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From: dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (David S. Green)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: throwing candy
Message-ID: <344@mhuxi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Aug-85 08:37:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxi.344
Posted: Tue Aug 13 08:37:15 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 05:07:37 EDT
References: <741@lsuc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 34

[]
> Does anyone know the origin of the custom of throwing
> candy at an Aufruf, and why or how it has spread to
> barmitzvahs? How widespread is the custom?
> Dave Sherman
> {  ihnp4!utzoo  pesnta  utcs  hcr  decvax!utcsri  }  !lsuc!dave

The Talmud ( Berakhoth 50b ) states:

"One may let wine flow through pipes before the bridegroom and the bride
and one may throw before them parched corn and nuts in the sunny season,
but not in the rainy season; yet cakes not, not in the sunny season and
not in the rainy season."

Berakhoth deals mostly with blessings and prayer.  This gemara sort of
digresses a bit and speaks about wasting food.  Obviously, it was a custom
over 2000 years ago to throw nuts ( walnuts ) and other food before a bridegroom
and bride.  The commentary notes that the food thrown should be wrapped so that
it can be eaten later, i. e., not wasted.  I think the part about flowing wine
refers to ornamental fountains so that the wine is not wasted.

Now I am going to speculate a little bit.  The Mishna ( Keth. 2,1 ) says that
food should be thrown only if the bride is deemed to be a virgin.  Since today
this is not usually the case, the food is thrown at the Aufruf and not at the       
wedding.  Now why has this spread to barmitzvahs?  Well, I can guess that since
the Mishna says "if the bride is deemed a virgin" maybe some people think that
the bridegroom should also be a virgin.  Since this is even rarer, one should
throw food at the barmitzvah -- you stand a better chance of finding a virgin.

Please note that the Talmud quote is correct and the keyword in the last          
is speculate.

Shalom,
David S. Green   ..mhuxi!dsg