REPRINTED FROM THE YWN ARCHIVES:
Ever wonder about the story behind a picture? Well, this is this picture’s story.
Standing near a car with a group of friends on Purim afternoon, in the Ave. N and East 20’s vicinity (Flatbush), my brother suddenly felt something hit his face. While trying to knock off the unknown object, he began to feel a burning sensation on his right cheek below his right eye. Not knowing what had hit him (quite literally), he followed his friends urgings to wash his face with cold water. As he applied cold compresses, the story emerged.
What happened? A smoke bomb was carelessly thrown at him by a young child.
The result? What you see in the picture – A burn the size of a quarter about half a centimeter from his eye.
YES, IN AN ACT STEMMING FROM A COMPLETE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY, MY BROTHER WAS NEARLY BLINDED THIS PURIM!!
We read notices all the time warning of the dangers caused by drinking. Often, we shrug our shoulders; “I’m a responsible adult” or “My child knows to be careful”. Parents, do you really know what your child is playing with on Purim?!?! Boys, do you know what you’re playing with on Purim? I know it’s hard to think seriously when you’re trying to have a good time, but you may be toying with somebody’s life. Are you prepared to carry the responsibility? Since when did Purim become a free-for-all for one to do all kinds of dangerous activities? Did I miss something in learning the Halachos and Hanhagos of Purim?
I’m not one to stand up and make mecha’os, but in a matter of Pikuach Nefesh, I felt the need to write this letter. It’s true that my brother was saved b’chasdei Hashem. But next time it may be someone you know, and it may not end the same way. I hope you’re not shrugging your shoulders as you do every other time while reading such a letter. After seeing this picture and reading the story behind it, I really don’t know how you could.
Wishing you all a Gut Voch and a safer and happier Purim next year in Yerushalayim!
Note: Immediately following the accident, my brother announced that he is mochel the boy who hurt him. He is grateful to the Ribono Shel Olam for sparing his eye and does not wish to carry with him hekpedos on anybody.
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45 Responses
unfortunately we might all be somewhat guilty in distorting the value of purim. how many people are so hooked on a theme for their mishloach manos.it seems that our perspective might be somewhat skewed where the ikar and tufel are mixed up but when it comes to the kids we point a finger. how about looking in the mirror for a change and asking why things are so messed up?!
A freilichen purim!
you know, for the past few years i have also been of the opinion that themes were not called for despite the fact that my family has been doing it. however, this year for some reason, i thought of things in a new light. on purim we have a special mitzvah to be b’simcha. giving something cute/funny i.e. theme or poem can bring a smile to someone’s face. there may be something to that. there are still the disadvantages and as it so happens, i myself did not do a theme (just wrote a cute poem), but i just thought id share this perspective with you.
by the way, you missed the point of the letter which was: dont play with anything dangerous or let your kids do so. you may hurt somebody and that is definitely not in the spirit of purim.
Holy Brother,
Thank you for posting the picture. The stores that sell these things to our children would seem to be a good place to start (it seems parent’s don’t have sufficient backbone or ability to say no). There does not seem to be any legitimate use for these products. If no stores in the Heimisheh areas carried these pyrotechnic products, we may cut down on the availability. Maybe we can’t trust children to make the proper decisions, but we can stop the enablers. Also, a store owner selling these products to a minor may be liable for the damage such minor causes. It seems to me that there is direct causation. Your brother may want to pursue this just to stop the store from selling similar items next year.
My neighbors house almost burned down becuase of illegal “shtick”
Time for the “askonim” to ban shtick and put those who resell and sell in our community in jail
yes, jail
שמים וארץ!! The writer is talking about people getting hurt!!
I’m always disturbed when ppl play with those things on Purim… or altogether. Just cuz it makes a funny noise or sound, kids think its so funny. When I was in EY, Someone through one of those at someone who was walking with me and burned their leg! I I heard the noise and thought someone was shooting! Of course after a scream came out of my friends mouth I really got scared and then we realized it was one of those stupid gunpowder zachin. I think they should be assured and kids punished for using them!
its purim chill out
Of Course it is terrible that kids can have access to fireworks, etc. But WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH making cute mishloach manos packages with Themes??? For creative people it adds to the simcha to give shalach m;anos with themes, and it adds to the simcha when I receive those cute shalach manos packages. There is absolutely nothing wrong with themed shalach manos, and to blame an irresponsible kid who really hurt this bochur with a firecracker, on the fact that some people make themed shalach manos is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think anyone sends shalach manos with a firecracker theme, with baskets filled with pyrotrechnics. Why are you mixing these things up? If you don’t like themed shalach manos, so just don’t send them!!
say the same thing about smokers ,put the resailers in jail? makes alotta sense. such shtusim people post here. you buy it , you have the responsability not the storekeeper.
jjlkwd
is that a reason to be ‘porek ol’???
PURIM is a day to be b’simcho,meaning happy that we have the protection of HKB”H from evil if we do our share. We do special mitzvos to make other people happy and bring more achdus. We don’t enhance this spirit by doing “funny” mischievious acts that may seem entertaining to those who do them or watch them being done while hurting someone.Enjoying someone else’s pain is not in the Purim spirit. It is un-Jewish. Anyone hurt has the obligation,not just the right to sue the damagers!!
jjlkwd come on we are talking about peoples lives here purim is not an excuse !!!
when i was younger, some goyim threw firecrackers at me in a phone booth, in Brooklyn, my glasses flew off and broke and they laughed about it.
I have felt strongly about this matter for a long time. Our young people must be taught the proper way to act on Purim. Parents and Yeshivos need to control these chuldren. I live in Flatbush and noticed my neighbors property vandalized on Purim morning. Also, I can’t tell you how many teenagers I saw walking the streets of Flatbush carrying alcoholic beverages. These are crimes. These children are lucky they were not seen by police they would have been arrested. Maybe it will take having to bail children out of jail during the Purim Seudah to wake people up.
I think we have to keep in mind the potential of personal growth that Purim day has built in it. With that being said there has to be a counter balance or equal level for the Yetzer Horah. So in a day that is dedicated to bringing simcha to oneself and others or even reaching the level of serving Hashem b’ahavah (instead of just yirah like on Yom kippor) we can easily get caught up with the hefkeros or ‘porek ol’ that many engage in. Think about it. How many people dread going to magilah due to the extremely loud noisemakers (such as the fog horns and firecrackers) How many times do we hear of someone who’s feelings were hurt by a purim joke or shpeil that went to far? Why are minors and young teenagers entrusted to gauge how much they can drink?
There is so much beauty to this day and see how easy it is to get overshadowed by a few careless or those who don’t think about the ramifications of their actions.
Yes the retailers need to be held accountable but the best message is simply not to buy the products. Jail time is not a realistic approach…(Would we even dare to suggest doing that to parents who allow their children to engage in these activities?….)
To “chill out” because it’s Purim is simply another way of shrugging our responsibilites and pretending that they don’t exist. The Hefkeros that goes on degrades the meaning of the day. Kids and Teens need structure and proper supervision.
I fail to see the corralatin between this and the Meshloach manos themes. Yes it does get out of hand at times, but realy a separate issue no where in the league of what was mentioned in this letter. To compare the two in severity diminishes the impact of what this letter is trying to share with us.
If anything we should ask ourselves….instead of pointing the blame, what can we do for oursleves and our families to make a more meaningful Purim. If we are parents, what can we do to keep our kids away from this yetzer horah. We need to ask our kids (and their yeshivos) what their plans are and keep track of them. We need to inocculate the message that faircrackers, smoke bombs and the like (as well as cigarrettes) have no place in the Purim theme. And may it be the will of Hashem that next year we won’t need to worry about the safty of our kids and families.
#16 Beautiful comment. I think that being that Chazal say that “Lo tehei shmia gadol m’reiah” (or as the goyim who stole the phrase say “A picture is worth a thousand words”), let every mossad put up the above article (sans the heliegeh “comments”). Whether in a Yeshiva bulletin board or in a shul. Furthermore someone should perserve a copy of the above and put it up next year in the days preceding Purim.
May the bochurim next year spend their time in Yeshivas Mordechai HaTzadik instead of all the shtusim.
B.T.W. instead of klugging about “themes” which is totally irrelevant to the issue, aren’t 50 ft. stretch limos and $300 hourly charges combined with the ridiculous comment above of “hey its Purim” something that needs to be curtailed? Daddies out there wake up and start acting like a father instead of a big brother. Learn how to say no! But if you yourself don’t act accordingly then your son will do as you do and not as you say!
Besoras Tovos
I don’t know about the rest of you, bit I think I’ve had enough of bans. I think that it would be enough to spread the awareness of the danger of these products. Beleive it or not, there are things that are far more danerous that havent been bannd
They ban a concert for the neshmas of these children, as well as adults. The “ashkonim” who banned the concert are well aware of these issues. Hatzalah’s busiest day is prob purim. Kids don’t know limits nor do the know responsibility. I would love to know were these ashkonim or politicians are now? This is what counts! where is the kol korie banning anyone under 18 or 19 from drinking?
Jlkwd
Selling cigarettes to a minor is illegal and yes, minors do not have sufficient judgement and store owners should be liable for selling to them.
On Purim Night, a Hatzoloh member was called aftet a 10 year old boy left an fire-cracker in his pants pocket, and was severely injured. I witnessed MANY kids and young adults carelessly tossing ignited fireworks at one another, as it was a game. My wife thought it was a war zone, as there was ‘constant fire’. Going home from hearing the megilla, we had to pretty much dodge bullets. This is in addition to the number of shikker bochurim, which should have been in their beds instead of endangering the lives of others and their own perching themselves in precarious positions in/on cars (or even hanging on to to back of a garbage truck!!- I saw this with my own 2 eyes- 2 bochurim in some type of ‘inflated’ costume [sanhedria area]. Today there is krias haTorah, I’m sure there is a big line to bentch hagomel in a lot of places today. I ask parents and rebeim in EY and everywhere else to take responsibility of their children, or chas v’shalom they won’t see their children’s children. P.S. Don’t throw any accelerants or plastics into your biyur chometz-MANY TOO MANY people have been hopitalized due to pure carelessness burning chometz. May all of KLal Yisroel have A CHAG KOSHER V’SAMEACH
In addition to my previous post, one more line. Even if one’s whole parnassah is based on selling “purim firecrackers”, he should be shut down. Let him find a kosher parnasah. Theese are sakanos nefoshos. Parents that buy them for thei kids and the sellers are LEGALLY liable for dmages caused be the explosives. remember: retzicha is one of the 3 chamuros (including ‘aizraihu..)
mesoroi beyad shoteh vekoton-
Believe it or not, unless a store owner has a special permit to sell any of the things mentioned in all the messages here, he is legally NOT ALLOWED to sell these things. No store in the Flatbush area has such a permit. Ask the local police precints, they will tell you where you are legally allowed to by these things and the rules for doing so.
I am not equating the use of the 2 (although some birdbrain will attack me anyway, perhaps going so far as to say I am equating mishloach manos themes as well), but under the law the sale of “party snappers” and other “minor pyrotechnics” to minors (in fact anyone without the permit) is just as illegal under the law as selling alcohol or tobacco to these same minors. Without the special permit it is just as illegal as selling crack cocaine.
In the name of simachas purim, will anyone allow their kids to sit on the porch and throw glass bottles onto the street because they enjoy the loud noise it makes?
WHAT DOES FIREWORKS HAVE TO DO WITH PURIM????
DO WE NEED TO IMITATE THE GOYIM THE WAY THEY CELEBARTE THERE HOLIDAYS!!!
I really think that the Gedolim have to get together and set standards for the proper celebration of Purim. Things have totally gotten out of hand and people have forgotten what Purim was about. First of all these cherry bombs, firecrackers and stink bombs have to be assered as it only causes discomfort in other people. Besides the firecrackers and stink bombs being dangerous, the drinking is totally our of hand. Being as our olam B”H is not use to drinking, they are affected much more stongly when having more then a little too much. their bodies do not know how to handle it and basicaly either do they. The same way we have become sensitive to having someone smoke at our table and are very uncomforatable with it, the same way we do not appeciate having drunks that have to run out to vomit, if they make it in time, at our table The Rabbonim have a year to work on it but something must be done that we get back the true spirit of Purim as things have gotten out of hand
Lkwdbubby: They have. The opinions of these gedolim can be found in the words of the mishne brurah, chovos halevavos, orchos tzadikim, rav tzadok, maharal and in the words of many other “gedolim”. Its a shame the only words of the gedolim some people tend to acknowledge are those plastered to the wall in the form of a “Kol Koreh” and then the laitzanim come crawling out from under their rocks and mock what the gedolim have to say.
Any time you hear about something you don’t like you say that it should be banned? I understand what you’re saying, but BANNED!!
If it is ILLEGAL it is ALREADY banned, by the law.
Someone facetiously suggested that if it were a segulah for parnasa,etc.(pick your own need….), to not use firecrackers or get dangerously drunk on Purim then people would listen.
Interesting point…how some people flock to the segula idea, but when it comes to basic thinking, it’s not en vogue.
total agreement you should know that in Eretz Yisrael the problem is far worse, with many more injuries. childrem as young as FIVE can be seen with their first ciggaretes on purim and in close proximity to their ‘older’ sibs as they toy with BIG fireworks.
Here are some new minhags we seem to have picked up from the secular world to celebrate Purim. Limos, drunkenness, firecrackers, costumes (from Halloween).
Maybe we should think about the way we celebrate Rosh Hashanah and incorporate party hats, parties, hangovers, and screaming at midnight to liven up the holiday!
Hey,yitz,youve got an idea there. For the flatbush people,can we come up with some sort of”theme” for Rosh Hashanah?
minkymalka: “Teshuva”
by the way, it works for Purim also
יום ה כפורים
Yom Kippur is LIKE PURIM!
That means if Y K is sacred and serious, Purim must have an even deeper lesson;since,we compare the holiness of Yom Kippur to Purim!
Purim is 30 days before Pessach.
30 days before the Yom Tov we are to begin preparing (learning) for Pessach. We start with the wine,but that is supposed to remind us of the season of ‘ge’ulah.
We are marbim b’simcha knowing that z’man chairusainu and ge’uloseinu is here.
I know this is not Purim halacha (but it is bein adom l’chaveiro): One of the community email lists here in Israel specifically asked that firecrackers not be used on Purim so as not to disturb those who just returned from Operation Cast Lead.
Interesting themes for Purim:
Driving Safely
Keeping the law
Looking where you are going
I was on 13th Avenue last night.
A woman walked in front of my car with a stroller in front of her, in between 46th and 47th streets.
I am talking about in the lane of traffic.
I swerved.
According to my passenger, the stroller contained shalach monos, not a baby.
Had I known, I would have deliberately hit the stroller, instead of swerving to avoid it.
“Shomer Pesayim Hashem”… This is NOT a compliment, by the way.
I believe we actually NEED the extra hour of Taanis and Tefila this year.
Please pray for your local Chasid Shoteh… whatever “uniform” he or she may be wearing this purim.
🙂
The way I see it, it doesn’t take Gedolim or Rebbes to tell people to use common sense. Here is my two cents as to what is allowed on Purim, based on the rule of common sense:
Smoking: 100% Assur. No mikor for it AT ALL, and its a clear harm to your health!
Drinking: Under 21: ASSUR! Dina D’Malchusa Dina. Over 21: Moderate amount is okay, as long as it does’t drive someone to do crazy things.
Fireworks: ASSUR: They are a sakanah!
Snapper, sound makers: No problem. Part of the fun, not dangerous
Stink Bombs, other devices that cause discomfort: No place for it on Purim.
Themed Shalach Manos: 100% allowed. People enjoy these kinds of things, and it brings simcha to people when they receive themed Shalach Manos.
Of course, you do what you want. Or ask your Rov. But please, use some common sense!
Duvd’l
Duvd’l – I’m sorry to say, but it is not in your right to decide halacha. Unless you can bring a makor that Dina D’Malchusa Dina over rules the halacha to drink on Purim (IE. Quote a posek that states so) you have no right to state so as a fact. You can question why/or if we do/don’t say it, but you can not state it as the halacha.
Note: Dina D’Malchusa Dina is not a Lo Ploog.
Being that the concenses here are that all these fireworks and cap guns are WRONG, I thought I’d bring out some positive news.
I came back from Shul tonight ecstatic. There was not one cap gun, nor any other instruments of high decibel noise making! Almost all the children present were making noise the old fashion way, graggers and banging on the tables or floors. What a michaiya! To top it off, this came without the need to post warnings not to bring cap guns and the like to shul. Perhaps parents are starting to wake up on their own. 🙂
Good Morning!
First to #30, it’s an issur to speak loshon hora on Eretz Yisroel. We have children living there and all party pranks are “assur” there.
Now here is a story that happened at least 24-25 years ago. One of my sons lit a firecracker that looked like a tank. He was doing it in the backyard in a safe area, just to have a little fun. The firecracker did not go off and he walked away. The child 3 years younger picked up the firecracker and suddenly it exploded. My husband lifted him and ran to the pediatrician, it was before Hatzolah times(not that we’re in favor of them because of the elements that are allowed to join lately). The pediatrician asked with the fireworks were purchased because it was against the law. The bottom line it was illegal years ago and still is today. Our son B”H had a great “neis”(miracle) that his fingers were not blown off. “shtick” beyond a gragger in our family.
By the way, where are the kids getting money for these illegals…or are they stealing too!?!
#7, “It’s Purim, chill out”? Did you not comprehend the relationship of the picture to Purim concerns?
#1 i don’t get what a theme has anything to do with the incident.
there’s nothing wrong with making a theme for mishloach manos.
#7 i’m not going to comment on everyone already did
Attention kids doing dangerous acts especially with disregard to personal property damage: I catch you, you’re in for a lesson in “Yiras Shomayim.” I am sick of hearing about these crazy stories.
People need to realize that raising children entails much more then just cleaning their rooms and getting to shule or yeshivah on time.
It includes teaching them that making fun of others (no matter what excuse they have, or how their ‘friends’ will not like them, if they do not go along with it)is inexcusable and not to be tolerated.
If they learn such things from the erarliest ages they are far less likely to do even worse things such as cause violence against others and with excuses like “it was just a prank”.
number 7 i think you should get your facts right
have fun on purim and do what you like-i was in yeshiva for 9 years but there is a limit .
chucking things out of car windows or putting smoke bombs on roads is NOT CHILLING OUT