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.”
תניא, אבא בנימין אומר: אלמלי נתנה רשות לעין לראות, אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד מפני המזיקין. אמר אבה': אינהו נפישי מינן, וקיימי עלן כי כסלא לאוגיא. אמר רב הונא: כל חד וחד מינן, אלפא משמאליה ורבבתא מימיניה. אמר רבא: האי דוחקא דהוי בכלה– מנייהו הוי; הני ברכי דשלהי– מנייהו; הני מאני דרבנן דבלו– מחופיא דידהו; הני כרעי דמנקפן– מנייהו. האי מאן דבעי למידע להו– לייתי קיטמא נהילא ונהדר אפורייה, ובצפרא חזי כי כרעי דתרנגולא. האי מאן דבעי למחזינהו– ליתי שלייתא דשונרתא אוכמתא בת אוכמתא, בוכרתא בת בוכרתא, ולקליה בנורא ולשחקיה ולימלי עיניה מניה, וחזי להו. ולשדייה בגובתא דפרזלא ולחתמי' בגושפנקא דפרזלא דילמא גנבי מניה. ולחתום פומיה כי היכי דלא ליתזק. רב ביבי בר אבה' עבד הכי חזא ואתזק. בעו רבנן רחמי עליה ואתסי:
There is a teaching : Abba Benjamin said : Had the human eye been given the power of seeing them (demons), no person could endure because of the evil spirits. Abbai said : They outnumber us, and surround us like the ridge round a field. Rab Huna said : Every one of us has a thousand on his left hand and myriads on his right. Raba said : The crush at the public discourses is due to them ; the knees grow fatigued because of them ; the wearing out of the clothes of the Rabbis is the consequence of their rubbing against them ; the feet are bruised by them. Who wishes to perceive their footprints should take sifted ashes and sprinkle them around his bed. In the morning he will see something resembling the footprints of a rooster. Who wishes to see them should take the after-birth of a black she-cat, the offspring of a black she-cat, the first-born of a first-born, roast it in the fire, pulverize it, then fill his eyes with it, and he will see them. He must pour the powder into an iron tube and seal it with an iron signet, lest the evil spirits steal it. He must also seal its mouth, lest he come to harm. Rab Bebai b. Abbai did this ; he saw the evil spirits and was injured. The Rabbis prayed for him and he was cured.
(יח) כׇּל־שֹׁכֵ֥ב עִםבְּהֵמָ֖ה מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ {ס}
(18) Whoever lies with a beast shall be put to death.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵקֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ג) כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֧ה אֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶֽרֶץ־כְּנַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶתְכֶ֥ם שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א תֵלֵֽכוּ׃ (ד) אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֧י תַּעֲשׂ֛וּ וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה' (ס) (ו) אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ אֶל־כָּל־שְׁאֵ֣ר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ לֹ֥א תִקְרְב֖וּ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָ֑ה אֲנִ֖י ה' (ס) (ז) עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֛יךָ וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אִמְּךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אִמְּךָ֣ הִ֔וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃ (ס)
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I the LORD 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 LORD am your God. (5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the LORD. (6) None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh to uncover nakedness: I am the LORD. (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.
יום הלידה ויום המיתה: מכלל דר"מ סבר לא שנא מיתה שיש בה שריפה ולא שנא מיתה שאין בה שריפה פלחי בה לעבודת כוכבים אלמא שריפה לאו חוקה היא
§ The mishna teaches that according to Rabbi Meir the birthday of the king and the day of the death of the king are considered gentile festivals, whereas the Rabbis hold that only a death that includes public burning is considered a festival that includes idol worship.
The baraita teaches: One burns items due to the death of kings as an expression of grief, and this is not subject to the prohibition of imitating the ways of the Amorites, since it is a Jewish custom. As it is stated that Jeremiah prophesied to Zedekiah king of Judah: “You shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings that were before you, so shall they make a burning for you” (Jeremiah 34:5). And just as one burns items upon the death of the kings, so too one burns items upon the death of the heads of the Sanhedrin. And what items do they burn upon the death of kings? They burn the kings’ beds and their utensils, so that no one else can make use of them.
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.
הַגָּה: אֶלָּא יְהֵא מֻבְדָּל מֵהֶם בְּמַלְבּוּשָׁיו וּבִשְׁאָר מַעֲשָׂיו (שָׁם). וְכָל זֶה אֵינוֹ אָסוּר אֶלָּא בְּדָבָר שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בּוֹ הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים לְשֵׁם פְּרִיצוּת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לִלְבֹּשׁ מַלְבּוּשִׁים אֲדֻמִּים, וְהוּא מַלְבּוּשׁ שָׂרִים וְכַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה מִמַּלְבּוּשֵׁי הַפְּרִיצוּת, אוֹ בְּדָבָר שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לְמִנְהָג וּלְחֹק, וְאֵין טַעַם בַּדָּבָר דְּאִכָּא לְמֵיחַשׁ בֵּהּ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי וְשֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ שֶׁמֶץ עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, אֲבָל דָּבָר שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לְתוֹעֶלֶת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁדַּרְכָּן שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא רוֹפֵא מֻמְחֶה יֵשׁ לוֹ מַלְבּוּשׁ מְיֻחָד שֶׁנִּכָּר בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא רוֹפֵא אֻמָּן, מֻתָּר לְלָבְשׁוֹ.
RAMA: Rather, one [i.e., a Jew] should be distinct from them [i.e., non-Jews] in one’s manner of dress and in all of one’s actions. But all of this [i.e., these restrictions] apply only to things that non-Jews do for the sake of licentiousness. For example, they are accustomed to wearing red clothing, which is official/princely clothing, and other clothing that is similarly immodest. [These restrictions also apply] to things that they are accustomed to doing because of a custom or rule that does not have a[ny underlying] reason, out of concern that [a Jew who does such things will follow the] “ways of the Amorites,” and that it has the blemish of [i.e., is tainted by] idol worship inherited from their ancestors. But things that they are accustomed to doing for a useful purpose—such as their custom for expert doctors to wear particular clothing so that the doctors will be recognized as specialists—one is permitted to wear [such clothing].
הגה: ...וְכֵן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִשּׁוּם כָּבוֹד אוֹ טַעַם אַחֵר, מֻתָּר (מהרי''ק שֹׁרֶשׁ פ''ח). לָכֵן אָמְרוּ: שׂוֹרְפִין עַל הַמְּלָכִים וְאֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי (ר''ן פ''ק דַּעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים).
Ramah: Similarly, things that are done out of respect or another reason, it is permitted [for one to do such things]. And therefore they said one may burn [the items of deceased] kings, and there is not in this “the ways of the Amorites.”
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, 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
(ז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל לַעֲבָדָ֗יו בַּקְּשׁוּ־לִי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־א֔וֹב וְאֵלְכָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יהָ וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּ֑הּ וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּ֛ה אֵ֥שֶׁת בַּֽעֲלַת־א֖וֹב בְּעֵ֥ין דּֽוֹר׃
(7) Then said Saul unto his servants: ‘Seek me a woman that divineth by a ghost, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.’ And his servants said to him: ‘Behold, there is a woman that divineth by a ghost at En-dor.’
(ה) אָסוּר לִשְׁלֹחַ דּוֹרוֹן לְגוֹי בְּיוֹם חַגָּם ... וְכֵן גּוֹי שֶׁשָּׁלַח בְּיוֹם חַגּוֹ דּוֹרוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא יְקַבְּלֶנּוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. וְאִם חוֹשֵׁשׁ לְאֵיבָה, מְקַבְּלוֹ, וְיִזְרְקֶנּוּ בְּפָנָיו לְבוֹר אוֹ לְמָקוֹם הָאָבֵד, כִּלְאַחַר יָד.
5) It is forbidden to send gifts to non-jews during their holidays ... So to if a non-jew sends a gift to a Jew, do not accept it from him. And if it is possible that they may come to hate you because you do not accept it, you should take it and throw it away.