Of the many topics I try to avoid discussing in this blog, chief among them is religion. I find it generally too controversial, which is only exacerbated by my minority, non-conformist views on the subject; it’s just more trouble than it’s worth, in my opinion. (I just searched the blog and the sole previous invocation, “Yuletidying-up,” came last month during the Christmas Blitz.)
Nevertheless, I was struck by an idea that I just had to share. If I were savvy, it’s potentially even a lucrative enterprise. Admittedly, this brainstorm isn’t particularly religious in nature; it just uses as a touchstone a secular version of an aspect of one religion.
In Judaism, a mitzvah is (1) any of the collection of 613 commandments or precepts in the Bible and additional ones of rabbinic origin that relate chiefly to the religious and moral conduct of Jews.¹ A mitzvah is also (2) a meritorious or charitable act.² The word is most commonly known from the phrases bar/bat/bas mitzvah, which is an initiatory rite into adulthood.
The second, more ecumenical sense is the one I have in mind for this proposal. Ready? Here it is: The Mitzvah Bar: an establishment where one is discouraged from paying for one’s own drinks and food. Instead, such niceties should only be accomplished through the magnanimity of others, either your companions or, preferably, strangers. Although there might be some technical snags in getting such a system to operate fluidly, I believe it could make for a rather congenial atmosphere and a popular establishment. Or a whole lot of fistfights.
As a nod to the gimmicky underpinnings of the conceit, some Kosher wines could be available and other products such as He’Brew (“The Chosen Beer,” produced by the Shmaltz Brewing Company) would be on hand. I don’t even know if there’s such a thing as Kosher booze, but there could be some of that in the place, too.
Incidentally, I used a number of web search engines to look up the phrase “mitzvah bar” and, can you believe it, I found zero results (aside from the two words separated by commas or semicolons or in repitition, i.e. none with the phrase’s intentional transpositionary sense)!
27 Jan 2009 Tue at 9:40 pm
i believe it..since you spelled mitzvah wrong.
the plural of mitzvah is mitzvot…just an fyi.
pannie sez: well, I spelled it correctly when I was doing the searching (and am going to fix it in the post now).
27 Jan 2009 Tue at 9:40 pm
*AN!!! i meant AN not AND. urgh.
pnnsz: fixed!
27 Jan 2009 Tue at 9:42 pm
additionally, being ‘tznius’ means being modest in dress or behavior…
and a beracha (sing.) or berachot (plur.) is a blessing.
l know lots of jewish trivia…and i’m not even jewish.
28 Jan 2009 Wed at 12:09 pm
There’s an open (free) bar at every bat/bar mitzvot I’ve attended. :P
05 Feb 2009 Thu at 9:27 am
If there is a door to door Bar service, I’m in! … or a Cross Bar!
05 Feb 2009 Thu at 10:52 am
How’s the blog trimming going? Mine is getting there but is still too fat. It’s going on a diet when I have more time to help it.
I like the Star of David beer glass. Very classy.
pnnsz: It isn’t the blog stuff that needs trimming so much as the RSS reader. I haven’t trimmed so much as learned to use the keyboard to navigate and blast through the feeds more rapidly. Thank you for the compliment on my Photoshopping! Applied some reflection, highlights, and opacity but didn’t feel it necessary to match the symbol to the glass’ convex surface or refract the image through the dripping beer. Had another thought of doing a Guinness-style etching-in-the-foam with a Star of David instead of a shamrock, but decided this would come across better.