Nov 10, 2013
Interesting Psak: No candy man, no throwing candy at bar mitzvahs
There has always been a lot of debate about the throwing of candy in shul at bar mitzvahs (and at aufrufs in the USA - I do not know what customs are in other countries regarding at what affairs candies are thrown).
The debate that I have been familiar with has generally been about proper decorum in shul. Should candy be thrown at all? Is it appropriate to throw in front of the Torah scroll on the bimah? Maybe the candy should be thrown at a different point other than at the end of the Torah reading - maybe after the Haftorah, or after Mussaf? It leads to rowdy behavior and frivolous activity and is therefore perhaps completely inappropriate?
Despite my being a yekke, and therefore one would expect I would be opposed to throwing of candy in shul (except some would say perhaps on Tisha b'Av, as the stigma goes yekkes are only happy on days where it is mandated to be sad), I am actually in favor of throwing the candy. I think in general shuls are too stuffy, boring and anti-social. I know it is a place meant for prayer and not for socializing, but I believe a certain amount of socializing helps people with their prayer to. Services are long, and let's be honest - they are mostly fairly dull, repetitive and even tedious at times (depending on the chazzan). The throwing of candy every now and then is something that breaks up the routine a bit, makes something stand out as a point of celebration, let's people celebrate with their friends happiness, and livens up the shul experience a bit.
However, despite my opinion, I am not shocked when I hear from other people that they think it is inappropriate. I know people who have insisted candy not be thrown at their simchas. I have also heard piskei halacha from some rabbonim banning it entirely.
That makes this psak halacha particularly interesting. Rav Efraim Zalmanovitch, rav of Mazkeret Batya, issued a psak that candy, toffees (a.k.a. taffy) in particular should not be thrown in shul. But not for the reason you'd expect, and not as part of the debate discussed above.
Rav Zalmanovitch paskened that the common minhag in shuls of gabbaim giving out candy in shul to kids, as well as the custom of bringing taffies to shul to throw at the bar mitzvah boys, should be stopped. Rav Zalmanovitch's problem with these customs is not the issue of decorum and proper respectful behavior, but issues of health concerns. He says sugar-free candies should be distributed instead.
Rav Zalmanovitch says that these customs are unhealthy and are even the cause of too much sugar intake. Advanced medicine today knows that too much sugar can cause diabetes. Rav Zalmanovitch even points to the Gemara that says the women would throw roasted nuts.
(source: INN)
Changing the name from "the candy man" to something like "the apple man" doesn't seem like it will have quite the same effect. Throwing sugar-free candies or healthy items might have the same effect on the breaking up the routine of the services, but it won't be quite the same draw for the kids...
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The debate that I have been familiar with has generally been about proper decorum in shul. Should candy be thrown at all? Is it appropriate to throw in front of the Torah scroll on the bimah? Maybe the candy should be thrown at a different point other than at the end of the Torah reading - maybe after the Haftorah, or after Mussaf? It leads to rowdy behavior and frivolous activity and is therefore perhaps completely inappropriate?
Despite my being a yekke, and therefore one would expect I would be opposed to throwing of candy in shul (except some would say perhaps on Tisha b'Av, as the stigma goes yekkes are only happy on days where it is mandated to be sad), I am actually in favor of throwing the candy. I think in general shuls are too stuffy, boring and anti-social. I know it is a place meant for prayer and not for socializing, but I believe a certain amount of socializing helps people with their prayer to. Services are long, and let's be honest - they are mostly fairly dull, repetitive and even tedious at times (depending on the chazzan). The throwing of candy every now and then is something that breaks up the routine a bit, makes something stand out as a point of celebration, let's people celebrate with their friends happiness, and livens up the shul experience a bit.
However, despite my opinion, I am not shocked when I hear from other people that they think it is inappropriate. I know people who have insisted candy not be thrown at their simchas. I have also heard piskei halacha from some rabbonim banning it entirely.
That makes this psak halacha particularly interesting. Rav Efraim Zalmanovitch, rav of Mazkeret Batya, issued a psak that candy, toffees (a.k.a. taffy) in particular should not be thrown in shul. But not for the reason you'd expect, and not as part of the debate discussed above.
Rav Zalmanovitch paskened that the common minhag in shuls of gabbaim giving out candy in shul to kids, as well as the custom of bringing taffies to shul to throw at the bar mitzvah boys, should be stopped. Rav Zalmanovitch's problem with these customs is not the issue of decorum and proper respectful behavior, but issues of health concerns. He says sugar-free candies should be distributed instead.
Rav Zalmanovitch says that these customs are unhealthy and are even the cause of too much sugar intake. Advanced medicine today knows that too much sugar can cause diabetes. Rav Zalmanovitch even points to the Gemara that says the women would throw roasted nuts.
(source: INN)
Changing the name from "the candy man" to something like "the apple man" doesn't seem like it will have quite the same effect. Throwing sugar-free candies or healthy items might have the same effect on the breaking up the routine of the services, but it won't be quite the same draw for the kids...
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Toffees are especially bad for the teeth, as they are so sticky. Our dentist told us to avoid toffees like a plague. So our solution was to offer to "buy" them back from our kids after Shabbos, with money or other treats. Now they collect the candies not to eat them, but to get cash from me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your "breaking up the routine" rationale, but here's another argument against the custom based on something I witnessed a few years ago. Once when preparing the Sefer Torah for the day's reading, I found a toffee stuck right on the text in the sefer Torah. A sofer was brought in to carefully remove the candy and ensure that the sefer Torah had not been made pasul, but if I remember correctly, it was a very difficult, painstaking process. I don't know how the toffee slipped in there, but slip in it did. I don't know how often something like this happens, but it seems like something one would want to prevent, even if it is a rare occurrance.
ReplyDeletewow. thats a story I have never heard. Its strange as the Torah is always covered (at least in my experiences) when the candies are thrown, if not already rolled, tied and wrapped...
DeleteYup. Somehow, the candy slipped through the barricades.
DeleteThe issue is not whether toffees are bad for your teeth or not, or at what point during the davening should the candies be thrown, but how does one make up a "psak halacha" like this? did the rabbi actually say it is a psak halacha or did the newspapers? it is always good practice to eat healthy and there are numerous sources in halacha that one should take care of his health - but to come out with a new, sensational headline that it is assur to throw candies because of health reasons??? next week's "psak halacha" that it is assur to have carbonated sweetened soft drinks at shul kiddush? or that yerushalmi kugel must be made with whole wheat noodles? or only 2 cookies per person at a sholom zochor?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking and along with Rafi's normal policy questioning 'personal community psak gone viral into the wild'. If a rav/gabai of a synagogue makes a rule, does it become a 'psak'. When does a psak obligate the whole city?
DeleteIn general, I think it's a nice tradition, except in those communities when the candies are used by snipers to pick off targets on the bima or in the crowd.
In general though, it would have been a greater kiddush Hashem for the rabbi to approach Elite and ask for healthier candies, like fruit jellies, or something.