Monday, May 14, 2007

Oink Oink

My son has the weirdest sense of humor. Apparently, finding daddy lying on the floor with him (where he can reach and pull daddy's hair) is hysterical. So is seeing the cat playing with a toy.

But not much can compare to hearing mama read the books with little animals *and making animal noises.* Our home has thus been inundated recently will moos, quacks, clucks, baaas, gobble-gobbles, and oinks.

Yes, oinks.

Even ribbits.

Oh dear, am I corrupting his little ears with the sounds of non-kosher animals?
Will he spend his grade-school years corrupting other tiny talmidim with treif noises?

Lest you think EVERYONE would find this as ridiculous a concern, check out this wonderful (old) post on Canonist addressing a letter to the Yated Ne'eman about eating "kosher" animal crackers in the shape of bears.

Even better: The Mail-Jewish Digest online has this post archived in a discussion from 1993:

"Rabbi Isaiah Horoiwitz, a prominent kabbalist around the 16th century, in his book Shnei Luchot Habrit (SHELAH for short) cites a custom not to frighten children by telling them that a cat or dog or other unclean animal will get them. This is because there are mazikin (destructive influences) with the names of unclean animals who may be called up by these names. These may cause harm to the child. The point is that you should be very carful (sic) about how you speak and what words you use."



Evil spirits of the Piglets, begone!

6 Comments:

Blogger Looking Forward said...

this has to do with the idea of modest and clean speech. for the same reason (i haven't heard their statement). This is for the purpose of restricting your conversation to clean and permitted things. Thus one not only refrains from mentioning the word "pig" (the talmud used a variety of euphamisms) but one should also refrain from talking about things that are generaly not done in public, and from violent or hateful speach of any form (as in using the word idiot in any context what so ever).

Such things of course may be used where one has to be blunt and the subject is needed, but otherwise one should attempt not to do so.

5/14/2007 5:38 PM  
Blogger Kylopod said...

I think the most cringe-worthy part of the letter is the statement that Yated is the only newspaper belonging in a Jewish home.

I have often found their articles to border on unintentional self-parody (did you see the one about monitoring Orthodox Jewish music?), but sometimes what they have done is not so funny, like when they have slandered individuals. I have written about it.

5/14/2007 7:00 PM  
Blogger The back of the hill said...

All-spice. Anisseed. Bay leaf. Caraway. Cardamom. Cassia. Cayenne. Cinnamon. Cloves. Coriander. Cubeb. Cumin. Cutcherry. Dry ginger. Farfara. Foenugreek. Galangal. Garam masala. Hibb el musk. Mustard. Paprika. Peppercorns. Poudre-douce. Poudre-forte. Saffron. Star-anise. Turmeric. Zatar.

5/21/2007 6:15 PM  
Blogger Tzipporah said...

BOTH -LOL, thanks!

5/21/2007 6:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sigh. Stuff like that (i.e. absurd fringe minhagim) make people think that all Orthodox Jews are crazy.

6/28/2007 10:38 AM  
Blogger Steg (dos iz nit der šteg) said...

<ominous>why do you think piglet's baloon is RED?!</ominous>

;-)

7/04/2007 9:00 AM  

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