A Holiday Greeting Is Not Always a Blessing

by Ram ben Ze'ev

Ram ben Ze'ev

In the age of social media, the barrage of casual greetings—broadcast far and wide without thought or depth—has become an unavoidable part of the Jewish calendar. Non-Jews, particularly those who cling to idolatrous systems, now feel entitled to wish Jews a Happy Passover, Happy Hanukkah, or even, G-D forbid, Happy Yom Kippur. They type these words into their screens as though they were saying Happy Birthday, imagining they are offering a kind gesture.

But from a Jewish perspective—rooted in the eternal truth of תורת משה (Torat Moshe)—these greetings are not only misplaced, but dangerously inappropriate.

The Torah's Position Is Clear

In ויקרא (Vayikra) 18:3, we are commanded:

כמעשה ארץ מצרים אשר ישבתם בה לא תעשו וכמעשה ארץ כנען אשר אני מביא אתכם שמה לא תעשו

“Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelled, nor the practices of the land of Canaan to which I bring you.”

This directive is not metaphorical. It is literal. We are forbidden from imitating or adopting the customs of the Nations, especially when those customs are rooted in or associated with עבודה זרה (avodah zarah – idolatry).

Negative mitzvah number 10, as enumerated by הרמבם (HaRambam), reinforces this: we are prohibited from even learning about or observing the practices associated with false religions. Not in celebration, not in curiosity, and certainly not in reciprocation. In fact, Rabbi Mendel Kaplan sums this prohibition up perfectly in the first two minutes of his video on the subject of idolatry.

When a non-Jew, who does not recognise the Oneness of G-D, offers a “Happy Passover,” they are not honouring our covenant—they are desecrating it, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Worse, many Jews, craving validation, respond in kind. Some even go as far as wishing others a Merry 25th December, thus compounding the damage.

READ >>> Pesach: A Legacy of Redemption and the Power of Language

The Double Standard

Let us be honest: this is not a mutual exchange of goodwill. It is a one-sided compromise. Far more non-Jews offer greetings to Jews—often with a shallow or distorted understanding of the holiday—than Jews do in return. And when Jews do respond, they often do so from a place of insecurity, not strength.

This is the deeper problem.

There are those in our community so thirsty for acceptance by the Nations that they will eagerly accept any crumbs of recognition, even when doing so means ignoring the commandments of G-D Himself. This is not modernity. This is betrayal.

We Are Commanded to Be Separate

Our mission was never to blend in. We were not chosen to be liked. We were chosen to be distinct—קדוש (kadosh – holy), which means separate. This does not mean hostile. It does not mean arrogant. But it absolutely does mean unapologetically different.

We are not allowed to honour or even acknowledge the festivals of others, particularly when those festivals are tied to beliefs that contradict the absolute unity and sovereignty of G-D. As the Rambam explains, even indirect engagement with their rituals or celebratory customs constitutes a breach of our covenant.

And yet, when a non-Jew, steeped in the doctrine of a trinity, wishes us joy for Pesach—a holiday whose entire foundation rests on אני ה אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים—how can this be sincere? How can it be anything but mockery, whether intentional or not?

A Light Does Not Reflect, It Shines

We are meant to be אור לגוים (or lagoyim – a light to the nations), not a mirror to their values. A light offers truth. It reveals. It does not imitate.

If we want to fulfil that role, we must stop seeking affirmation from those who do not share our values and do not honour our G-D. If we accept their greetings, their validations, and their definitions of who we are, then we are no longer the Children of ישראל—we are merely another echo in the crowd.

How Should We Respond?

With firmness and with grace.

If a non-Jew says Happy Passover, one may respond:“Thank you. It’s called Pesach. It is deeply sacred to us. I wish you truth and clarity in all things.”

No need to debate. No need to educate unless asked. But no need—ever—to surrender.

And to our fellow Jews who still think replying Happy 25th December is “just being polite”—you are not being polite. You are being disloyal. Not to your neighbour, but to G-D.

Let us return to who we are. Let us remember our mission. And let us stop confusing validation with righteousness.

We do not need their greetings. We need G-D’s blessing.

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Bill White (Ram ben Ze'ev) is CEO of WireNews Limited, Mayside Partners Limited, MEADHANAN Agency, Kestrel Assets Limited, SpudsToGo Limited and Executive Director of Hebrew Synagogue.