The Kezayis Kollel Combo

When anti-rationalist phenomena combine

What happens when you combine three elements of the anti-rationalist/ charedi approach, namely:

1. The idea that a kezayis of matzah is an enormous quantity, rather than the size of an olive;

2. The idea that person A can pay person B to do a mitzvah, and the reward for that mitzvah goes to person A (which I explain the problems with in my book Rationalism vs. Mysticism);

3. The desperation for unemployed and unemployable people to get money?

The answer is that you get this advertisement:

Loosely translated, it means that if you’re having a hard time eating a giant portion of matzah, no worries! You can pay a kollel guy to eat it for you! (I was going to write that it’s unbelieveable, but actually I’m not even sure that it is; I once actually saw a flyer from a kollel guy offering to take people’s portion of Gehinnom in exchange for a donation.)

Chag Sameach! And Chag HaMatzos Sameach. Before I sign off, here’s a video clip which I cannot publicly post online and so it’s restricted to paid subscribers.