JERUSALEM -- If you want to get rid of your chewing gum and there's no trash can around, swallow it.
That's the ruling of a leading Israeli rabbi.
He says Jewish law forbids you from parking the spent gum where it might offend someone, like spitting it out on the sidewalk or sticking it under your desk.
So the solution, says the chief rabbi of the ancient holy city Safed, is to swallow your gum.
Jewish law places emphasis on manners that avoid hurting the feeling of others, Jews and non-Jews alike.
That might be part of the rabbi's other observation: The practice of chewing gum is borderline offensive and should be avoided.
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