Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Captain Kirk, the spice girls, Madonna, and Michael Jackson.  What do they have in common?  They are all popular Halloween costumes!

In our Jewish calendar, today is the second day in the month of Cheshvan, but in secular circles, today is not only October 31st, it is also Halloween!

My own personal view is that our Jewish holiday of Purim is more pleasant and fun, and as a result, Halloween is hardly a blip on my radar.  On Purim we also wear disguises, albeit for quite different reasons.  Furthermore, rather than asking for tricks or treats, we give gifts - mishloach manot - to friends and family, and we give gifts to the poor and needy as well.  The emphasis is on giving, not demanding.  Nevertheless, around this time of year, many Jews end up seduced or enveloped by mainstream society's craze for and love of Halloween.  It is hard not to notice it, and perhaps even harder not to take-part. especially if we have kids.

So where does Jewish Law stand on the issue of celebrating Halloween?  Let's find out!

The book of Vayikra, Leviticus, states in chapter 18 that "The Lord God spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I the Lord am your God.  You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you, nor shall you follow their laws.  My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow my laws.  I the Lord am your God."

The first step, therefore, is to determine Halloween's origins as a holiday; that is to say, does Halloween stem from an overtly religious practice of another religion?   The answer is unequivocally "yes"!    In short, Halloween's origins lie both in Pagan and Christian ritual.  It is the combination of the Pagan festival Samhain, a day on which the devil was invoked and the souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes, coupled with the Catholic celebration of All Hallow's Eve and All Saints Day.  There are historical links between the Celtic concept of resurrection and modern day's Halloween.
Even to this day, there are still some people who celebrate Halloween religiously, and there are occasional cases when employees seek to take Halloween off from work, citing religious observance.

On the other hand, we should not ignore the fact that the majority of those who celebrate Halloween do so void of any sense of religious observance or feeling.  Given this prevailing notion, we now have to go a step further in our analysis.  Does Jewish Law allow a person to engage in an activity that has pagan origins and is still celebrated by a small minority, but not by the vast majority of those engaging in the activity?

The 16th century Polish scholar Rabbi Isserless, known as the Rama, ruled that any practice whose roots lie in Pagan ritual are prohibited.  Therefore, regardless of the intention with which people celebrate Halloween today, we, as Jews, cannot.

Suppose I accept this ruling and refrain from celebrating Halloween, but I just so happen to have an urge to go collect candy from strangers today while dressed in a disguise.  Would this be permissible by Halachic standards?  According to the Rama, only those secular practices that seem logical and have a purpose are permissible.  So, a Jewish physician who dresses up in a white coat everyday is permitted to do so; conversely, dressing up one day of year to knock on people's doors for candy seems irrational, and therefore, prohibited.

In order for candy collection to be permissible, one of these statements would have to be true:
1) Halloween has a secular origin
2) The conduct of individuals celebrating Halloween can be rationally explained independent of the festival itself
3) The pagan origins of Halloween are so deeply hidden that they have virtually disappeared.
4) The activities are consistent with Judaism and the Jewish tradition.

In our case, none are true; therefore, costumes and candy collection is prohibited.

If I have all but spoiled October 31st for you, I leave you with some consolation.  Jews in the diaspora tend to live in multicultural areas.  There may be many trick-or-treaters in our neighbourhoods, and some who may knock on our doors.  Should we not reply, we might be perceived as anti-social or rude (after all, they are most likely unaware of our laws as Jews).  The Jewish concept of "darchei shalom", the ways of peace, and our desire to avoid "Eva", the creation of unneeded hatred towards Jews, enables us to participate in Halloween somewhat.  If we feel inclined, we can have candy ready at the door to distribute and welcome every trick-or-treater who comes our way.

Shabbat Shalom!


Sent from New York City by:
Ari Isenberg
JTS Rabbinical School