Swallow, don't spit, says rabbi
February 18, 2005 Edition 1
Jerusalem: Your chewing gum has just lost its flavour, but there is no rubbish bin in sight. What do you do? According to Jewish law, get ready to swallow.
A prominent Israeli rabbi has ruled that spitting gum on a sidewalk or hiding it under a desk is a violation of Jewish law, the Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported yesterday.
"Gum cannot be thrown where others are liable to be disgusted by it," said Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu.
Swallowing the gum is a better solution, the rabbi said, though he criticised the use of chewing gum in general.
"Chewing gum is the practice of lower forms of life. It expresses inner tension and lack of control," he said. - Sapa-AP
