- when he/she is released from capitivity (e.g. Gilad Shalit)
- when he/she recovered from a serious illness (e.g. cancer, etc.)
- after travelling overseas or through the wilderness and arrived safely in his/her destination
This offering is to be brought when there is a Bais HaMikdash or previously a Mishkan. However, this article is not addressing this offering. We are talking about the American holiday of Thanksgiving. What do Jews do about this holiday?
Many secular and modern-Orthodox Jews celebrate Thanksgiving, some defer this celebration by eating turkey and the works on the Shabbos of that week. Some celebrate it on Thursday and have the turkey leftovers for Shabbos! Downgrade Shabbos with left-over food and as #2 holiday of the week? I can't fathom this. Many American olim (immigrants) continue to celebrate this holiday in Medinat Yisrael, going to a large extent to buy expensive whole turkeys (imported from America!), imported cranberry jelly and all the works to remember their American heritage (aka assimilated values). This is meshugana (crazy).
What do our Gedolim have to say about this matter?
Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, Gador Hador of our generation, wrote:
On the question of celebrating any event on a holiday of Gentiles, if the holiday is based on religious beliefs [by the Gentiles], such celebrations are prohibited if deliberately scheduled on that day; even without intent, it is prohibited because of marit ayin (24) . . . The first day of year for them [January 1](25) and Thanksgiving is not prohibited according to law, but pious people [balai nephesh] should be strict. (26)The Modern Orthodox approach follows Rav Yosef Soloveitchik, zt"l.
On the issue of joining with those who think that Thanksgiving is like a holiday to eat a meal: since it is clear that according to their religious law books this day is not mentioned as a religious holiday and that one is not obligated in a meal [according to Gentile religious law] and since this is a day of remembrance to citizens of this country, when they came to reside here either now or earlier, halacha sees no prohibition in celebrating with a meal or with the eating of turkey. One sees similar to this in Kiddushin 66 that Yanai the king made a party after the conquest of kochlet in the desert and they ate vegetables as a remembrance.
Nonetheless it is prohibited to establish this as an obligation and religious commandment [mitzvah], and it remains a voluntary celebration now; in this manner -- without the establishment of obligation or religious commandment -- one can celebrate the next year too with a meal. But, I think, nonetheless it is prohibited to establish a fixed day in the year for the celebration and it is only in the first year of the event, like when Yanai conquered, and then they had a party, and not for permanence. There is also a problem of adding commandments . . . (27) Even though one can question the source, it is still a real prohibition. (28)
Thus, 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. (30)
It was the opinion of Rabbi Soloveitchik that it was permissible to eat turkey at the end of November, on the day of Thanksgiving. We understood that, in his opinion, there was no question that turkey did not lack a tradition of kashrut (36) and that eating it on Thanksgiving was not a problem of imitating gentile customs. We also heard that this was the opinion of his father, Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik.Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, zt"l, rules this way, which is followed by many Charedim in America:
Where is there found any prohibition to rejoice on the king's birthday and similar occasions? Common practice proves the opposite. Rather there are two distinctly different rules. On a Gentile religious holiday, it is prohibited to do business [to assist the Gentiles] since they use that which we provide for worship. For this rule, it makes no difference what is the purpose of the holiday, even the coronation or birthday of the king is included. Such is not the case regarding rejoicing and celebrating alone; in this case one must examine the holiday to determine if its origins are primarily idolatrous or not. . . .However, if the reason for the celebration is primarily secular it is permissible to celebrate, such as the coronation of the king, the Fourth of July in America or Thanksgiving. For this it makes no difference that some Gentiles celebrate these holidays in churches. (40)
In truth, one must distance oneself from these types of customs and even from those events that are similar to these types of customs . . . The truth is simple and obvious.A similar view is expressed by Rabbi David Cohen (of Gvul Yavetz), who writes:
Thus, those who eat fowl as a commemoration for the fact, as I heard it, that they did not have what to eat, and they found this bird, and they were very happy and rejoiced over having found this bird, this appears not to be a Gentile custom. Nonetheless, one must examine this to determine if it is, as it states in Yoreh Deah 147:6, a case of one who makes a private holiday, and worships many gods, on the day that he was born or was first shaved or any similar case. It is possible that Thanksgiving is such a case; even though they claim that they are worshipping God, and not idols, it is possible that there is a mixture here and thus it is possible that this is a Gentile ritual. Thus the Spirit of the Sages does not approve of one who celebrates, and it is possible that there is a biblical violation. (47)
The celebrating of Thanksgiving is something that has been disputed by many rabbis -- some prohibited and maintain that it is a derivative prohibition of idol worship and there are others who completely permit [its celebration]. In my opinion, to eat turkey for the sake of a holiday is prohibited by the rule of Tosafot, Avodah Zara 11a, since this is an irrational rule of theirs and following it is improper. Nonetheless, there is no prohibition for a family to get together on a day when people do not go to work and to eat together; if it is their wish to eat turkey not for the sake of thanks but because they like turkey, that is not prohibited, but the spirit of the Sages does not approve of such conduct, as they are functioning as if they follow the practice of Gentiles. (49)Source: http://www.tfdixie.com/special/thanksg.htm
I don't know about you, but seriously, we thank Hashem every day as soon as we wake up, with Modeh Ani, until we go to sleep with HaMapil. During the course of the day, we thank Hashem for all the meals we partake, and of course when we daven with praises and blessings. On special days like Shabbos, Yom Tov and other special celebrations like Bris and the like, we praise and thank Hashem even more...
To single out a day to eat Turkey, just because the goyim are doing it, is just out of character for a Jew. Turkey is hard to come by in Medinat Yisrael and they are very expensive. You can take a Jew out of galus but you cannot take the galus of a Jew. C-h-a-v-a-l!
