Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz

Meaning there's a good non-Avodah Zarah reason to do it, but you know that the practice also has its origins in Avodah Zarah.

For example, the example I would give is yoga.

Yoga really does help a person, especially as they're aging, with balance and with muscle tone and things like that.

But it undoubtedly started with Avadzara.

It's based in Avadzara.

So that's an interesting case study.

I don't know, mash pit, it's probably fun.

I would imagine that's the time that young people have a lot of energy.

They need to get out their energy one way or the other.

I remember I was at a chasna once and people were dancing very wildly, like, you know, lebedik, not in a bad way, wildly in a good way, very, very lebedik.

And someone said to me,

this is their basketball court.

Meaning, these are B'nai Torah, they probably don't play ball that much anymore.

But in high school they used to play a lot of ball, and that's how they got their energy out.

Now they go to chasnas, and that's how they get their energy out.

So young people have a lot of energy, and they try to get their energy out.

So, you know, is it based in Avodah Zarah?

I doubt it.

I don't think it's based in Avodah Zarah.

And therefore it's not Chukas Akum.