The children in P.S. 147 all gathered in the auditorium as Joel E. Munz of Jolly Munz Candy Company emptied hundreds of boxes of delicious candy onto the tables.
“Okay, children, are you ready?” called Mr. Munz. “The candy eating contest will begin in 3... 2... 1... GO!”
The children hungrily attacked the packages of taffies, lollipops, chocolate bars, marshmallows, and more. Mr. Munz watched proudly as the kids stuffed as much candy into their mouths as they could, while the contest judges carefully marked down the number of candies each student consumed.
“Five minutes left!” announced Mr. Munz.
The candy eating reached a frantic pace as the children seemed to be inhaling the candies in front of them. The cotton candy and caramel chews were a blur as they appeared to defy gravity with the pace at which they went from the table to the chomping mouths of the public school children.
“Time is up!” Mr. Munz declared. “Let’s see who won!”
The judges gathered to tabulate the results and a few minutes later a boy named Ralph Guzzles was named the winner.
“Congratulations, Ralph!” said Mr. Munz, putting his arm around the lanky seventh grader who seemed to appear a bit queasy.
Camera flashes went off as Mr. Munz presented Ralph with a giant gift certificate for a lifetime supply of candy (terms and conditions apply).
“Well I have to be going now!” Mr. Munz announced. “I hope you all enjoyed yourselves!”
Mr. Munz left the school and drove off in his car, followed by a large Jolly Munz candy truck. He stopped a few blocks away outside Yeshiva Ketana Bnei Avigdor. It was recess time and the boys in the courtyard all stopped what they were doing and gaped at the massive Jolly Munz truck that had just parked outside of their cheider.
“Hello,” Mr. Munz said to one of the boys. “Do you know where I can find the principal of your school?”
“The menahel?” asked Yitzy Greenbaum. “That’s him over there, walking out of the building right now.”
“Thank you,” smiled Mr. Munz as he approached the menahel, Rabbi Chaimovitz.
“Hello, Rabbi,” Mr. Munz began. “I am Joel E. Munz, the President of Jolly Munz Candy Company.”
“Please to meet you,” Rabbi Chaimovitz said, shaking Mr. Munz’s hand. “How can I help you?”
Several children started gathering around as Mr. Munz explained that Jolly Munz Candy Company was holding promotional candy-eating contests at various schools around the city.
“We would like to have our next contest right here in your school,” Mr. Munz said. “As you know, all of our candies are kosher and your students look like they would enjoy it. So, rabbi? What do you say?”
Rabbi Chaimovitz stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Please rebbi???” pleaded one of the boys. “We promise we’ll learn extra hard!”
“Mr. Munz,” Rabbi Chaimovitz said. “I’m sure you know what type of school this is.”
“Of course I do,” Mr. Munz said. “You learn the Torah here. You know I had a bar mitzvah once and I read a few verses of Torah then. So I know what it’s about.”
“That’s great to hear,” Rabbi Chaimovitz said. “But Torah isn’t like the subjects they teach at the public school down the road. It’s kadosh - holy. When we learn Torah, we are immersing ourselves in holiness.”
“But I already told you all of my candy is kosher,” said Mr. Munz, not understanding.
“It’s not about that," said Rabbi Chaimovitz. “You know, this week in the synagogue we will read in the Torah about the nazir. Do you know what that is?”
“Oh, is that one of the impure animals?” asked Mr. Munz.
“No, no, a nazir is a man who takes upon himself not to drink wine or become impure. He is given the title ‘nazir’ because it means ‘crown’. Such a person who withholds some of the pleasures of life from himself is ‘crowned with holiness’.”
“I thought Jews are allowed to drink wine,” said Mr. Munz. “Don’t you use it for Friday night kiddush?”
“Indeed we do,” answered Rabbi Chaimovitz. “And just like we drink wine in the service of Hashem, we are also allowed to enjoy your delicious candy here and there if it will help us to learn His holy Torah. The duty of a Jew is to use the pleasures of this world to serve our Creator.
“But to have a contest where children stuff their faces with as much candy as possible? Aside from taking time away from learning - and the fact that afterwards the children will be too sick to learn anything for three days - such overindulgence in physical pleasures is the opposite of the lesson of the nazir.”
“Ah, I understand,” said Mr. Munz. “Well in that case, can I give each of your students just one candy so they can have a sweet taste in their mouth when they return to class to learn more Torah?”
“Absolutely,” smiled the menahel. “Thank you so much for your generosity.”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
Let’s review:
- When can eating candy be a positive thing?
- Why shouldn’t Yidden participate in candy-eating contests?
