My too-frum shul has announced a toy drive to benefit the children under Ohel's care. A lot of other places are doing this, too. I think that's sweet. Still, the announcment put into my head an impertanent question:
Which practive gives greater offense to the halalcha and to the mesorah - presents on Chanuka? Or turkey at Thanksgiving? Maybe Simcha knows. Simcha knows everything.
Explanation: Most of the more religious people that play with DovBear object mightily to Turkey on Thanksgiving. They say it is a gentile custom, and gentile customs must be rejected by Jews. Fine. We can buy that. However, most of these same religious people exchange Chanuka gifts with no second thought. They have forgotten that December gift-giving is also a gentile custom. Or have we reached a point in Jewish history where America is more frightening than Christianity?
I'd think neither because Chanukah isn't a biblical holiday.
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