Questions tagged [minhag]
Questions about Jewish customs and traditions.
1,725
questions
7
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3answers
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Can you turn your back to the Aron HaKodesh?
I'm quite certain that it is mentioned in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that one should not turn one's back to the Aron HaKodesh (ark which holds the Torah Scrolls).
Can anyone tell me where this is ...
6
votes
3answers
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Mizmor l'David (Psalms 23) at Shalosh Suedos
There is a common minhag (custom) to sing Mizmor l'David at Seudah Shlishis, the third Sabbath meal. It is common to sing this song three times in a row and I was asked this Shabbos by a friend why ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Trop (cantillation) for leining
Who created the trop (cantillation) for leining? Is it a Mesorah from when the Torah was written?
2
votes
4answers
722 views
Shalom Aleichem and Eishes Chayil
Who wrote Shalom Aleichem and Eishes Chayil? Is it minhag Yisrael?
8
votes
2answers
2k views
matzah = mezonos or hamotzi
What is the reasoning of the 2 different minhagim (traditions) on what bracha to say on matzah when its not Peasach?
23
votes
6answers
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Why do we say Mazel Tov? Shouldn't we thank Hashem?
Why do we say "Mazel Tov" when something good happens to a person? Doesn't that mean "good luck?" Are we saying that what happened, happened because of luck?
20
votes
7answers
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6
votes
2answers
392 views
12
votes
4answers
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Schlissel Challah
What is the source for the "Key Challah" Segulah (charm) that is said to bring Parnassah (prosperity)? And which is it: do you put the key in the Challah or do you make the Challah in the shape of a ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Red/White wine at the Seder
Is there any Halacha or Minhag that specifies if red or White wine should be used for the four cups of wine during the Passover seder and does it matter what you use to spill out during the 10 plagues?...
7
votes
7answers
2k views
Custom to refrain from eating meat at the Pesach Seder?
I recently heard from two separate people about a custom not to eat any meat at the Seder (i.e. only fish and chicken are eaten). This was surprising to me, as the minhag mentioned in the Mishnah, ...
6
votes
3answers
680 views
7
votes
1answer
883 views
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?
Is there a problem of "chukat goyim" with the bride having "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" at her wedding?
11
votes
2answers
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What makes something “chukat goyim?”
One of the most famous examples I have heard is that one should not even tie one's shoes like the non-Jews do in times of persecution. That seems rather excessive. What if the Jews started doing some ...
9
votes
2answers
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Walking around the house after shiva
I'd heard something about how some people, when getting up after the week of "sitting shiva" (mourning), take a walk around the outside of their house before going back to "normal" life. Has anyone ...
4
votes
3answers
375 views
Kitnios on Pesach
Why and when did the minhag start that allows Sephardim to eat Kitnios (Legumes)but not Ashkenazim?
6
votes
2answers
303 views
Who hides the afikoman?
Is the leader of the seder supposed to hide the afikoman so that the kids can find it, or are the kids supposed to hide it so that the leader can find it? And what is the point of this hide-and-seek ...
13
votes
6answers
3k views
Should I wear tefillin during Chol HaMoed?
If I don't have a known family minhag regarding this, how should I decide whether to wear tefillin during Chol HaMoed? Which communities generally follow each option, and what are the reasons behind ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Do bananas make the best karpas?
For karpas at the seder, one is supposed to eat a food on which the blessing "borei pri ha'adama" is made. However, many of the most commonly used food items for karpas (e.g. parsley, raw onion, raw ...
28
votes
4answers
2k views
Why do people frequently change tunes toward the end of Lecha Dodi?
Frequently, perhaps even most of the time, I've noticed that the chazan (prayer leader) for Kabalat Shabbat switches tunes for the last four verses of Lecha Dodi. Is there any reason for this, or are ...
8
votes
3answers
276 views
Why do we stand when we do toward the end of Tachanun?
In the Tachanun prayer, it's traditional to sit for most of the core of Tachanun, but then to stand three words into the last paragraph, between "Va-anachnu lo neida'" and "ma na'aseh" ("And we won't ...
21
votes
2answers
1k views
Different traditions in Hebrew pronunciation [closed]
The theme of Hebrew pronunciation is one that facinates me and, as such, I want to get some feedback on some issues I've been thinking about for years. I have already discussed some of these issues ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
10
votes
3answers
690 views
Wear your tzitzis out or in? [duplicate]
There seems to be some misunderstanding/machlokes (disagreement) on how you should wear your tzitzis - with the strings sticking out or tucked in. What's the proper way?
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Naming your child using a dead relative's initial
Is there a Jewish tradition of naming your child using the first letter of the name of a recently deceased relative?
