Page 96 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

94 · Hilchot Chukot Hagoyim Tzurba M’Rabanan

• Activities performed in folly and for no logical reason – if written in the Torah, they are not forbidden,
otherwise, they are still forbidden.
Rabbi Yosef Kolon, a Rishon known as the Maharik, discusses a different aspect of the prohibition of chukot hagoyim:
Does it apply where there is no satisfactory explanation for the practice, or where the practice is immodest?

r Responsa of the Maharik, Siman 88 חפ ןמיס | ק"ירהמ ת"וש . 13

In my humble opinion it is a clear that there is only a violation םושמ רוסאל אלד טושפ רבדד הארנ ד"על
of chok [hagoyim] in one of two ways. רבדה אוה דחאה םיקלח ינשמ 'אב אלא קח
1) The first is a matter where the reason is not revealed, …קח ןושל עמשמדכ הלגנ ומעט ןיא רשא
as is alluded to by the word chok… a matter whose reason אוה ןכד עדתו …םלענ ומעט רשא רבד
is hidden… And know this is correct, as the Smag writes in ל"זו םיוגה תקח 'וצמב ג"מסב בותכ ירהש
the laws of chukot hagoyim: “In Masechet Shabbat there is a list דיב הלבק 'תיהש המ לכ הנומ תבש תכסמב
of all the things that Chazal had a tradition about that were יתנייע םשו 'ירומאה יכרדו 'היתוקחמ 'ימכח
included in their statutes and the ways of the Emorites; and דחא וליפא םש אצמת אלו תבשד 'תפסותמ
I examined the Tosefta in [Masechet] Shabbat, [the source of
that list, and discovered that] there isn’t even one example עדווי אל רשא המית רבד וא שוחינ היה אלש
that is not either sorcery or something astounding that has no 'וקח םושמ רוסאל שי ינשה ןינעו …ומעט
apparent reason… וב ךייש רשא רבדה אוה ד"על 'זנה יפל םיוגה
םיוגה וב וגהני 'ונעהו 'ועינצה רדג תצירפ דונדנ
2) The second issue that is prohibited based on chukot hagoyim
in my humble opinion regards matters that have an element ןיאצוי ןהו ליאוה רמואה ןכו.… רוסא הז םג
of breaching the fence of modesty and humility that the לבא 'יפדכ 'הילא 'ומדתהל ןיוכמ אוהש 'וכו
gentiles practice, this too is forbidden… Similarly, one who ןיאש א"פאקה תשיבלב ש"כו .אל רחא ןינעב
says: Since they go out [dressed] that way [I will too], whereby ןיונשה ןתואל ימד אלד אטישפו רבדב רוסיא
one attempts to imitate them is trying to appear like them ןמיסב עודי התשיבל םעט ירהש 'פסותב
as I have already explained, but in other aspects there is no תולתל ןיאו איהה 'מכחב םיגישממ םתויה
[problem]. And certainly regarding the wearing of a cape תמחמ ןה ונממ ךשמנה תלעותל א"כ התשיבל
[white robe by a doctor], there is no prohibition, and it is ול אצי ךכ ךותמש ןוממ חויר תמחמ ןה 'ובכה
certainly not similar to those [cases] mentioned in the Tosefta. ליזיל אביכ היל ביאכד ןאמו 'מכח 'תואב םש
For the reason for wearing it is clear – as a sign that they have
attained [a certain level] of wisdom, and they are only wearing רבדהש רחאמ רוסאל ךייש אל ג"הכבו היתוול
it for the benefits that arise from this, be it for honor or for םה םגו 'הילא 'ומדתהל ןיוכתמ ןיאש חיכומ
financial gain, for due to this he is known as an expert in that …'תלעותלו 'דובכל אלא תאז וגיהנה אל
wisdom [medicine], and one who is in pain will go to him. In
such a case, it is not logical to forbid it, as it is clear that he is
not trying to appear like them, and they too only instituted
[wearing] it for their honor and benefit…

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