Minhag (Custom): Difference between revisions
Created page with "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..." |
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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. | '''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. | 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. | ||
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== Further Reading == | == Further Reading == | ||
* Shaarei Halacha U'Minhag, published by Heichal Menachem | * Shaarei Halacha U'Minhag, published by Heichal Menachem | ||
== External Links == | == External Links == | ||
* Nechama Greisman, The Importance of Custom in the Torah of Israel | * Nechama Greisman, The Importance of Custom in the Torah of Israel | ||
* Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Kahana, The Relationship Between Halacha and Custom, Daat website | * Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Kahana, The Relationship Between Halacha and Custom, Daat website | ||
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* Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, A Week of Torah: How are 'Customs' Determined? | * Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, A Week of Torah: How are 'Customs' Determined? | ||
* Rabbi Baruch Jacobowitz, Changing Customs and Practices, 'Weekly Halachic Topics' collection, issue 169 | * Rabbi Baruch Jacobowitz, Changing Customs and Practices, 'Weekly Halachic Topics' collection, issue 169 | ||
[[he:מנהג]] | |||