Youtube (French) video
Neither post nor transcript have been reviewed by R. David Touitou chlita
Key Points
- Prohibition: The Sages and all contemporary Torah giants strictly forbid Jews from having a Xmas tree. It is considered an extremely serious prohibition that assimilates the soul to pagan cultures.
- Consensus Among Rabbis: All rabbis agree that bringing a Christmas tree into the home is forbidden, with no allowances made.
- Kabbalistic View: According to Kabbalah, a Christmas tree connects Jewish souls to Christianity, which is avoda zarah (idol worship).
- Historical Context: Rav Touitou cites Pope John Paul II, who stated that the Christmas tree symbolizes Christ, equating its presence in a Jewish home to bringing Christ into that space.
- Defense of the Torah: Jews must defend the Torah with pride, just as followers of other religions defend their beliefs.
Core Argument
Rabbi Touitou chlita gives over that Christmas trees, or "sapin de Noël" in French, have pagan and idolatrous origins that are incompatible with Judaism. He emphasizes the extreme gravity of the sin incorporating this tradition into a Jewish home ("interdit extrêmement grave") that assimilates the Jewish soul to pagan culture.
Supporting Evidence
Pagan Roots:
The history of the Christmas tree is traced to Celtic celebrations of the winter solstice, where the oak tree was revered as a symbol of life, and sacrifices were offered. See origins
Xtian Adaptation:
Rav Touitou explains how the Church adopted and Christianized this pagan custom, highlighting the tree's symbolism as representing Christ himself. He quotes Pope John Paul II:
“En hiver, le sapin toujours vert devient la marque de la vie qui ne meurt pas… l'image du Christ.”
(In winter, the evergreen tree becomes the mark of life that does not die… the image of Christ.)
Jewish Law:
Rav Touitou emphasizes that the Torah does not condone such practices, citing the consensus among Jewish religious authorities that adopting a Christmas tree is strictly forbidden. A Jew who does so brings Christ into the home and is considered an idolator by the halacha.
Quotes
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“Il est strictement interdit pour un juif… de rentrer un sapin de Noël à la maison… c'est un interdit extrêmement grave qui assimile l'âme aux cultures des païens.”
(It is strictly forbidden for a Jew… to bring a Christmas tree home… it is an extremely serious prohibition that assimilates the soul to pagan cultures.) -
“Le sapin de Noël est à l'image du Christ à la maison.”
(The Christmas tree is the image of Christ in the home.) [Quoting Pope John Paul II] -
“Celui qui a, chas v'shalom, suivi cette coutume de rentrer un sapin de Noël à sa maison, qu'il sache qu'il devra arrêter immédiatement parce qu'il rendra des comptes le jour de sa mort.”
(Whoever has, G'd forbid, followed this custom of bringing a Christmas tree into their home should know that they must stop immediately because they will be held accountable on the day of their death.)
Xmas Tree Origins
- The origins of the tradition go back to the Celts, a nomadic, idolatrous tribe who lived between 1200 and 2000 BCE.
- The Celts celebrated the rebirth of the sun on December 25, calling it the winter solstice.
- To mark the occasion, they would decorate a fir tree, which they saw as a symbol of life. They would make offerings to their god by hanging fruit, wheat, and flowers on the tree, hoping for a good year with plentiful harvests.
- The tradition was adopted by Christianity in the 11th century CE. Christian representations of the Christmas tree appear in artwork and plays from this time period.
- The tradition officially took hold in Christianity and Europe in 1546, when the town of Sélestat in Alsace, France, allowed people to cut down trees to continue this pagan tradition.
- Christians decorated their trees with red apples, symbolizing the fruit of the original sin, as well as candy and cakes, symbolizing the gifts given to the Church.
- By 1870, the tradition of the Christmas tree was widely known throughout France and Europe.
- In 1858, a glassblower in the Vosges mountains of northern France, seeing that there were no flowers or fruit to decorate the trees due to a drought and harsh winter, had the idea to create glass ornaments in the shape of apples.
- Pope John Paul II, in December 2004, said that "in winter, the evergreen tree becomes the sign of life that does not die...[it is] the image of Christ...the supreme gift of G'd to all humanity."
Rav Touitou also describes a separate account of the Christmas tree's origin, given by a Christian historian and theologian:
- This account centers on Saint Boniface, a monk sent to convert the Druids in the seventh century CE.
- The Druids believed the oak tree was sacred. Saint Boniface tried to convince them that the oak tree was not sacred and should be banned.
- He cut down a huge oak tree in front of everyone. The tree fell and crushed everything in its path except for a small fir tree.
- Saint Boniface declared the fir tree to be the tree of the baby Jesus, calling it a symbol of the Christian Trinity.
Both accounts of the Xmas tree's origins are from idolatrous origins
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