Questions tagged [minhag]
Questions about Jewish customs and traditions.
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Choosing a minhag based on ancestry
To roughly which year does a Jew, who does not descend from any mixed marriage, need to analyze his patrilineal ancestry to find out the minhag of your family?
Also taking into account that many ...
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Is English and grammar and punctuation chukos goyim, and is it good for Yidden to have their own dialect? [closed]
Like the question says.
And it may be compared to Ladino and Yiddish. There's already Jenglish, Jewish English, like schmooze and sch- prefixing words for mockery. And there's Yinglish, Yiddishe ...
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Is there any interest in eating a baked donut on Chanuka?
A person who for health reasons avoids eating fried foods. Can he make the minhag (custom) to eat a donut baked in the oven without oil on Chanuka?
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What are the sources and reason for the custom of Blessing Cup (Kos shel Bracha)- drinking a cup of wine after Shabbat morning lunch? [duplicate]
There is a custom that after the end of Birkat Hamazon at Shabbat morning lunch, someone takes cup of wine, bless before Bore Pri Hagefen, and afterwards Me'in Shalosh. What is the origin of this ...
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Throwing salt above one's shoulder
I would like to know if such a practice has of any sort a Jewish origin found in our Rabbinic literature.
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Can one Daven with the 'wrong' pronunciation?
Can one Daven (as the chazan or by himself) using a different pronunciation of letters / vowels than his minhag?
For example, pronouncing a תּ and a ת (with and without a dagesh) the same, instead of ...
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Nusach of my family [closed]
Mordka Moszek Worcman (my great-great-grandfather of my direct patrilineal ancestry) was born in 1849 in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, and there were synagogues that followed the Minhag Polin (Misnagdim) ...
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What is my minhag? [closed]
My family is from the former soviet Union (Beltsy Moldova, but my great grandparents are from Otaki (Near Ribnitz), Skulen, and Rashkov. I never my parents were divorced, to the point where I do not ...
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Ken Y’hi Ratzon
The general minhag (of everyone except Chabad Lubavitch Hasidism) is to say “Ken Y’hi Ratzon” when Birkat Kohanim is recited by a non-Kohen Chazzan. I believe this is because it’s not a prayer ...
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Are there any potential issues with a Chabad tallis?
In an effort to reclaim some of my original minhagim pre-Chabad, I have started wearing a tallis for Shacharis, despite being unmarried.
I like the distinct striping pattern on a Chabad tallis, but I’...
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Sources for auctioning/bidding on Simchas Torah
There is a widespread custom to bid for various kibbudim on Simchas Torah e.g. for each of the pesukim starting with אתה הראת לדעת.
The practice is attributed to the Maharil - see the Sefer Taamei ...
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Why do shuls not announced which order of direction to shake the lulav?
By all means vote for this closed if it is not your experience (and therefore "opinion based") but why do shuls not announce which directions in which order we shake the arba minim according ...
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Eating garlic on Shabbat Yom Tov Evening
There is a Minhag (custom) of eating garlic on Shabbat evening. Is this minhag also valid on Shabbat Yom Tov?
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Eating Apples and saying Chakal Tapuhin in Shabbat Yom Tov or Rosh Hashana
There is a custom to eat apples on Shabbat, as well as saying (Hakal Tapuchin) "apple field Kaddishin". On Shabbat that falls on Yom Tov, as well as on Shabbat that falls on Rosh Hashanah, ...
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The Minhag to break specifically glass by Chatan leg in wedding
Why do you break a glass at a wedding and not something else like a plate at an engagement and perhaps something really valuable? And why exactly does the Chatan break the glass by his leg? Why not ...
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Why eating Rosh Hashan Simanim (signs) only in the evenings
The minhag (custom) is to see or eat Rosh simanim at the both Rosh Hashana evenings. It is also found in the Gemara ( תלמוד בבלי, מסכת כריתות, דף ה', עמוד ב' – דף ו', עמוד א) that the main point is to ...
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Saying Shirat Haberiah (song of creation) in Rosh Hashana
In Masechet Rosh Hashanah 32 B: it is stated that "no poetry is said on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur". Is it possible to understand from this that it is not acceptable to say the song of ...
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Are the Rabbis currently talking?
What is the source for talking about the past writings of rabbis in present tense? E.g. rashi says. Instead of said.
I understand the concept to be something along the lines of this pasuk:
And these ...
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Change of Eida’s accent of Hebrew
Let’s say a certain Eida has a mesorah on how to enunciate Hebrew, and now their children learn Israeli Hebrew and within one generation it completely replaces the traditional way they used for more ...
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Apparent contradiction in the Rosh Hashanah menu/diet
On the one hand, on Rosh Hashanah we don’t eat sour/bitter foods, on the other hand we eat foods that have a negative connotation (see Orach Chaim 583:1) and apply them to our enemies - so why can’t ...
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Can I wear a Tish Bekishe
I like the look of Tish Bekishes, and my family comes from chassidim but we are not chassidish. My question is, do I have to have the minhag of wearing Bekishes in order to or can I just buy one and ...
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Not naming a child "Akiva" - minhag?
I recently spoke to a person who said that their rabbi advised them against naming their child "Akiva" because of his ill-fated death; it was some sort of negative omen. Regardless, the ...
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why do we lein both rishon and sheini of ki savo on monday/thursday/shabbos mincha?
i would assume it is to be able to link the parshios of bikurim and vidui maaser due to their similarities, but would like to see a source inside for it. thanks!
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Do Noahides have to accept the minhag/local custom of a particular Jewish community if they join their synagogue and move in there?
Generally, we know that if a Jew were to move into a new Jewish community, they would take on the local customs of the community as told. I am curious as to whether Noahides have the same obligation, ...
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Do Charedi rabbis allow Charedi Jews to change and become Modern Orthodox?
You were born into a Hareidi family, but you decide to make a change and become Modern Orthodox.
According to Charedi authorities, is it halachically allowed for a Haredi Jew to change and become ...
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What legislation requires a Jew to adhere to a precedent or Minhag
Under what commandment are we required to keep existing minhagim. What is the earliest source that requires minhag to be adhered to.
(An example that springs to mind is after the Beis Hamikdash was ...
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Is there mar'it ayin when you do something acceptable for you, but not to the general public?
Is there mar'it ayin when you do something acceptable for you, but not to the general Jewish public? A couple of examples will highlight this issue:
Scenario 1: Person X books a table at a regular ...
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Sefaradi Tefillin Hand Wrapping
I'm curious about the significance of the standard Sefaradi minhag of creating a daled on the hand with the tefillin retzuot in two sets of parallel lines? The Baghdadi/Hacham Ovadia method seems to ...
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Is there a difference in minhag when it comes to tzitzit thickness on the tallit katan?I like the thick look, but what does that say to others?
As the title mentions, I prefer the look of thick tzitzit to thin, although I'm considering medium. But, is there a meaning or assumed minhag associated with the thickness of tzitzit on the tallit ...
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Looking at impure phenomenon
This question posits that, as per the extent of my research, the source for pregnant women not gazing at tameh animals is from the sefer kav hayashar 2:7. Which doesn't mention anything about pregnant ...
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is there an actual source associating the bridal veil (hinuma) with the story of yaakov and leah?
Is there an actual source associating the bridal veil (hinuma) with the story of Yaakov and Leah??
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Why is milk blue?
According to the "kosher color scheme" meat utensils are marked red, and dairy (milchig) is marked blue. Now, red for meat is quite understandable since meat is in fact red. But why should ...
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When and how did the practice of tsitsit on a small talit originate?
Today, it seems that everybody wears a talit katan.
Where does this practice come from and when did it start?
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If one is a leader of a Jewish community is it okay to formally institute a new minhag like a "law" or is that something that organically develops
As the title says, I'm wondering if its possible for a new minhag to become instituted almost like a law by the leading authorities of a community or whether all minhagim have to organically develop ...
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How do members of a given denomination understand what happens on events from other denominations?
I watched a UsefulChart video on Jewish denominations, which I found very educative as an atheist interested in history.
It was not clear however whether the various denominations can share/understand ...
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Ethiopian Jews and Tattoos
I came across this article called "Jews with Tattoos? Tattooing Traditions of the Beta Israel". The author writes:
Ethiopian Jews, however, did develop traditions of tattooing (note: even ...
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What is the source for singing Od Yishama at a wedding?
What is the (earliest) source for singing Od Yishama at the wedding?
The words are part of the last of the sheva brachos that are said by the wedding. But I'm curious about the switching from sheva ...
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What are some of the minhagim of the Ruzhiner Chassidim?
I'd very much like to know some of the customs (minhagim) of the Ruzhin Chassidim. I am rather fascinated by the Ruzhiner Rebbes (Sadigura, Boyan, Shtefanesht, Chortkov, etc.) and the rather ...
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Sefer Torah holder on Monday and Thursday, standing or sitting during Yehi Ratzon?
I am looking for sources that tell us if the person that holds the Sefer Torah should stand up or sit down while the Yehi Ratzon on Mondays and Thursdays are recited?
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fringes on sephardic tiztzit
I saw many Ashkenazim have fringes on wool Tzitzit like on a Tallit. I don't see Sephardim having it on tzitzit though. Is this an Ashkenazi Minhag? Basically, fringes look like this
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Minhag to say Mizmor Shir L'Yom Hashabbos twice
I recently read in a sefer that there was a minhag to say mizmor shir lyom hashabbos twice in the kehilla of the Maharal by kabbalos shabbos.
The reason why it was said twice is based on a story about ...
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Sefaradi Tzitzit Minhag
I'm curious about the different minhagim Sefaradi/Mizrahi communities have around tying tzitzit 10/5/6/5 (Yod-Kei-Vav-Kei) vs. 7/8/11/13. From what I already understand, 10/5/6/5 was the "...
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Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman
What is the background of the "Na Nach" movement within the greater Breslav chasidus?
Are they accepted within mainstream Breslav?
Is their belief system (something to do with finding a note ...
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Remembering Queen Esther on Pesach
I came across this in the kitzur, about having a special food item on Pesach to remind us about the meals Queen Esther made.
On the second day of Pesach, you should add an extra dish to the meal to ...
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Do posekim have special honorific titles like Rabbis (HaRav) or Gaonim (HaGaon) do?
Many positions in Jewish life carry honorific titles with them. For instance, Rabbis are styled with HaRav before their name or Gaon (literally "genius") are styled with HaGaon. I'm curious ...
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What's the earliest source to bless children on Friday night with Yivarechicha? [duplicate]
I wanted to know the earliest source to bless our children with yivarechicha... I've seen this minhag brought from the Yavetz. I wanted to know the earliest source.
(Im asking specifically on blessing ...
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What are the earliest sources for Purim costumes
The topic of dressing up on Purim has been discussed on the forum, but I am looking specifically for early sources that mention the custom.
Please include specific sources - direct links are preferred....
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Lack of titles for esteemed Lubavitch rabbis
What is the reason for Chabad Lubavitch using very basic titles for great rabbis and scholars.
Most Mashpiim in lubavitch yeshivas are simply called "Reb" with no other prefix and usually no ...
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Shalom Zachor on Motza'ei Yom Kippur?
This Israeli news site quotes Rav Chaim Kanievsky saying to make a Shalom Zachor on Motza'ei Yom Kippur when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos:
הגרש"ב גנוט מרבני העיר אלעד מספר כי זה לאחרונה שאל את ...
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At what meal to eat Matza in Shavuot and Rosh Hashana
There is custom (Minhag) to eat Matza at Shavuos and Rosh Hashana. (Here is the source) based on the Kolbo and also in found in the book Shmo Yosef. My question is at what meal to eat the Matza (at ...
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