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SwissGear brand bags and back packs have the image of the Swiss flag (usually in color, red and white, and made out of a hard material) sewn into the material. Often the Swiss flag's image is put on other area's of the bag as well.

My question is: Does the Swiss flag's white (equilateral) cross present a problem for a Jew to buy Swiss Gear and wear it?

unforgettableidSupportsMonica
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Gavriel
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    Do you not do addition? :) – user6591 Sep 09 '14 at 12:29
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    @user6591 Israelis write their + signs without the lower half, like an inverted T, to avoid writing a cross. – Scimonster Sep 09 '14 at 12:58
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    I happen to be both christian and swiss citizen. I can not tell the implications for jewish believers, but here are my 2 cents: - The swiss flag's cross is indeed a reference to the original cross where it's believed that Jesus hung on. However, today, few swiss people outside christian religion do recognize that. - When worhshipping, we do not worship the cross, but Jesus, and the fact he died upon such (or a similar) cross. - The crosses used in worship always have a longer vertical bar. Thus, the cross is just a symbol, not an item that is actually woshipped or bowed to for itself. –  Sep 10 '14 at 06:54

2 Answers2

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Per Rabbi David Sperling it is not problematic to own or use a Swiss gear bag.

The use of the cross - which is of course a Christian symbol - is widely discussed in halacha. When the cross is one that people bow to, or use in their worship, then there are serious halachic problems with owning such an item. However, when the cross is clearly not for worship, but only a symbol used to recall their religion, such as on the Swiss flag, or embossed onto the coins or emblems of certain countries, it is permitted. (See the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, 141 - as well as Otzar Avodah Zarah, chapter 5 - Rav M. Peretz).

Gershon Gold
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  • I can't access the seffer right now, but at first glance from the way you quote it I would say the Shach in the siman you mentioned, siff kattan 6 would disagree. While it's muttar bihanaah, it is assur to keep due to chashad. – user6591 Sep 09 '14 at 14:51
  • @user6591 Would the Shach still hold that there is chashad about a cross that is shaped differently than the ones which are worshiped? – Yitzchak Sep 09 '14 at 14:57
  • He seems to bring shitos to be machmir, but for a worshipped type of cross he says everyone agrees it is assur to keep. But the assumption in this answer was that the plus sign we are dealing with is a real cross. On that hanacha, he would say not to keep it. I'm curious what that seffer which presumably deals with a regular cross does with that Shach. Was that a direct quote? How does he equate a symbolic cross to a worship type cross if the Shach outright diffrentiates. – user6591 Sep 09 '14 at 15:00
  • @Yitzchak That shape is worshiped I believe. Maybe not by the Christians you see in your parts of the world – Double AA Sep 10 '14 at 05:13
  • @Double AA what is proper etiquette on this site. When I disagree with the answer quoted but nothing against the way it was quoted, does that garner a downvote? – user6591 Sep 10 '14 at 12:57
  • @user6591 My thoughts are found here. In general, if there is a properly sourced opinion I won't downvote if I personally disagree with the opinion (eg. it is too Meikil) but I will downvote if the source misrepresents the opinion or the opinion doesn't address the question. If there is no source quoted then I will downvote if I a disagree, as it is my word vs the word of another random internet user. – Double AA Sep 10 '14 at 15:40
  • @DoubleAA, now I'm curious, though perhaps I shouldn't be, because I like all sorts of art, including lots of stuff that features different types of Christian symbolism. Who uses an equilateral cross without any adornments? Either way, my question still applies to something like a conventional Western European cross rotated 90 degrees. – Yitzchak Sep 10 '14 at 15:41
  • @Yitzchak I'm not an expert, but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_cross#Forms – Double AA Sep 10 '14 at 15:44
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Rav Avigdor Nevenzahl Shlit"a told me that he forbids buying Swiss products which feature the cross symbol lechatchila, however once it was bought he requires that the cross to be either covered, scratched out or removed completely.

Shoel U'Meishiv
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