Shtreimel is not a Chasidishe Levush

                                                                                                                                                                                   לז"נ ר' יהושע חזקיהו (גמ' חכם,בעל שם טוב)

                                                                                                                                                                                                  בן ר' אברהם זצ"ל

                                                                                                                                                                                                  כ"ב טבת תשע"ד

In Yerushalayim there are Yidden

called Perushim. They are descendants

of the Talmidei Hagra and Misnagdim. They

Daven Nusach Ashkenaz and follow most

Minhogie Ashkenaz.

Some of them wear on Shabbos, Shtreimel

and Kaftan (no Gartel).

When asked, why Misnagdim wear Shtreimels,

most will answer wearing a Shtreimel is a Minhag

Yerushalayim.   

Minhag Yerushalayim,  not only the Chasidim

who wear Shtreimels and Kaftans.

Going back in history,up to the end of the 18^th  century

there were practically no Ashkenazi Yidden

living in Yerushalayim. The first Ashkenazi

Yidden in Yerushalayim were the Talmidei Ba’al

Shem (1780) and  Talmidei Gra  (1808). Until then, the only

Yidden in Yerushalyim were Acheinu Bnei Sforad.

The Sefardim in those days never saw even

a picture of a Shtreimel. So when and how

did the Shtreimel become a Yerushalmi Levush?

The Aruch Hashulchan* (O.Ch. 551:11) writes

“ In the previous generations (In Lita/Russia)

on Shabbos they wore Shtreimels and silk

Kaftans. Later on the government forced them to

change their way of dress to hats and short

jackets".

R.Yakov Lipschutz zt”l (Zichron Yakov) in his

description  how Brisim were performed in the

early days in the Lita, writes “They placed the

father’s Shtreimel on the head of the little boy who

brought in the baby.

Here again, we see that even in the Lita,

the Misnagdim wore Shtreimels.

It was only after the government 

made them change to regular clothing, did they 

stop wearing the Shtreimel & Kaftan.

For some reason the Chasidim managed

to hold on to their original Levush.

The Talmidei Hagra arrived in Yerushalayim

before the decree in Russia ( to change their

style of clothing). They all wore Shtreimels

and their descendants continued on with

the same Levush.

Hence the Shtreimel is not an exclusive

Chasidishe Levush but a European

Jewish Levush, which was brought over from Europe to

Yerushalayim by both the Chasidim and Misnagdim.

*This piece of history is Nogeah L'Halacha

re wearing Bigdei Shabbos on Shabbos Chazon