Parshas Vayeishev 5776 transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
QUESTION:
Is giving Chanukah gifts an imitation of gentile practices?
ANSWER:
It certainly is! It's the season when the stores are full of good things and everybody is moved to buy. There's a great campaign to save your money for you, everybody has signs on the store, save, save, save, and so as a result you start saving. However this has to be tempered with a little bit of mildness, because the children might feel deprived!
Therefore it wouldn't be out of place to give some presents. But to go around with a long list, a paper a yard long and say I have to do my Chanukah shopping, that's nothing but an imitation of goyim. So if you want to give gifts, you can give gifts for Pesach, for Purim, you want to give gifts for Chanukah too, so we won't criticize that. But to make a big fuss about it, Chanukah giving as an ideal, so you might as well sing carols, and put up a Chanukah tree, because that's what it is.
Taanis Bechoros on Thursday, April 10, 2025 Candle lighting on Friday, April 11, 2025 - 7:38 PM Candle lighting on Shabbos, April 12, 2025 - 8:42 PM This week's Torah Portion is Parshas Tzav
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