[By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for The Five Towns Jewish Times] This article is written for Miriam L.’s father Rav Chaim Kanievsky zatzal was once asked an interesting question by a woman who was in need of surgery (Derech Sicha p, 174):  She inquired of the Rav:  “May I delay my surgery so that it can be done on my birthday?” Where was this question coming from?  Some people are of the opinion that noticing and or celebrating birthdays is not a particularly Jewish action. They note that the only mention we find of birthdays is in regard to the evil Pharoah. While there are opinions that certainly held this, in this article, it will be suggested that not all opinions conform to this view, and that noting someone’s birthday may very well be a Jewish thing to do. MITZVAH OF VEAHAVTA L’RAYACHA KAMOCHA We must first realize that there exists a Mitzvah of V’ahavta l’rayacha Kamocha, loving others as we do ourselves. It is always important to make these others realize that we care about them individually and that we genuinely value who they are.  It should not be perfunctory, but real.  What better way to do this than to recognize a birthday? GEMORAH AND MIDRASH Now for some other sources.  The Gemorah in Moed Kotton 28a records that Rav Yoseph made a party on the occasion of his 60th birthday.  This was because he had avoided the punishment of Kares.  It is unclear, however, if this can serve as a paradigm for other birthday parties or just for a 60th birthday. The Midrash Saichel Tov (Bereishis 40:20) brings us a more pertinent source.  The Midrash notes that “most people celebrate that day that they were born and are joyous during this time and hold a party.  The Yerushalmi (Rosh HaShana 3:8) tells us that a person does not quickly fall on his “Yom Ginusiyah.”  Rashi in Bereishis (4:20) explains that Pharoah’s birthday is called “Yom Ginusiyah.”  This Yerushalmi indicates that a birthday is a special day, not just for recognition, but it seems to be an auspicious time to avoid harm.  Rav Tzadok HaKohain (Rsisei Laila Divrei Chalomos-20) writes this explicitly.  The Ben Ish Chai states that some have the custom to make the birthday a kind of “yom Tov” and a Siman Tov – then he adds, “and so we conduct ourselves in our home.” Yes, the Ben Ish Chai had birthday parties. Nor was he the only one.  The Ksav Sofer writes in his responsum (Yore Deah Vol. II #148) that he held a fiftieth birthday party.   He writes that he made a special siyum on the tractate Psachim for the occasion.  He states there that his father, the Chsam Sopher, did the same thing – he made a siyum on Chumash with his students on the occasion of his birthday on the 7th of Tishrei – and he gave out coins so they can purchase lachmei chalav (an early prototype of the now ever popular cupcake).  The Chsam Sopher’s own Rebbe, Rav Natan Adler, (See Igros Sofrim p. 83) held a birthday party for his mother on her 80th birthday and invited the whole town! It says in the biography of the Chofetz Chaim that he held a birthday party on his 90th (or 80th) birthday […]

The post Celebrating Birthdays – Halachic Analysis appeared first on The Yeshiva World.