentiles are not minim. For he accepts the opinion expressed by Rav Hiyya b. Abba in the name of Rabbi Johanan: The gentiles outside the land [of Israel] are not idolaters; they only continue the customs of their ancestors.
מתני׳ יוצאין בביצת החרגול ובשן שועל ובמסמר מן הצלוב משום רפואה דברי ר"מ וחכמים אוסרין אף בחול משום דרכי האמורי:
גמ׳ יוצאין בביצת החרגול דעבדי לשיחלא ובשן של שועל דעבדי לשינתא דחייא למאן דניים דמיתא למאן דלא ניים: ובמסמר מן הצלוב: דעבדי לזירפא: משום רפואה דברי רבי מאיר: אביי ורבא דאמרי תרוייהו כל דבר שיש בו משום רפואה אין בו משום דרכי האמורי הא אין בו משום רפואה יש בו משום דרכי האמורי והתניא אילן שמשיר פירותיו סוקרו (וצובע אותו) בסיקרא וטוענו באבנים בשלמא טוענו באבנים כי היכי דליכחוש חיליה אלא סוקרו בסיקרא מאי רפואה קעביד כי היכי דליחזייה אינשי וליבעו עליה רחמי כדתניא (ויקרא יג, מה) וטמא טמא יקרא צריך להודיע צערו לרבים ורבים יבקשו עליו רחמים אמר רבינא כמאן תלינן כובסי בדיקלא כי האי תנא תני תנא בפרק אמוראי קמיה דר' חייא בר אבין א"ל כולהו אית בהו משום דרכי האמורי לבר מהני מי שיש לו עצם בגרונו מביא מאותו המין ומניח ליה על קדקדו ולימא הכי חד חד נחית בלע בלע נחית חד חד אין בו משום דרכי האמורי לאדרא לימא הכי ננעצתא כמחט ננעלתא כתריס שייא שייא
MISHNA: One may go out on Shabbat with a locust egg, and with a fox tooth, and with a nail from the crucified, for the purpose of healing; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. The Rabbis prohibit using these remedies even during the week, due to the prohibition of following the ways of the Amorite. These are superstitious beliefs and the customs of gentiles from which one must distance oneself. With regard to the halakha in the mishna, the Gemara cites Abaye and Rava, who both said: Anything that contains an element of healing and seems to be effective does not contain an element of the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite. There is no cause for suspicion of one who engages in their practice, gentile or Jew... The tanna recited the chapter of the Tosefta discussing the actions of the Amorites before Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin said to him: All those enumerated there contain an element of the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite, except for these: One who has a bone in his throat brings a bone from the same species as the bone that is stuck in his throat, and places it on his skull, and says as follows: One by one descend and be swallowed, swallow and descend one by one. That does not contain an element of the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite. For a fish bone stuck in the throat, let him say as follows: You are stuck like a needle, locked as a shutter, go down, go down.
(א) אֵין הוֹלְכִין בְּחֻקּוֹת הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וְלֹא מִדַּמִּין לָהֶן לֹא בְּמַלְבּוּשׁ וְלֹא בְּשֵׂעָר וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כ כג) "וְלֹא תֵלְכוּ בְּחֻקּוֹת הַגּוֹי". וְנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא יח ג) "וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ". וְנֶאֱמַר (דברים יב ל) "הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם". הַכּל בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד הוּא מַזְהִיר שֶׁלֹּא יִדְמֶה לָהֶן. אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל מֻבְדָּל מֵהֶן וְיָדוּעַ בְּמַלְבּוּשׁוֹ וּבִשְׁאָר מַעֲשָׂיו כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מֻבְדָּל מֵהֶן בְּמַדָּעוֹ וּבְדֵעוֹתָיו.
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר וָאַבְדִּל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים. לֹא יִלְבַּשׁ בְּמַלְבּוּשׁ הַמְיֻחָד לָהֶן. וְלֹא יְגַדֵּל צִיצִית רֹאשׁוֹ כְּמוֹ צִיצִית רֹאשָׁם. וְלֹא יְגַלֵּחַ מִן הַצְּדָדִין וְיַנִּיחַ הַשֵּׂעָר בָּאֶמְצַע כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין וְזֶה הַנִּקְרָא בְּלוֹרִית. וְלֹא יְגַלֵּחַ הַשֵּׂעָר מִכְּנֶגֶד פָּנָיו מֵאֹזֶן לְאֹזֶן וְיַנִּיחַ הַפֶּרַע מִלְּאַחֲרָיו כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין הֵן. וְלֹא יִבְנֶה מְקוֹמוֹת כְּבִנְיַן הֵיכָלוֹת שֶׁל עַכּוּ''ם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ בָּהֶן רַבִּים כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין. וְכָל הָעוֹשֶׂה אַחַת מֵאֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן לוֹקֶה:
(1) It is forbidden to follow the customs of the idolaters, or to imitate them neither in dress nor in hair-trimming and like customs, for it is said: "And you shall not walk in the chukot/customs of the nation which I cast out before you" (Lev. 20.23), and it is also said: "And in their chukotehem/customs shall ye not walk" (Ibid. 18.3), and it is, moreover, said: Be careful that you are not snared by following them" (Deut. 12.30)—all of which pertain to one subject admonishing them not to be like unto them.
If an Israelite should be separated from them, and be recognized by his clothes and in his conduct as he is different than they are in education and tendencies. For even so it is said: "And have set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be Mine" (Lev. 20.26). An Israelite shall not wear a garment of a design particularly adopted by idolaters, nor raise hair-locks as their hair-locks; not shave the sides and leave the hair in the middle, such as is called a queue, nor shave the hair opposite his face, from ear to ear, and leave the locks at the back of his head as they do. He shall not build public places of the same design and architecture as are the palaces built for idolatry in order to attract a crowd as they do.
myjewishlearning.com, "Should Jews Trick-or-Treat?"
Tosafot [a medieval Talmud commentary] understands that two distinctly different types of customs are forbidden by the prohibition of imitating Gentile customs found in Leviticus 18:3. The first is idolatrous customs and the second is foolish customs found in the Gentile community, even if their origins are not idolatrous. Rabbenu Nissim (Ran) and Maharik disagree and rule that only customs that have a basis in idolatrous practices are prohibited. Apparently foolish–but secular–customs are permissible so long as they have a reasonable explanation (and are not immodest). Normative halakhah follows the ruling of the Ran and Maharik.
The Ran and the Maharik take exception to Tosafot's understanding of the Gemara in Avoda Zara. The Ran sees the prohibition of following Chukat Ha'Akum as including only those customs which are idolatrous in nature - i.e., customs that are obviously related to idol worship as well as those practices which have no apparent reasons, for they too are suspect of having an idolatrous relationship. Therefore, the permissibility of the burning ritual among the Jewish people is contingent on the fact that its origin is honor, and not idol worship. It is allowed even without being specified as permissible in the Torah. Apparently, the Ran concurs with the views expressed in Avoda Zara, rather than with the text in Sanhedrin.
The Maharik postulates two categories by which we define those customs that are prohibited: Firstly, those practices which have no inherent justification, as is understood from the usage of the word "chok", which denotes those laws which are given without a logical explanation. These practices are prohibited, not because they are suspect of being related to the religion of the Gentile as the Ran explains, but rather because by practicing these customs we appear to be imitating the Gentiles who initiated them. Why else would we do something that makes no sense, if not for the sake of conforming?
The second category of prohibited acts includes those practices which depart from the modest or humble ways in which a Jew should conduct himself. This idea is derived from Sifre's commentary on the verse: "Take heed lest you be ensnared by them" (see footnote 34 below), where it is written: "One should not say - just as they go with red garments, so will I; just as they go with kilusin, so will I; just as they go with avtiga, so will I." The Maharik explains that all these are garments arrogant and haughty in nature, and therefore not characteristic of the Jewish attitude in dress, which is one of humility and modesty. (Although the Maharik is discussing customs related to manners of dress, the same idea can be applied to any practice which departs from our moral codes of behavior.) Thus, the Maharik offers a unique insight: Any practice which we adopt, which makes us appear to be following the ways of the Gentile, serves as an acknowledgment of them, and is for this reason prohibited.
Rabbi Feinstein (Iggerot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 4:11(4)):
it is obvious in my opinion, that even in a case where something would be considered a prohibited Gentile custom, if many people do it for reasons unrelated to their religion or law, but rather because it is pleasurable to them, there is no prohibition of imitating Gentile custom. So too, it is obvious that if Gentiles were to make a religious law to eat a particular item that is good to eat, halacha would not prohibit eating that item. So too, any item of pleasure in the world cannot be prohibited merely because Gentiles do so out of religious observance.
Michael Broyde (Rabbi and professor of Law and Religion) in Torah Musings:
I was asked about trick or treating on Halloween, and I concluded that halacha prohibits celebrating Halloween by wearing a costume while collecting candy, since Halloween has a clear pagan origin and in order to celebrate a holiday with a clear pagan origin one of four conditions must be met:
- Halloween celebrations have an additional secular origin.
- The conduct of the individuals “celebrating Halloween” can be rationally explained independent of Halloween.
- The pagan origins of Halloween or the Catholic response to it are so deeply hidden that they have disappeared, and the celebrations can be attributed to some secular source or reason.
- The activities memorialized by Halloween are actually consistent with the Jewish tradition.
Since it was clear to me that none of these statements are true, I concluded that celebrating Halloween by dressing in a costume was prohibited