Minhag (Custom)

Minhag is a general term for practices that have spread and been accepted among Jewish communities, despite not having a halachic obligation from the Torah or the Rabbis. Some minhagim have very ancient sources dating back to the time of the Mishna and Gemara, while others continue to develop in each generation.

As a result of the Jewish diaspora, there are many minhagim that vary from community to community, and the Torah guidance is that each person should follow the customs of their ancestors. The attitude toward minhagim is twofold: on one hand, a minhag is highly sacred, to the extent that "minhag overrides law," while on the other hand, it was taught that "minhag contains the letters of Gehinnom" regarding those poor customs that contradict halacha that entered certain communities (which were mostly accepted by the unlearned from the gentiles in their area). Many books in halachic literature are dedicated to researching minhagim, examining their validity, documenting them, and spreading them.

The purpose of minhagim varies according to circumstances. Some are meant to strengthen a particular halacha, while others are meant to emphasize importance and add meaning to certain events, for example, marking a child's arrival at the age of mitzvah obligation, and so on.

The Attitude Toward Customs in Chabad TeachingsEdit

The first source that explicitly discusses the Torah importance of Jewish minhagim is Tosafot in Tractate Menachot: "The custom of Israel is Torah." However, minhagim were mentioned long before this, for example, in the language of the Mishna: "In a place where the custom is..."

Regarding why indeed a Jewish custom is Torah, we find several explanations. The Rashba writes that a custom that exists even among elders or elderly women should not be nullified, since it must have a source that goes back to Moses. In the responsa of Rabbi Yaakov Chagiz, the reason is given that surely Hashem would not allow an incorrect custom to spread among all the members of His people, and therefore a custom that has spread is certainly authentic.

In Chabad Chassidut, minhag has earned a place of honor, and our Rebbeim related to it with sacred reverence.

The Rebbe especially emphasizes the importance that should be attributed to Jewish customs in the field of education, and that one should begin educating a child on the foundations of minhag since there is a clear educational message for the child, establishing the sacred relationship to Jewish customs at the top of his value system.

The attitude toward the importance of minhagim was not limited to the realm of thought and instruction alone, but there were cases where Jewish leaders sacrificed themselves to prevent gentiles from harming the traditional customs of the Jewish people. At the rabbinical assembly that took place in the year 5603 (1843), the Tzemach Tzedek was arrested 21 times and actually sacrificed himself to prevent government legislation that would interfere with the observance and preservation of these customs.

The Attitude Toward Chabad CustomsEdit

Among the customs themselves, our Rebbeim attributed enormous importance to the customs instituted by the leaders of Chassidic teachings, and expressed that observing them increases fear of Heaven, and in certain aspects, is even more important than observing the bounds of halacha itself.

The Frierdiker Rebbe said: "Lubavitch customs are based not only on halacha or on beautifying a mitzvah, but also on spiritual matters that affect the soul. They establish the general mindset of a Jew on a foundation of avodah, so that he and his household are illuminated with the spirit of purity that the customs bring with them."

The importance given to the customs of Chassidim went so far as self-sacrifice, because "with these customs the Jews will receive Moshiach Tzidkeinu."

The Attitude Toward Customs That Are Not Chabad CustomsEdit

Despite the great sanctity of Jewish customs, Chabad Chassidim are careful to practice only customs that have an explicit tradition from our Rebbeim or from what is accepted among Chassidim and the like, and not to hold onto customs of other courts and communities.

This attitude is drawn from the attitude of our Rebbeim to these customs.

Among other things, in Chassidic tradition it is told about the Rebbe Maharash who absolutely rejected the observance of additional customs that are not accepted among Chabad Chassidim in connection with a house dedication.

Along with this, we find that our Rebbeim explained (also according to Chassidut) customs that are not practiced in Chabad (such as reciting Shir HaShirim on Friday evening), and the Rebbe even made a special index for the book Likkutei Torah on customs that are not practiced in Chabad that were explained by the Alter Rebbe in this book.

We also find that on rare occasions and for special reasons, our leaders and their families did practice these customs, for example, singing Shabbat zemirot at the Shabbat meal.

Additionally, the Rebbe instructed several times to Chassidim who had come closer from other circles not to abandon their ancestral customs, and commanded their educators and mashpi'im not to interfere with them practicing as they had before becoming closer to Chabad.

Creating New CustomsEdit

The Rebbe was very opposed to creating new customs that had never been practiced in Jewish communities, to the extent that he expressed: "One should refrain greatly, especially in our generation, from instituting new customs - until a solid foundation is found for them in our Torah, the Torah of life, and in the style of our Sages: anyone who adds to this - detracts from the endearment and importance of accepted Jewish customs, which are Torah."

But along with this, the Rebbe added new customs, to the point that sometimes the Rebbe speaks about a custom that he instituted, and says about it "as they have recently practiced in the Jewish people" (such as interpreting the acronym of the year in connection with redemption).

Sources of CustomsEdit

The customs are divided into different types of sources, which determine the importance of observing the customs:

Customs of Our Rebbes - Customs that the Chabad leaders practiced publicly and openly, most of which were recorded in the Rebbe Rayatz's notes and some that were collected by Chassidim. The Rebbe's customs were mostly recorded in the diaries of Temimim (yeshiva students) and in the book "Maaseh Melech" (Deed of a King).
Sefer HaMinhagim - Customs appearing in the Book of Customs that were edited by the Rebbe, or customs that were explained by the Rebbe in his holy talks.

This chapter is incomplete. Please contribute to ChabadPedia and complete it. There may be more details on the discussion page.

Types of CustomsEdit

Daily Customs

Writing Boruch Hashem (abbreviated as B"H) at the beginning of every letter.
Personal chapter
Customs in the morning order, prayer order, bedtime Shema, weekly schedule, and Shabbos.

Events and Occasions

Haircut / Upshernish - Cutting a child's hair at the age of three years.
Birthday customs.
Nittel Night - Not studying Torah on the birthday of the founder of Christianity.
Chanukas HaBayis - Beginning residence in a new home with matters of Torah and mitzvos.

This chapter is incomplete. Please contribute to ChabadPedia and complete it. There may be more details on the discussion page.

Books and Booklets on the SubjectEdit

General Customs

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Sperling-Danzig, Taamei HaMinhagim UMekorei HaDinim, Eshkol Publishing 5721 (1961).
Rabbi Yehuda David Eisenstein, Otzar Dinim UMinhagim, arranged according to the order of the Shulchan Aruch.
Rabbi Yosef Levi, Minhag Yisrael Torah (6 parts).
Rabbi Daniel Sperber, Minhagei Yisrael, Mosad HaRav Kook Publishing (8 volumes).
Sefer Minhagim - Tirnau.

Chabad Customs

Rabbi Menachem Zev Greenglass and Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner, Sefer HaMinhagim, Kehot 5726 (1966).
Rabbi Yochanan Gurary, Chikrei Minhagim, Ohalei Shem Institute 5766 (2006) (2 volumes).
Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshine, Otzar Minhagei Chabad, Heichal Menachem 5756 (1996) (2 volumes) - but it should be noted that many customs from other Chassidic courts that are not Chabad customs were also included there.
Rabbi Michael Aaron Zeligson, Leket Halachot UMinhagei Shabbat Kodesh, New York 5756 (1996).
Rabbi Tuvia Blau, Al Minhagim U'Mekorotehem (On Customs and Their Sources), Chazak Educational Initiatives 5774 (2014).
Rabbi Shabtai Yona Friedman, Birurei Minhagim, Self-published 5770 (2010).
Avraham Elchadad, Mitnaheg B'Chassidut, 5781 (2021).

Customs of Our Rebbes

Maaseh Melech - the Rebbe's customs.
Hanhagot Kodesh, collection of the customs of Admor HaRashab Nissan 5775 (2015).
Minhagei HaRebbeim - customs of our Rebbes.
Halichot Menachem, published by Heichal Menachem Jerusalem, Tammuz 5783 (2023)

External LinksEdit

Nechama Greisman, The Importance of Custom in the Torah of Israel
Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Kahana, The Relationship Between Halacha and Custom, Daat website
Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, Minhag Yisrael Torah, in Ohalei Lubavitch part 1
Rabbi Mordechai Menashe Laufer, The Chabad Approach to Sephardic Customs, from the 'Nitzutzei Rebbe' column in the Hitkashrus weekly
Rabbi Tuvia Blau, Chabad Customs - Only What Our Rebbes Established!
The Definition of Jewish Customs - Speech by Rabbi Yeshayahu Hertzel at a Torah gathering during the completion days of Shavuot, 15 Sivan 5774 (June 13, 2014)
From the Torah, From the Rabbis, and Customs, on the Chabad Torah for Yeshiva Students website
Rabbi Tuvia Blau: What is a Chabad Custom?, at the Torah convention of the Chabad Halacha Institute, Isru Chag Shavuot 5781
Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, A Week of Torah: How are 'Customs' Determined?
Rabbi Baruch Jacobowitz, Changing Customs and Practices, 'Weekly Halachic Topics' collection, issue 169