From the back cover: Early impressions are deep and lasting. What children see and hear contributes to their personalities and leaves an imprint of their souls. My First Book of Kosher Animals depicts exclusively kosher animals, preserving and nurturing purity of the child. (see Kav Hayoshor ch. 2).
The need for such a book arises from one of the Sichos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, The Hebrew version, which is a direct translation of the Yiddish, can be found in Hisva’aduyos 5744, Vol. 2, pp. 487, 488, 489, 490. An English adaptation can be read in English online here. Here is an excerpt from the Sichah of the Rebbe, "Because what one sees leaves lasting impressions, especially on young children, the toys that a child plays with, and the pictures that he looks at, should not be of impure animals."
An excellent explanation of the Chabad view on this matter, can be found on asimplejew.
Are we over-censoring our children, or is our duty to protect them to any extent possible?
After the long pause we had following the marketing of the Kosher Tissue Paper, I can already sense an entire new horizon to the ever-growing Kashruth Certification Industry.
Hat-tip: Amram Elbaz
I find it interesting that Chabad does not have a problem naming children after non-kosher animals, one of the Rebbes was named DovBer. Other names such as Aryeh and Wolf are common by Chassidim as well
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the Tanach, which is filled with many animals which are not Kosher, is it not pure enough to be read by our children?
DeleteI understand the concern with any influence on our children, but is a picture of a centipede really going to effect our children? seems to be taking things a bit too far for me
You should have a tana"kh in your house, but not read it.
DeleteMy wife had a paitient whose mom requested that she not expose the child to non-kosher animals during the therapy sessions.
ReplyDeleteIn the short article above, there is this line, if only you would follow the link it would answer all the above questions and more.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent explanation of the Chabad view on this matter, can be found on asimplejew.
The kosher toilet paper is an entirely different thing. That's a ease-of-use thing you may think is over the top. This is just a guy making up a new halakha that had never been heard of before.
ReplyDeleteThey also have crib mobiles where they remove all the animals and put in pictures of the (non-kosher) rebbe.
ReplyDelete