Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz

There seems to be no clear reason for it.

So just for those who don't know, dictionary definition of a mashpit is, and I quote, "...an area in front of the stage at a rock concert where people dance in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with others."

Okay, so the question is, is that a violation of chukas ha'gayim?

So we have to understand what the parameters of chukas ha'gayim are.

The smag in Mitzvot Saseinun says that anything that's miyuchat ha'hem should be asr for us.

The gras, we're talking about things that involve worship practices, like a tree and a shul, things of that nature.

The Maharik's Shita is that if either an act of Pritzos or there's no logical explanation of why we do it, then it's going to be Asr.

And the Ves Yosef explains in Kufa Yinchas that why is no logical explanation a reason to make something chukasakum?

I get Pritzos, why no logical explanation?

He says because if there's no Tam, then why else would they be doing it if not for the fact that

that it's based on Avodah Zorah, right?

Meaning, the French may, Rav Shachta used to always say it like this, the French may eat French fries, but they do so because there's tam, because it's delicious, right?

Meaning, but if there's, tam means reason, but over here, the reason is that it's delicious.

But if there's no tam for it, why are you just doing silly things?

So it must be that it's based on Avodah Zorah.

So we suspect...

It comes from Avodah Zarah.

That's what the Ramah writes in Kufa Ein Chas, that if there's no time, we're concerned for a Shemetz Avodah Zarah.

There's an interesting discussion to be had.

What if there is a time, meaning there's a good reason to do it, but you know that the practice is somehow based on Avodah Zarah.