Matzav Inbox: Parents, Beware of the Shuk

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Dear Matzav Inbox,
As next week approaches, I feel compelled to express my deep concern regarding our children and their increasing time spent at the daled minim shuks, no matter where or in what city.
While many parents view this as harmless, a mere opportunity for their children to earn a few dollars or enjoy some freedom, we must recognize the significant dangers lurking in this seemingly innocent environment.
Spending days and nights at the shuk, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of daled minim sales, might seem like a wholesome activity. After all, what could be wrong with kids selling lulavim, esrogim, hadassim, and aravos? However, we must ask ourselves: at what cost? The reality is that these shuks are not some isolated safe zone or ihr miklat. They expose our children to numerous distractions, including the pervasive influence of unfiltered devices and phones, as well as vaping, cigarettes and much worse, which they would never otherwise have access too.
I am telling you because I’ve seen it. It’s a Wild West.

 

Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that just because our children are physically present at a shuk, they are safe from the harmful temptations that can derail their ruchniyus. Inappropriate content is all too accessible. The naivete of believing our children are “just hanging out” can lead them down a path that…well, I don’t want to finish that sentence.

It is our duty as parents to protect our children from these exposures. We must remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding our children’s neshamos.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Sincerely,

Been There, Seen It

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15 COMMENTS

  1. Oh my gosh. Take your kids lock them up in a room, make sure you fill the room with a lot of bubble wrap so nothing ever happens to them.

    I have a better idea take yourself, lock yourself in a room, and make sure there’s plenty of bubble wrap in there to protect you from yourself.

  2. Interesting. The shuk isn’t any different from any public space. In our homes, we have the authority to create guidelines and boundaries. But as our personal domain, we can do that. Perhaps there are those among us that are lax or otherwise unable to take such charge. But the public spaces all carry such risk. There is zero control. The devices one may see there just might be properly and securely filtered. But then, some might not. Such devices look no different. Same goes for the smoking, vaping, and even interactions between people there. One would expect that the atmosphere of selling arba minim would be brimming with kedusha. One expects the same from our shuls and batei midrashos. But the yetzer horah is non-discriminatory, and he weasels his way into all of these places. Yes, buyer beware. It’s not only the shuk. It’s everywhere.

    There is a reality that we need to face. While boundaries, such as filters, etc. are all wonderful and mandatory, the negative influences will somehow flourish. One cannot base their personal safety just on these tools. There is something far greater that one must do. We are obligated, each and every individual, not just the Klal, to become a vessel for the Shechina. The more we make ourselves into the holy people of Am Segula, the more we are protected from these negative forces. Kedusha repels tumah. The “sur meirah” must be supplemented by a huge dose of “asei tov”.

    May we all be zocheh to a Gmar Chasima Tovah, and to the vast madreigos that await us with the precious mitzvos of Sukkah and Daled Minim.

  3. I’ve never seen anyone giving access to unfiltered devices to children in an esrog shuk. Let alone to nefarious content. No one is smoking or vaping in the esrog shuks either. There isn’t enough room for that in the ones I’ve been to. It’s possible that some garbage goes on outside but if that is your concern then there are few crowded places attracting a teenage crowd that your children can go to.

    This letter may be correct, however, that your children “hanging out” all day and most of the night ANYWHERE with no constructive purpose or plan for why they are there, is a recipe for problems. Even in an esog shuk you can be a” yosev kronos” if you spend too much time there for no reason other than to hang out

  4. You obviously are not saying which city or cities and for the right reasons and you’re also implying it’s happening in more than one city. You also used the term a couple of times “Ive seen it”. So my issue with your letter is that for you to come up with this ‘warning’ as you put it, you must have observed this a number of times and in a number of locations in order to establish a precedent and not that it was a random occurrence- but sorry, it just seems so far fetched that you’ve been hanging around in all these locations in the few days before Sukkos and it just so happens that you were in the right place at the tight time to have seen all this going on and make a determination that this is going on all over the place, thus your warning.. seems a little overkill!

  5. Oh, and don’t send your kid to night seder.

    Sincerely,

    Been There Seen That

    Oh, and don’t send your kid to shul on Shabbos.

    Sincerely,

    Been There Seen That

  6. The last few years, I’ve purchased beautiful arba minim sets from these table vendors outside a popular famous minyan factory in Flatbush. I found the young bachurim who were doing the selling to be very pleasant, respectful and easy to deal with. I got a great price. I shmoozed with them a little and learned that they were from a local Yeshiva a few blocks away. I can’t speak for “all” vendors, but most that I dealt with in different locations over the years , all seemed nice and normal. What goes on in Israel, I have no idea. Haven’t been there since I was a bachur over 30 years ago.

  7. Truly a pathetic article. It’s literally one of the best places a kid can hang out Bain hazmanim y’all are way outta pocket with this one . Slow news day or something!?
    Let’s go Mets !

  8. I am a frustrated, shuck shopper for a different reason!

    These shucks are on township Property.

    Why are these private shuck owners allowed to get these spaces for next to no cost and then ridiculously overcharge sellers 500+ per a little 6ft table (sellers need anywhere from 2 to 8 tables costing them thousands) So sellers then have to mark up even more the already overpriced Arba minim?!!

    What exactly are you giving the sellers that you think these prices are ok? You’re renting them the townships space under a rented tent then at the very most hire someone for a very limited short time to check Esrogim so you can put out some ads that rabbanim will be on site lol !

    Please either:
    1- Go make your private shuck on private property.
    2- Dont charge a price that makes zero sense .
    3- Let there be a public more transparent way of knowing why these private ppl where granted permits for these spaces? What and if they pay for the the space? Maybe let others bid on it so at the very very least the township can gain something?!
    4- Best idea of all imo is Let someone who actually wants to help the community run this not private people looking to make 100k+ by essentially renting the public their own property.

    Rant over !

    • Do you know how much it costs to

      – rent a tent that size for a week
      – rent tables
      – put up lighting
      – get permits to use property
      – security
      – garbage removal
      – office work
      NO so get a life

  9. Your approach will backfire spectacularly. Our kids will rebel against such suffocating control, seeking freedom and excitement in the very places you’re trying to keep them from.

    We need to prepare our children for the world, not lock them in a bubble. Education, empathy, and trust are the answers, not forced isolation and fear-mongerin

  10. So you are basically implying that all mochrim must only now hire Hispanic workers since you are trying to ban bochurim from working. Now this will make the shuks so much safer environments.

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