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angryChineseKahanist:
--- Quote from: muman613 on March 24, 2010, 10:21:51 AM ---
--- Quote from: angryChineseKahanist on March 24, 2010, 08:06:23 AM ---Which tech firm do you work for? Google? Microsoft?
--- End quote ---
I will not answer this fully because JTF has enemies and people may try to look for me if I give too much information...
I work about four blocks from Ciscos main campus in Silicon Valley... Google is not very far away either {I think within 5 miles}. My companies office is located amongst many well-known firms including Creative Labs, LSI, and others...
Also about 12 years ago I had an interview at Microsoft in Seattle and came very close to working for them... Those who know me know I am not a big fan of MS Windows {Ive been using Linux exclusively for almost 10 years now}.
--- End quote ---
You don't have any enemies. You don't fight with anyone.
What do you do at your job?
TruthSpreader:
Dear Muman, can you explain why so many blacks want to name themselves after Arabic names I.E. Jamal, Kareem, Ali. etc?
Sveta:
Hmm linux is like the dark side to me. Plus I'm into pc gaming so I need to be hooked on Windows.
Well I have a question...what do you think about Thanksgiving for Jews?
I don't celebrate it personally but I have family and friends who do. I am never rude about them celebrating it, other than me saying how I don't understand that "holiday" or why they would want to. Honestly, I don't get it. I don't celebrate it personally because I see it as a gentile made day and to me every day is a day of thanksgiving to HaShem. Then it seems like some secular commercial day, and I don't get the appeal of sitting around a turkey and pie once a year to be thankful IF people really are thankful anyways. I have some friends who celebrate it (ok more like family) and when they do all they do is sit down and eat, not ever a word of "thanks". To me this is an awful day. All I do is just like xmas I go online, go out walking. I understand that American culture is attached to these "holidays" but to me they are not MY holidays! My holidays are Purim, Chanukah, Yom Kippur etc..
Then when people see that I don't care about things like thanksgiving (or the 4th of July etc) they act offended but ESPECIALLY for refusing to care about Thanksgiving. Everyone makes such a big deal out of it! They even act angered saying who am I to tell them if they are allowed to celebrate it. Well GO celebrate it all you want, I don't believe in it! (Ok I'm ranting now!)
My question...am I doing something wrong? When I see people celebrating it, I don't become arrogant or mean or bully them about it, I leave them alone. If they ask me I'll say that I don't agree with it. If they ask me to join I'm be polite but say I personally don't do it. Also do YOU celebrate thanksgiving yourself?
I honestly can never see myself celebrating this day, it's like a total farce to me.
muman613:
--- Quote from: Zionist YY on April 13, 2010, 01:23:44 AM ---Hmm linux is like the dark side to me. Plus I'm into pc gaming so I need to be hooked on Windows.
Well I have a question...what do you think about Thanksgiving for Jews?
I don't celebrate it personally but I have family and friends who do. I am never rude about them celebrating it, other than me saying how I don't understand that "holiday" or why they would want to. Honestly, I don't get it. I don't celebrate it personally because I see it as a gentile made day and to me every day is a day of thanksgiving to HaShem. Then it seems like some secular commercial day, and I don't get the appeal of sitting around a turkey and pie once a year to be thankful IF people really are thankful anyways. I have some friends who celebrate it (ok more like family) and when they do all they do is sit down and eat, not ever a word of "thanks". To me this is an awful day. All I do is just like xmas I go online, go out walking. I understand that American culture is attached to these "holidays" but to me they are not MY holidays! My holidays are Purim, Chanukah, Yom Kippur etc..
Then when people see that I don't care about things like thanksgiving (or the 4th of July etc) they act offended but ESPECIALLY for refusing to care about Thanksgiving. Everyone makes such a big deal out of it! They even act angered saying who am I to tell them if they are allowed to celebrate it. Well GO celebrate it all you want, I don't believe in it! (Ok I'm ranting now!)
My question...am I doing something wrong? When I see people celebrating it, I don't become arrogant or mean or bully them about it, I leave them alone. If they ask me I'll say that I don't agree with it. If they ask me to join I'm be polite but say I personally don't do it. Also do YOU celebrate thanksgiving yourself?
I honestly can never see myself celebrating this day, it's like a total farce to me.
--- End quote ---
Shalom Zionist YY,
It sounds like you have the same issue which happened last Valentines day when my mother asked me if I did anything special for Valentines day. I told her that I did not celebrate secular {and especially days which have other religious connotations} holidays.
I will have a Turkey on Thanksgiving but without the entire Thanksgiving ritual. I have posted in some thread last year about the Jewish outlook on these holidays and whether there is a prohibition from taking part in celebrations which have religious connotations for other religions. Torah is clear that a Jew should not engage in the ways of the nations.
My mother sometimes takes it like I am trying to say that those who do so are doing something wrong. I do feel that a Jew should not become too involved in the rituals of the exile since we will become trapped by some of these customs. I have heard that some familys have problems for years because they will actually miss the Christmas season {although some scoundrels I have heard are trying to bring American Christmas to Israel}.
I will not long for any secular holidays once Moshiach comes... I only observe the Jewish yom tovim.
PS: A Jew should make every day Thanksgiving. When we say the blessings over the Bread before the meal, the blessings on the hand washing, and the blessings after the meal we make every day a day of giving thanks to Hashem...
See this article for an indepth discussion of "Is Thanksgiving Kosher?" @ http://www.tfdixie.com/special/thanksg.htm
--- Quote --- A Halachic Analysis of Thanksgiving
Having reviewed the history of Thanksgiving, it is now necessary to turn to the question of halachic issues involved in its "celebration". The first, and most significant issue, is whether it is permissible to eat a Thanksgiving meal, with the classical foods that American tradition indicates one should eat at this meal: turkey (15) and cranberry sauce. Among the authorities of the previous generation, three different positions have been taken on this topic, and these three positions have each been accepted by various halachic authorities of the current generation.
However, before these three positions can be understood, a certain background into the nature of the prohibition to imitate Gentile customs must be understood. (16) Tosafot 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. (17) Rabbenu Nissim 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). (18) Normative halacha follows the ruling of the Ran and Maharik. As noted by Rama:
* Those practices done as a [Gentile] custom or law with no reason one suspects that it in an idolatrous practice or that there is a taint of idolatrous origins; however, those customs which are practiced for a reason, such as the physician who wears a special garment to identify him as a doctor, can be done; the same is true for any custom done out of honor or any other reason is permissible. (19)
As will be seen later, there are authorities who favor being strict for the opinion of the Gra, who rules that the only time "secular" customs are permissible is when they have a Jewish origin. (20) According to this approach, secular customs created by Gentiles are prohibited even when their origins are not religious.
Additionally -- and independent of the halachic obligation to avoid Gentile religious customs -- Jewish law forbids a Jew from actually celebrating idolatrous religious events himself. Thus, a Jew may not attend an idolatrous "Indian" (21) office party or directly facilitate its observance. (22) So too, a Jew may not attend a birthday party for an idol worshipper if the birthday party includes worship of idols. (23)
--- End quote ---
Sveta:
Thank you so much for your help Muman!
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