What is the single most widely practiced minhag (religious Jewish practice that's not mandated by halacha) among Jews in the United States today? By "widely practiced" I mean practiced by the most people.
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Do you mean any religious Jewish practice that's not mandated by strict Halacha? Do you mean versino of prayers?– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Oct 17, 2010 at 18:50
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I mean the former.– WAFCommented Oct 17, 2010 at 18:53
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1The truth is that this is an amazing question, as many people confuse Minhag and Halacha. I am taking a stab at the answer, however I would not be surprised if I am incorrect.– Gershon GoldCommented Oct 17, 2010 at 20:23
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Is this question limited only to the US or to all of Chutz L'Aretz?– Gershon GoldCommented Oct 20, 2010 at 3:07
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1I only had the US in mind. But I'm sure a question about Chutz La'Aretz in general could be interesting.– WAFCommented Oct 20, 2010 at 20:03
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11 Answers
Hands down it is - not saying Birchas Kohanim on a daily basis
answered Oct 18, 2010 at 20:36
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7Great answer! Even completely unaffiliated Jews do this. <wry smile>– msh210 ♦Commented Oct 19, 2010 at 3:47
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1But the sephardim don't do this (i.e. they say birkat kohanim).– ChanochCommented Oct 19, 2010 at 14:18
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@Chanoch, true, but, alas, something unaffiliated and Reform Jews do outweighs by far what religious S'faradim do with respect to "most widely practiced".– msh210 ♦Commented Oct 19, 2010 at 15:02
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Although the Sefardim do say Birchas Kohanim there are way more Ashkenazim in the diaspora than Sefardim Commented Oct 19, 2010 at 17:17
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Gershon, I think that we all say it on a daily basis, we just don't duchan daily :) Commented Dec 24, 2015 at 23:47
I think there are two questions here:
- What custom is most widespread among observant American Jews that is less common in other countries?
- Name something post-Talmudic that most American Jews, observant or not, keep.
For the latter category, I think we could point to the Jewish customs of mourning, which are observed overwhelmingly across the spectrum of observance. Most notably, saying Kaddish! (Post-Talmudic.)
For a custom that is, let's say, post-Shulchan Aruch, I would say covering the mirrors in a shiva house. Some say this was simply a matter of covering the mirrors in rooms where prayers would be held (we don't pray facing a mirror), but Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveichik argued that this was a version of a Talmudic custom regarding repositioning all the beds in the house -- they're both ways of expressing the loss of humanity experienced.
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3I've been in Shiv'ah houses - even Orthodox ones - in which mirror were not covered. It surprises me every time I encounter it, but I don't believe the custom is as widespread as you believe it is.– Seth JCommented Jul 21, 2011 at 18:04
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Are we including minhage sh'tus? How about gift-giving on Chanuka?
Edit: See https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/3572 — apparently it might not be a minhag sh'tus.
Yizkor is a big one.
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1However it is also done in Eretz Yisroel and all other countries. The question is widespread American Minhag Commented Oct 19, 2010 at 17:18
Keeping Yomtov Sheini, which now that we have a set calendar is only an obligation due to minhag avoseinu. Yet, it still has the full force of mandated halacha. (Thank you Shalom!)
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Shalom, true. A very important distinction. I did not read the question very well.– YahuCommented Oct 20, 2010 at 0:33
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I'd bet it's the Pesach Seder.
answered Oct 18, 2010 at 0:06
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You mean the aspect of the "seder" that is exactly 15 rhyming steps long? Many parts of it, after all, are mitzvos.– WAFCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 0:54
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2Sitting down for a meal on Pesach night and calling it a Seder.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Oct 18, 2010 at 1:43
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I think eating a meal on yom tov is a matter of halacha, no? or do you mean only the calling-it-seder part?– msh210 ♦Commented Oct 18, 2010 at 3:00
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Most steps of the seder are mandated by halacha. I bet you could only find a couple parts (like the song) that weren't mandated by halacha.– ChanochCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 20:45
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@Chanoch - IIRC, me'ikar hadin, the only things that must be said aloud at the seder are "pesach" "matzah" and "maror". Commented Jun 6, 2012 at 16:32
Well one I can think of offhand is reading the Haftorah on Shabbos. But I'm sure there are plenty more.
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1Most Jews in the US have probably never heard of a Haftarah, ba'avonoteinu harabim.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Oct 18, 2010 at 0:45
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It's not necessarily the majority of U.S. Jews who are the significant sample here. It's the largest set of U.S. Jews adhering to the same minhag. There must be better statistical terminology to describe this distinction.– WAFCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 0:53
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More to the point, reading the haftarah is also required by halachah. Maybe you mean "reading the same haftarah" (since, most weeks, almost all minhagim do use the same section)?– AlexCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 4:51
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Halacha? But it was started because there was once a decree that we couldn't read the Torah...– yydlCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 20:35
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1True, but it remained as halachah afterwards (see commentaries to Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 284:1).– AlexCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 21:52
Celebrating (purposely using very vague term), wrongly (Halachicly) or rightly Yom Kippur.
answered Oct 18, 2010 at 5:06
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What about candle lighting 18 minutes before sunset?
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Many Chasidim light 15 minutes before sunset and many others light 20 minutes before sunset Commented Oct 21, 2010 at 23:53
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Reform Judaism doesn't necessarily maintain that kabbalat shabbat is taluy on shkiat hachammah. (and by extension, Reform Jews, a majority of American Jewry) Commented Feb 28, 2012 at 5:18
Blowing Shofar in Elul is a Minhag which I think all follow.
answered Oct 17, 2010 at 20:24
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2It's not universal among sephardim - though many have minhagim to blow the shofar in conjunction with selichot, there are many who do not have a minhag to blow at all in Elul.– ChanochCommented Oct 18, 2010 at 20:44
Bathing on Friday.
מצוה על כל אדם לרחוץ בכל ערב שבת פניו ידיו ורגליו בחמין. ואם אפשר, ירחץ כל גופו בחמין.
קיצור שולחן ערוך, סִימָן ע"ב, סעיף י"ב
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But isn't that essential to this being an answer? It can't be a universal practice like: waking up.– Double AA ♦Commented Mar 14, 2013 at 16:14
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@DoubleAA, fine. North Americans, including (especially?) Jews, have a reputation, as opposed to their peers in Europe and the Middle East, of being hygienically meticulous. Hence, this is the only custom I can think of that might rival Gershon Gold's example.– Seth JCommented Mar 14, 2013 at 16:32
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