15
The only source I have yet to find acknowledging this switch in clothing from a Sephardic perspective is in the English edition to the Yalkut Yosef Hilkhot Shabbat. Under Siman 242, Halakhah 5, regarding the mitzvah to change from weekday clothes into more elegant garments, the editor (R. Yisrael Bitan) added a special footnote:
The Kabbalists ruled that ...
15
The relevant word is דכא which in some scrolls is written דכה. See Deuteronomy 23:2.
While the portion of Aleppo Codex containing that word is currently lost, we do have the Aleppo Codex to Tehillim 90:3 where the same word appears spelled with an Alef. The Mesorah there notes that this spelling is used in three places and lists them: Deuteronomy 23:2, ...
14
The Rema 139:11 says To say Chazak from the passuk in Yehoshua that says Chazak vametz .The passuk before it says that Torah should not leave your mouth and it will be a blessing for you. So there are those who say Chazak u'baruch and others answer Chazak vametz.
The Kaf Hachaim 139:56 brings down the minhag to say Chazak U'baruch from this Rema.
13
Its source may be the Arabic name Farida, which means "unique / precious" (as opposed to the Germanic name Frida, which means "peace"). [link]
13
Rav Yosef Messas a"h (he served as Rav in Tilimsan Algeria, Meknes Morocco, and as Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Haifa) held that wearing costumes/disguises on Purim is absolutely forbidden as hukas hagoyim and that its origins stem from an imitation of the pre-Lent festivity of Carnavale which itself has origins in the orgiastic paganism of Bacchanalia. He ...
13
Rabbi Berel Wein has suggested that long ago, there were a certain amount of anti-Sephardic animosity related to the fact that when during the Crusades, the Ashkenazic Jews forced to choose between the cross and the sword went to their deaths; whereas during the Spanish Inquisition, many Spanish (i.e. Sephardic) Jews chose to stay alive and outwardly profess ...
13
According to Wikipedia "Baruch Tehiye" is an acceptable response, but "Chazak Ve'Ematz" is the common one. Among Morrocans it would be "Kulchem Beruchim".
12
What I find interesting about the Rosh is that he remained an Ashkenazi-centrist, even in his host country. He started a Yeshibha based on the Ashkenaz model, married his sons, exclusively, to members of his own extended family (although he did marry his daughters to Sephardim, probably students at his Yeshibha..).
Another interesting thing to point out is ...
12
This question ought to be, "Why can Ashkenazi Jews not eat rice on Passover?"
There are 5 grains that make Ḥametz when mixed with water and allowed to rise: barley, rye, oats, wheat, and spelt. Any others that have been added by communal custom are just that - additions by virtue of communal custom.
12
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in 1492 by the Alhambra Decree. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy, or would otherwise define themselves in terms of Jewish customs and traditions from the Iberian Peninsula. (...
12
147zcbm made what even 147zcbm thought was a wild inference from how things are ordered in the Aruch Hashulchan. You'll never believe what happened next.
The Aruch Hashulchan was written by R' Yechiel Michel Halevi Epstein. His son, R' Baruch Halevi Epstein, author of the Torah Temima, also wrote an autobiographical work called Mekor Baruch. His research, ...
11
Covering One’s Eyes During the Recitation of Shema cites the following explanation as give by Rabbi Eli J Mansour
According to Kabbalistic teaching, one should cover his eyes during
Shema while positioning his fingers in the shape of the letters
“Shin,” “Dalet” and “Yod,” which spell the Divine Name of “Sha-dai.”
This is done by bringing the three ...
10
This did not start with the post Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel. Nor did it start with Ovadia Yosef. Rabbis throughout the orient wore this type of garb regularly, as their dress reflected the culture they were in. So for example, you have Rabbi Aharon Ben Simeon, former Chief Rabbi of Egypt (until 1921 i believe)
The mantle of the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of ...
9
The Aruch HaShulchan - Siman 8 Seif 10 - who to my knowledge was not a Sefardi - writes:
וכן נכון לעשות שלא יהיה בהטלית רק צמר
And so it is correct to do: to make the tallit only out of wool.
It is interesting that Ashkenazim do not seem to be particular about this, yet Sefardim are!
9
The Jews of Bagdad and Morocco stayed away from rice because they were afraid that it was mixed with wheat.
See Ben Ish Chai Tzav 41 , Rav Pe’alim 3:30
9
The Beit Yosef there quotes many Rishonim who have a version of the story (Yevamot 62b) that Rabbi Akiva's students died until פרוס העצרת a half [month] before Shavuot. So 49-15=34 and on the last day we say that a partial day counts as the whole day so on the 34th in the morning, the mourning ends.
9
Qitzur Shulhhan Arukh - Yalqut Yosef, Siman 56:11 writes (my translation):
מנהג האשכנזים כדעת הרמ''א, לעמוד בשעה שעונים קדיש וברכו, וספרדי שמתפלל עם אשכנזים, נכון שיעמוד גם הוא עמהם בעת אמירת קדיש וברכו, כדי שלא יהיה בכלל יושב בין העומדים.
The Ashkenazi custom, per the ReM"A, is to stand when responding to Qaddish and Barekhu. And, as for a Sepharadi ...
9
Indeed, the Beit Yosef (OC 36) cites the Gemara you reference and claims that the ש should have a pointed base. The Peri Megadim (EA end of 32) is unsure if this is a necessary component of the letter. The Keset HaSofer (5:2:ש) implies it would be Kosher Bedieved, but one should be very careful to avoid a flat base. The Mishna Berura (Mishnat Sofrim ש) is ...
8
According to Chok Yaakov, cited by Shevet Halevi (OC 31), the custom to refrain from eating kitniyot begins on Erev Pesach, just the same as the prohibition of eating chametz.
8
Kitniyot are not specified in the Torah at all. They are chumrot — binding customs of the community.
The Sefardic kitniyot custom permits rice provided it has been carefully checked grain-by-grain before Passover begins to ensure that no chametz grains are in it. (How carefully depends on the tradition; I have seen "3 times" and "7 times" specified by ...
8
The Tur Yoreh Deah 274 says in the name of the Rosh that there is no issue with the different lettering. The Meiri Shabbos 104a also indicates that there is no issue. The Noda B'Yehuda Yora Deah 171 also indicates that it is fine.
8
Taken from my answer here:
Yalkut Yosef 685:12
ומתוך ספר תורה בכתב אשכנזי, יצאו ידי חובה
וכן ההיפך, שהכל יוצאים ידי חובה בספר תורה שנכתב בכתב ספרדי, אף שהיו''ד של הצד''י נכתב כיו''ד הפוכה.
a) A Sefaradi who heard from a Ahkenazi written Sefer Torah is
Yose.
b) An Ashkenazi is also Yose from a Torah written in Sefaradi
...
8
Your second answer seems to be closest... As far as we can tell, scrolls in the ancient world were kept wrapped in cloth and stored in wooden cases or boxes. The Gemara attests both to mitpahot [cloth wrappers] (Megillah 26a) and a tik [wooden case] (Megillah 26b) used to store sifrei Torah.
Bracha Yaniv's article on Torah scroll accessories in the Balkans ...
8
According to this website, the custom in the Jewish Tunisian community is to recite the "Eishet Chayil", after the reading of "Shir Hashirim" (Song of Songs) and in the Djerba community to recite it during the weeks of Sefirat HaOmer.
[In many Sefardic communities, "Shir Hashirim" is recited weekly, after "Kabbalat Shabbat", before "Arvit". Some of the ...
7
As mentioned by Shalom, Rav Ovadia would probably be called the "Sefardi rav." Other Sefardi rabbis that people also follow such as:
Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (who passed away very recently 1-2 years ago);
Rav BenSion Aba Shaul (passed away 1998);
Rav BenSion Musafi Shelita;
Rav Shelomo Amar (Sephardic Chief rabbi);
Rav Eliyahu Bakshi Doron (former chief ...
7
The Kaf HaChaim OC 489 sk 112 seems to permit Chadash liquid derivatives (such as whiskey) even for someone who is particular about regular Chadash grain.
7
Just to throw in a few more modern sources: Har Tzevi OC 1:32, Minchat Yitzchak 4:47 and Mishneh Halachot 7:8 all explicitly rule that Vellish is kosher. Tzitz Eliezer 14:3:4 permits post facto even Sta"m that was written with a mix of Vellish and Ashkenazi. Igrot Moshe OC 5:2 also permits other forms of writing but he is quick to point out that it is better ...
7
When a Koehein is called to duchan ("Kohanim!"), there is a mitzvah d'oraysa for him to go up and say the blessings. For somewhat unclear reasons, this practice was abandoned among Ashkenazi Jewry except for on yomim tovim. This means that Kohanim are missing the opportunity to fullfil the mitzvah, but they are not going against the mitzvah as long as they ...
7
Hazon Ovadia Purim pg. 199
מה שנוהגים להתחפש וללבוש מסיכות בפורים, אין כל איסור בדבר.
It is Mutar to dress up Purim.
What is Asur on Purim?
Cross dressing
Inviting magicians
Making fun of the Rabbis on Purim
(All from Yalkut Yosef 695)
7
שו"ת יחווה דעת, חלק ב סימן עא discusses this and concludes that since it is commonly done there is no reason to suspend the Minhag.
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