HT:
Can you, or your readers / commenters, perhaps enlighten me as to the gedarim of the Rebbe's opposition to having treife animals?
Does this include, for example:
1. A toy horse and rider (playmobile for example)?
2. A little alligator on a shirt, or a rabbit stitched onto a baby garment?
3. A children's book (Perek Shira for example)
Was that the problem being addressed - this is how I understood it - a child's identification with impure animals (Mickey Mouse, Snoopy, Mendel the Mouse, Tom & Jerry etc.)
Or was it about impure animals altogether - as some tell me - that impure animals bring impure thoughts and actions, similar to why we refrain from eating such anumals.
Anyone have any idea?
While we're at it, why do we name our children after lions, bears or bees; the first two feature quite prominently in our kreiz.
ReplyDeleteOr how about lions on the Aron Kodesh?
ReplyDeleteYour question is discussed here
ReplyDeleteI think people make way too much of this. As I understood the sicha at the time, all the Rebbe was saying was that if it's just as easy to draw a kosher animal as a treife one, or to buy a kosher animal rather than a treife one, go with the kosher choice. But I didn't hear him say to throw out all the teddy bears that have already been bought, or that come in as presents, or to do a thorough bedikas and biur chometz for treife images. All I think he wanted was for people to take it into consideration when choosing stuff for their kids. Before this sicha, it simply never occurred to most people to prefer kosher animals to treif ones; after the sicha, it's in people's minds, even if sometimes they choose a treife animal anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I got the impression that the main thing that concerned the Rebbe was images that the children are looking at constantly, and therefore are often in their minds, and these thoughts can't help but have an influence on their development. Casually seeing the occasional treife animal is another matter entirely. E.g. R Hendel Lieberman's paintings often depict cats, because that was the reality of Jewish life back in the alter heim, people had cats in the house. But the kids didn't fall asleep every night staring at the cat, and imprinting its image on their minds, as they do today with the images on their bedding, walls, stuffed animals, etc.
Milhouse,
ReplyDeleteThat is such a sensible thing to say! I like it.
me too!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ironic that some people will be more Makpid on avoiding Treife Animals, but "Treife people" are OK to bring into the house?
ReplyDeleteI saw this subject brought in Kav haYoshor, perek 2 in a similar way.
ReplyDeleteSuggestion:
ReplyDeleteLook up the sicha edited by the rebbe.