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Selling Christian Jewelry

Question:

Recently acquired a jewelry business – part of their catalog included christian religious medals worn as a necklace pendant. Is there any halachic issue selling this? My understanding is that crosses would be allowed, I wanted to know if the same would apply to something like this. Thank you!

Attached:

Attached file 1

Answer:

According to most poskim, selling crosses is not allowed and should not be done. The reason is because there are many devout Catholics that even though they don’t worship the cross hanging around their neck, it is still considered a symbol of their beliefs and treated with a special respect. There are even those who kiss them when something good happens to them, and pray to them, (As a side point I also heard this first hand from a convert that knows their practices.)

Regarding the medallions that you are describing, although in a certain way they might not be actually worshiped, nevertheless they are sold and worn in a way that brings honor to their avoda zara, and it is very possible that there will be people that will use it in a forbidden manner. Therefore they should also not be sold.

Even in the event that it would not be revered, the poskim still say that to sell such items is “mechuar hadavar”, it is considered disgusting for a Jew to sell these types of items. See Igros Moshe Y:D 1-69 regarding selling stamps with a cross on it, that although it is technically permitted it is considered “mechuar hadavar”. The reason being that we should not want to have anything to do with avoda zara.

H-shem should send you an abundance of parnassa, and people should buy lots of permitted items from your site.

Best Wishes

Sources:

Shulchan Aruch Y:D 141-1, Shach ibid 6, Maharshag 2-Y:D 191, Shut Batei Kehuna 12, Maharam Shil Y:D 152, Chelkas Yaakov Y:D pg.78. See Binas Adam that if it is known that tit isn’t owrshipped then it is permitted, but that is not the case here. See also Ohr Lagoim pg. 58, Kovetz Moriah 10-12 from the Author of Meil Tzedakah, Divrei Yatziv Y:D 45, Otzar Piskei Avoda Zara (Peretz) pg. 21, Commerce and Isurei Hanaa’ah (Kushner) pg. 255.

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the detailed response!

    On this Question (https://dinonline.org/2014/02/19/selling-watch-with-cross-idolatry/) the same source (Shulchan Aruch Y:D 141-1) is quoted, but “you” seem to go l’kula… Is that specifically a watch vs other jewelry?

    Regarding the “mechuar hadavar” – Would it be more meikel to sell current stock? Davar HaAvud vs buying more of it to sell?

    Thank you again!

    1. The question you are referring to was about a watch, which is really a watch that has a religious design on it to make it look “nice”. A cross is a symbol of avoda zara that and not just a side kick to the main thing.
      You can get rid of the stock that you have.

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