Q&A: Smoking on a Jewish Holiday
Smoking on a Jewish Holiday
Question
Hello Rabbi
A question in Jewish law: what is the Rabbi’s opinion about smoking on a Jewish holiday? I know the matter is subject to a dispute among later authorities, and I wanted to know the Rabbi’s view. If the Rabbi holds that it may be permitted, what is the Rabbi’s opinion about smoking marijuana on a Jewish holiday? Is that also considered something that is equally relevant to everyone?
Thank you very much
Answer
I am against smoking in general, so to me this is similar to asking whether it is permitted to eat pork on a Jewish holiday.
But beyond that, even within the laws of the holiday themselves, once one does not accept the legitimacy of smoking, it should not be assigned the status of food-related need. Beyond that, it seems very doubtful to me whether nowadays it counts as something equally relevant to everyone.
Discussion on Answer
According to most halakhic decisors, there is no permission when it serves no need at all, and certainly not if it is harmful.
In the Mishnah Berurah it says that even a minor need counts, and a person’s enjoyment is a minor need.
I’ll repeat myself one last time. Even if there is minor enjoyment, when the matter involves harm, for someone who forbids smoking on a weekday there is no logic at all to permit it on a Jewish holiday.
This was asked on the site and the Rabbi wrote there that it is permitted. I don’t know how to put in a link. Maybe there are two different respondents on the site.
https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%91
Indeed, that is my later view. Originally I said that if reasonable people do this, then it is something equally relevant to everyone. But in my later view I thought that if it is plainly dangerous, then it is hard to include it in that category.
I heard that smoking falls under the category of “food-related need” — because it consumes the soul 🙂
Best regards, a mere wisp of smoke – rabbi
And they say that smoking is recommended during the study of ethics, since Rabbi Israel Salanter reportedly said to “study ethics with burning lips” 🙂
Best regards, D’Artagnan the smoke-teer
And perhaps one can make use of the advice of the one who interpreted Rabbi Israel Salanter’s instruction “to study ethics with burning lips” to mean: “study ethics with a cigarette in your mouth,” as a way to reduce the urge to smoke.
For if a person knows that the moment he takes the cigarette to smoke, he must step away from his business and study ethics at that time—then naturally he will say to the cigarette, “wait for me a little, just a few more minutes,” and meanwhile the craving will be postponed and forgotten.
And so too with all kinds of cravings: when you delay them a bit, there is a chance things will calm down. The big problem is with pleasures that can be indulged in absentmindedly, while doing other things, and then one “grabs” them without measure or accounting.
And about that it was said: “A person should always be shrewd in fear [of Heaven],” and with God’s help may the year of “you shall inhale” come to an end, and may the year of “may there be a decrease in smoking” arrive.
Best regards, Nehorai Shraga Agami-Psisovitch (married)
Is the objection halakhic or moral/health-related?
In any case, there is no need to assign it the status of food-related need—after all, kindling was permitted even when not for the sake of food-related need.