Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Eating & Drinking While Standing


After he finished making our coffee, I observed how the Sudilkover Rebbe made it a point to sit down in order to make a brocha and drink from his cup. This may not seem like any great feat, however, I have tried to be careful about this halacha (see Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 42:2) in the past and cannot say that I have ever been too successful. Invariably, I will walk around at work drinking from my coffee mug or absentmindedly nosh on some cookies while standing in my kitchen when at home.

Witnessing the Rebbe's attention to this halacha, brought it back to the forefront of my consciousness. I asked him if he was careful about this matter, and he replied that indeed he was. However, as an aside, he said that he was also a father and there were certainly times when his children were younger when he may have eaten or drank something while standing up.

Nevertheless, I decided right there and then to be more careful in this area that I routinely ignore. I know that with three small children running around my house that this will be no small challenge.

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Postscript: A few months later, I was zoche to speak to the Rebbe about the issue of achila d'kedusha and plan to post his advice on this topic in the future.

7 Comments:

At February 24, 2009 at 6:40:00 AM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

See here

 
At February 24, 2009 at 8:12:00 AM EST, Blogger Anarchist Chossid said...

Yasher koach.

 
At February 24, 2009 at 9:14:00 AM EST, Blogger chanie said...

Kol hakavod lecha.
I need to fix that, too... But honestly, who has time to sit and eat?

 
At February 24, 2009 at 11:18:00 AM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sefer Ta'amei Haminhagim brings that if one drinks l'chaim while standing, it doesn't represent a lack of derech eretz.

So, if it's difficult to be makpid to sit while drinking, perhaps it would be easier to drink more alcoholic beverages.

 
At February 24, 2009 at 11:29:00 AM EST, Blogger Anarchist Chossid said...

… so that you’ll have to sit down when you get dizzy? :)

 
At February 24, 2009 at 1:58:00 PM EST, Blogger Schvach said...

My mashbiah taught me to sit whenever I eat or drink; that the Talmud teaches that eating while walking is the behavior of a behemah.
So much for the pushcarts in midtown Manhattan (not kosher).

 
At February 26, 2009 at 1:47:00 AM EST, Blogger Kosher Foodie said...

Shkoyach!
As I am wrigint this comment, the blogger "word verification" says "ESSEN"
!

 

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