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ןנברמ אברוצ םיוגה תוקוח תוכלה · 111

Celebrating Thanksgiving

The celebration of the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States is another example of an issue related
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to the rules of chukot hagoyim, and has been discussed by recent poskim in the U.S. There are essentially
three primary halachic positions on the matter. The first is that of Rav Menashe Klein (in Responsa Mishneh
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Halachot) and Rav Yitzchak Hutner that a Jew should not celebrate Thanksgiving.
p Responsa Mishneh Halachot 10:116 זטק:י | תוכלה הנשמ ת"וש . 39

…They have written that regarding a matter practiced as a set גהנמל וגהנש רבד אקודד ובתכ הנה…
ritual without a reason, one must be concerned with darkei םושמ שחימל אכיא רבדב םעט ןיאו קוחו
emori, but with regard to a matter that a reason has been given for רבדל םעט ונתנש רבדב לבא ירומאה יכרד
it, its reasons is at hand [and it is permitted]. If so, concerning לוגנרת ןילכואש ינהב כ"א ודצב ומעט ירה
those who eat turkey, as I have heard it is because they [the םהל 'יה אלש םושמ אוה יתעמשש יפכ
original Pilgrims] did not have any food, and they found that םינתונו םיחמשו ףועה ותוא ואצמו לוכאל
bird, and were happy and gave praise for finding that bird –
it would seem that this is not included as darkei emori. הז ןיא הרואכל ףועה ואצמש לע חבש
However, one must consider the issue of [making an idolatrous] מ"מד אלא ירומאה יכרד םושמ קוח ללכב
holiday – see Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 147:7)… if so perhaps this ז"מק 'יס ד"וי ןייעו גח םעטמ הזב ןייעל שי
is also included in the category of an idol worshiper who לש הז רדגב ימנ יאהד רשפא כ"או …ז"ס
praises [their god] for bringing them that bird. Although they הז ףוע םהל איצמהש לע ןיסלקמש כ"וע
say they are thanking God, and not idols, here too, they include ת"ישהל םידומ םה םירמואש יפלש אלא
another [in the definition of G-d] as is known. If so, perhaps this םה ירה הזב םגש אלא כ"ועל אלו הז לע
is included as an [idolatrous] holiday, and the tradition of their אוהד רשפא כ"או עודיכ ו"ח םיפתתשמ
ancestors is in their hands. Therefore, Jews certainly should ןכלו םהידיב םהיתובא גהנמו םגח ללכב
not participate with gentiles on the day of their holiday, םויב ם"וכע םע ףתתשהל י"נבל ןיא יאדו
G-d forbid, and the Sages do not look favorably upon him, and
perhaps it is also biblically forbidden… ונמיה החונ םימכח חור ןיאו ו"ח הז םגח
…כ"ג אתיירואדמ רוסא םג ילואו

According to Rav Klein in the responsum above, celebrating Thanksgiving may not violate chukot hagoyim
according to most poskim, as it has a clear reason, but may be a problem of observing a holiday initiated by
Christians that is related to avoda zara.

15. Applying some of the opinions about chukot hagoyim, one can argue that according to the Maharik/Rema, it would be permitted, since this type
of celebration does have an understandable reason behind it (even if some of the particulars of the celebration are a bit harder to understand, such as
eating turkey specifically). According to the Gra, it would seem that such a celebration is forbidden. For a thorough analysis of the halachic status of
Thanksgiving, see Rabbi Michael Broyde, “Celebrating Thanksgiving,” Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Fall 1995, also available at
www.tfdixie.com/special/thanksg.htm#A05. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]
16. Rav Hutner states the following in discussing establishing secular holidays based on the Gregorian calendar: “In truth, one must distance oneself
from these types of customs and even from those events that are similar to these types of customs… The truth is simple and obvious” (Pachad
Yitzchak: Igerot umichtavim shel HaRav Hutner, #109, as translated by Rabbi Broyde). Interestingly, as Rabbi Broyde notes, the letter never
actually refers to Thanksgiving directly, and Rabbi Dovid Cohen (of Gvul Ya’avetz in Brooklyn, a well‑known student of Rav Hutner) claims that
Rav Hutner ruled celebrating Thanksgiving is entirely permitted. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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