Navigating New Year’s Eve Office Parties according to Halacha

Rabbi Shay Tahan

How should a person act if he works in an office that holds a New Year’s Eve party? Is he permitted to attend if he eats only kosher food and drinks only kosher beverages? How should he respond if the company expects his participation?

The Gemara states (Avodah Zarah 8a): “Jews outside the Land of Israel engage in idolatry in purity. How so? Akum who makes a feast for his son and invites the Jews of his city—even though they eat their own food, drink their own drinks, and their own waiter stands before them—Torah considers it as though they ate from offerings of Avoda Zara, as it says (Shemot 34:15): ‘and he will invite you, and you will eat of his sacrifice.”

Rashi explains the phrase “engage in idolatry in purity” to mean without intention and without paying attention. That is, their intent is not to worship idolatry at all; they are merely eating. Nevertheless, they are considered as though they engaged in idolatry.

The early authorities disagreed as to the nature of the prohibition:

a. Rashi (Shemot 34:15), writes: “Do you think there is no punishment for eating? I consider it as though you acknowledged their worship, for as a result you will come to take their daughters for your sons.” According to Rashi, eating at their feast is considered an acknowledgment of idolatry. Our Sages taught (Sifri, Bamidbar 15:22) that whoever acknowledges idolatry is considered as though he denies the entire Torah.

b. According to the Ritva, it is considered as though one eats offerings dedicated to idolatry. He writes: “Even nowadays it is prohibited, and we do not take enmity (איבה) into account, since it is a Torah prohibition, as though one eats offerings to idolatry.”

c. According to the Rashba, it falls under the prohibition of “it shall not be heard upon your mouth.” He writes: “Specifically to eat with him, because he goes and gives thanks through the feast and the meal.”

d. The Ramban explains the plain meaning of the pasuk as a warning against forming a covenant with them. Such a covenant may lead to actual consumption of offerings to idolatry. According to his explanation, the pasuk warns not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they invite you to eat of their sacrifices offered to their gods, and there is also concern lest you take their daughters for your sons.

E. Rabbi Yonatan of Lunil held that the prohibition of eating at their feast is because it honors idolatry. He writes: “ ‘Engaging in idolatry in purity’—that is, honoring idolatry, for they eat and drink with them on their festival day or on the day they make a feast for their sons… it is prohibited because of the honor shown to idolatry.”

According to all these early authorities, this is a Torah-level prohibition, and therefore there is no basis to permit it. Accordingly, one must question the later authorities who discuss permitting it in cases of enmity, such as when one is invited to a celebration with non-Jewish colleagues at work and the like.

The Drishah raised this question and wrote (Y. D. §152): “It requires study whether here too it is permitted because of enmity to rejoice with them, as was written earlier that with an acquaintance it is permitted to rejoice because it is considered flattery, even though there is a great prohibition since it is on their festival day; or perhaps this case is different, since it is derived from a pasuk.”

The Taz strongly rejected this and wrote that there is absolutely no permission here: “I am astonished at so great a scholar [Drisha] who would be uncertain about this, for this is explicit in the pasuk from which it is derived: ‘and he will invite you, and you will eat of his sacrifice,’ and the beginning of that verse states: ‘lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they go astray after their daughters.’ The Torah commanded that we have enmity toward them in order to distance ourselves from their daughters—so how can we permit this because of enmity? We find permission because of enmity only where the mitzvah exists for another reason, such as earlier in §148, where because of the prohibition of idolatry it is appropriate to distance oneself in certain matters, and they permitted some things because of enmity. But here, where the very essence of the prohibition of eating is in order that we not have affection for them, how can we nullify that itself because of enmity? And even regarding rabbinic decrees, such as the prohibition of eating food cooked by Akum, whose purpose is also to prevent closeness because of their daughters, it is obvious that there is no permission because of enmity.”

Regarding Ishmaelites, who are not idol worshippers, there would appear to be room for leniency, as suggested in Zichronu LaChaim and in Ḥesed LeAvraham (Y. D. 26). R. Ovadia Yosef wrote that since the underlying reason for the prohibition is intermarriage, it must be prohibited even with Ishmaelites.

Conclusion:

It is prohibited to participate in a celebration hosted by Akum, even if one eats only kosher food there. No distinction is made between idolaters and non-idolaters. However, if the gathering is not a celebratory event but merely a simple meal, it is permitted. If one must participate, he should attend just to show his presence, being careful not to eat or drink, greet only those who require it, and then leave.

Can one participate without eating or drinking?

In Chochmat Adam (klal 87, se’if 5) writes: “It is forbidden to stroll and watch their celebration, and each person must be careful not to watch their festivities, dancing, or any display of their joy, as it is stated: ‘Do not rejoice, O Israel…’ And if you hear that they are celebrating and rejoicing, you should sigh and grieve over the destruction.”

Thus, if one must participate, he should try to stay as little as possible and avoid deriving any enjoyment from the party.

Can a company composed entirely of Jews hold a party on January 1st, since they all have the day off from work?

R. Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe, E. H. II, no. 13) wrote that it is prohibited to schedule a party on the festival days of non-Jews. He distinguished between a case where the party is intentionally set because it is their festival day—in which case the prohibition applies by strict law due to the prohibition of “You shall not follow their statutes,”—and a case where it is not set intentionally for that reason, in which case it is prohibited due to mar’it ayin (appearance).