Saturday, August 07, 2004
Good point
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 11:50:49 -0000
From: "xxxxxxx"
Subject: Overlapping Religious Institutions
Father Flannigan, of St. Thomas Aquinas, and Rabbi Metzger, of Beth
El Congrgation, both of the Bronx, were engaged in a technical
discussion. Said the priest;
"I have noticed, Rabbi, that the Jews consider the time after
sundown as belonging to the next day, which makes your holidays
begin at sunset on the previous evening."
"That is so," agreed Rabbi Meltzer.
"Then why is it that Purim is different from all your other
holidays? You celebrate Purim with a feast on the following evening!"
"You might call it a matter of overlapping religious institutions,
my friend," the rabbi grinned. "You Christians regard your holidays as
beginning in the evening of the same day - exactly the opposite of our own
practice. But your question about Purim prompts me to ask this question;
"Why do you gentiles celebrate Christmas on the eve of the approaching day
as we do on our holidays?"
"Hmmm," the priest muttered. "That is a good question!"
"Let me answer it myself," said the rabbi, still smiling. "We Jews
are thankful to a goy named Haman for the festival of Purim, so we
celebrate it according to the gentile fashion. On the other hand,
you gentiles owe your Christmas to a Jew, so you observe it in the
Jewish manner."
Pax,
Linda
From: "xxxxxxx"
Subject: Overlapping Religious Institutions
Father Flannigan, of St. Thomas Aquinas, and Rabbi Metzger, of Beth
El Congrgation, both of the Bronx, were engaged in a technical
discussion. Said the priest;
"I have noticed, Rabbi, that the Jews consider the time after
sundown as belonging to the next day, which makes your holidays
begin at sunset on the previous evening."
"That is so," agreed Rabbi Meltzer.
"Then why is it that Purim is different from all your other
holidays? You celebrate Purim with a feast on the following evening!"
"You might call it a matter of overlapping religious institutions,
my friend," the rabbi grinned. "You Christians regard your holidays as
beginning in the evening of the same day - exactly the opposite of our own
practice. But your question about Purim prompts me to ask this question;
"Why do you gentiles celebrate Christmas on the eve of the approaching day
as we do on our holidays?"
"Hmmm," the priest muttered. "That is a good question!"
"Let me answer it myself," said the rabbi, still smiling. "We Jews
are thankful to a goy named Haman for the festival of Purim, so we
celebrate it according to the gentile fashion. On the other hand,
you gentiles owe your Christmas to a Jew, so you observe it in the
Jewish manner."
Pax,
Linda
