Talmidei Chachamim Marbim Sholom

According to the Rambam, there are two Tisha B’av Halachos that are

applicable only for Talmidei Chachomim.

(not learning Torah on T.B. is applicable to everyone.)

1 ) The Rambam Hl. Taniyos (Prk. 5 Hl. 9) writes , On Erev Tisha B’av The Chasidim Harishonim

would eat only dry bread with salt, soaked in water. (no cooked dishes) and it  would

be proper  for Chachamim to do so. The Rambam continues In his lifetime he never ate

cooked food , even lentils ,on Erev Tisha B’av, unless it fell on Shabbos.

2) Hl. 11 The Rambam writes Talmidei Chachamim don’t  give Sholom to each other, on

Tisha B’av.

NON Biased Opinion On The Shlisel Chalah

Some claim that Shlissel Challah is rooted in Christian and/or pagan practices.

Keys used to be manufactured in the form of a cross, and at Easter time, Christians

would bake them into a rising loaf of bread to symbolize Yoshke rising from the dead.

(This is the source of the "hot cross buns.")

The Chida (Moreh B'etzba 7:190) writes:

 " This is a Klall Gadol. You should not follow any Minhag unless you know the root (source) of it from Chazal  , Authentic Kisvei Arizal or you know the true reason behind the Minhag".

The seven-layer cake Minhag

The ערוך השלחן ס' תצ"ד writes:

 " The Torah calls the Yom Tov "שבועות" because of the שבעה שבועות we counted to reach this Yom Tov.  "

The Minhag in many German Kehilos was to bake for שבועות a seven-layer cake for the seven weeks we counted.

The Sefer יוסף אומץ ס' תתנ"ד writes the Minhag was to make a cake/kugel in the shape of a seven-rung ladder. The reason

for it is because, during  Matan Torah, Hashem tore open all 7 heavens to show that אין עוד מלבדו. 

Shavous Minhagim

Four Corner Challah

Everybody knows of Schlissel Challah. Few heard of Four Corner Challah.

(It's not Challah bought at Four corners in Lakewood)

The Mokor for Four Corner Challah goes back to the times of the Rishonim.

The Kol Bo (52) writes, "the Minhag is, for women to bake on Shavuos

a long bread with four corners (points) lezecher the Shtei Halechem

(looks like 2 breads) or because  Mazel Sivan is Teomim (twins)"

Honey- twice a year

1) The Mishna Verura (494 sk 13) quotes the Kol Bo ,”some have the Minhag

on Shavuos to eat honey and milk . The Torah is likened to honey and milk”

2) Rosh Hashana

Women, Kerias Hatorah Shabbos

The Magen Avraham quotes the Mesechtas Sofrim 18:4

Women are required to,listen to Krias Hatorah on Shabbos.

Women, Kerias Hatorah Yom Tov   

In Mesechtas Sofrim it also says "On Yom Tov women

leave before Krias Hatorah so they can prepare

the food."

Meh Meh black sheep have you any wool?

ומה קול הצאן הזה באזני

(הפטרה שבת זכור)

In many Shuls the Minhag was [is] when saying "UMEH" to stress the word  U Meh to sound like sheep.

Historical facts, very few know of-Lag Baomer -Taamei Haminhagim

One hundred years ago there lived in Lemberg a Shochet named, Reb Avraham Yitzchok Sperling 

As a young man he was always interested in Minhagim and the reasons behind them.

He collected hundreds of Minhagim with their reasons and published the Sefer "Ta'amei HaMinhagim."

This Sefer was an instant success as a best seller. It was reprinted at least six times in his
lifetime. (unheard of in those days)

The original Sefer had only three entries for Lag Baomer:

1) Tachanun is not said.

2) Children play with bows & arrow.

3) To increase lit candles.

The reason for so few entries is because in those days Lag Baomer, in
Chutz Laaretz was a very minor occasion even for Chasidim..

To be continued....
Click Here TO Buy Reasons for Jewish Customs and Traditions (Ta-amei Ha-Minhagim) on Amazon

Tipping the Badchan

Part of the Mitzvah Tanz ceremony is  to hire a Badchan who sings in rhyme the praises of the individuals  he calls up for  the dance. The Minhag is, the person who was called up, will hand over a monetary  tip to the Badchan.

The origin of this Minhag goes back to the times of the Rishonim.

The Minhag was for the Chazzan to attend weddings and sing a Mi Shebeirach for each guest. It was expected from the guest to pay the Chazzan.

The Agodos Maharsha (Ta’anis 16 D.H.Beiso) is very much against this practice. He considers it  Gezeilah and not a Matana. (The guest never asked for a Mi Shebeirach, and must hand over money unwillingly to the Chazzan)

Going back even earlier in history, Reb Yehuda Hachasid was also against this practice.

The  Or Zarua (113) quotes R. Eliezer Mibhim(Bohemia) who wrote to R.Y. Hachasid defending this Minhag. He says in most towns in Poland, Russia and Hungary they are not Lomdei Torah. It is necessary to hire a Chazzan to be their Shliach

Tzibbur , Moreh Tzedek and teach the children. By not allowing them to earn additional monies at the Chasenes  we won’t find Chazanim  to do this job.

Dancing On Simchas Torah

In all of Shulchan Aruch, the Mitzvah of dancing, is mentioned only twice.

Once for a Kallah and the second time for after Kiddush Levanah. 

The Mechaber doesn’t even mention Hakafos on Simchas Torah.

It is, the Rema, who mentions Hakafos, but no mention of dancing.

The Mishna Verurah quotes the Maharik in the name of Rav Hai Gaon, the Minhag of dancing on Simchas Torah.

 In Frankfurt the Minhag of Hakafos was introduced by Reb Shamshon Rafoel  Hirsch. Until then there were no Hakafos done.

One of the Gedolim in his times, Reb Zalmen Geiger zt”l wrote poetically against  the this Polish Minhag of Hakafos.

בפ"פ ובכל המדינות הנוהגות מנהג אשכנז אין מקיפין בשמחת תורה “

עם ס"ת לא ביום ולא בלילה אך עתה חדשים מרחוק באו להקיף

בבהכנ"ס כמנהג פולין לאור הנר ---- ואין כל חדש תחת השמש*

ולא תחת החזן ולא תחת הרב בתוך חבורה, הנוהגת כשורה,

ומחזקת התורה, הכתובה והאמורה, הלא מחכמי אשכנז גזורה,

לא תקיפו בשירה ובזמרה, כי זה מחקי אנשי אמונה טפלה

לעבודתם הזרה,  ובארצכם לא תעשון כן בעבודתכם היקרה,

הקדושה והטהורה, כי אם לכו בדרך הישרה ,,                   

וגם אנכי מוסיף, להזהיר ולהטיף, אף אם החנוני** מקיף,

כל הישר הולך לא ילך אחריו להקיף,, אך ילך בדרך אבותיו,

וירבו ימיו ושנותיו"                                                             

READ HERE about the beautiful story of Simchas Tora That never happened 

Bris Minhagim

The Sefer  Zichron Yackov, *1 writes  

“When baby boys were taken to  Shul for their Bris,

They put on the head of the baby  a minature Shtreimel (same as the adult males wear on Shabbos)  

They also wrapped the baby In a Tallis when they carried him to Shul.

For Kvatter*2 they used a little boy and girl. 

The boy wore a Shtreimel and a Tallis. 

The girl wore a  Tichel on her head. Both  were dressed up like adults.

Most towns had a Chevra Sandeko'os.

They paid for chicken or meat to feed the new mother.

Some also paid for the Midwife / Doctor and the Bris Seudah.

In return a Gorol was drawn and one of the members got Sandeko'os.

*1 – 66 (R. Yackov Lipschutz)

*2   The word comes from G-d Vatter   (G-d Father )

        Goyim adopted  it from us.

Tisha Baav Minhag

There is no Minhag that looks (weirder) funnier than this".(Teshuva Meiahava O.Ch. 90)

The Birkei Yosef [Chida] (O. Ch. 559 : 4) writes.

There were places where the Minhag on Tisha B'av was, to get a person to bend over.

They covered him with a sheet, placed the Sefer Torah on his back and called

up the 3 Aliyos.(krias hatorah)

There were Gedolim who tried to abolish this Minhag because,

a) It seems very weird

b) He might pass wind.

The Chida disagrees with them and claims, this Minhag has roots, and cannot be

abolished.

The Shu"t Dvar Shmuel(249) defends this Minhag even though he doesn't know

the source and it seems very strange. 

Minhag on Shavuos, that you should not change

                              The Rokeach writes, not to change this Minhag

Minhag Avoseinu is, to bring the children on Shavuos early morning (Ka’alos Hashachar) to the Beis Hakneses.

They should be covered with a coat  all the way from their home  ,( remez to Vayisyatzvu Tachas Hahar.)

The child is placed on the lap of the Rav. with a tablet, written on it is  AB-GAD, TASH- RAK (Alef Bais, forwards

and backwards), Torah Tziva, Vayikrah. Tha Rav reads and the child repeats after him.

Honey is placed on the alef Bais and the child licks it off. A Honey cake is brought in. The following words are

written on the cake

 *וכתוב עליה ה׳

אלהים נתן לי לשון לימודים לדעת לעות את יעף דבר יעיד בבקר בבקר יעיר לי אזן

לשמע בלימודים ה׳ אלהיפ פתח לי אזן ואנכי לא פדיתי ואחור לא נםוגותי

Afterwards a cooked peeled egg is brought in. On the egg peel is written the following words

ויאמר אלי

בן אדם בטנך תאכל ומעיר תמלא את המגילה הזאת אשר

אני נותן אליך ואוכלה ותהי בפי כדבש למתוק

You feed the child the honey cake and egg because it is good for  opening of the heart.

ואל ישנה אדם מן המנהג

 and a person should not change from the Minhag

Dipping Challah In Salt Friday Night

I was once invited Friday night for a Shabbos meal. I noticed my host didn’t dip

the Challah in salt. I asked him why he doesn’t do what it says in Shulchan Aruch

to dip the bread in salt. His answer was, he conducts the way his father does.

His father’s Minhag is not to dip Challah in salt on Friday night.

I told him that he was wrong in this case to keep his father’s Minhag .



There are 3 main reasons for dipping bread in salt.

1) Kol korboncho takriv melach.
The table is like mizbeiach and the bread
is like a korbon that requires salt.

2) Bread has some harmful ingredients.
By adding salt to the bread the harmful
effects are removed.

3) While waiting for others to wash the soton
is mekatreg. The salt represents the Bris
Melach and protects from punishment.

On Friday night  the reasons are not applicable

1a) There was no burnimg of the chalovim
on the mizbeiach on Friday nights.

2a) The halacha says pas nekia doesn't require
salt. Only whole wheat needs salt to
counter the harmful effect.

3a) To get the  protection of the salt, it is enough

to place it on the table.There is no need to eat it.

The Chasam Sofer said, "On Friday night
we eat Challah which is Pas Nekia (clean bread) and being
there was no korban burnt, therefore there is no need

to dip the challah in salt.

This ruling won't apply on whole wheat bread. 

The hostess, where I ate, baked her own delicious

whole wheat Challahs.

The family minhag of not dipping in salt

is only on white flour, and not on whole wheat Challas .

MINHAGIM WITH NO MEKOR

              1)      The minhag when doing atifas hatalis  is, to throw two and or four corners

of the talis to the back of the left side. There is no mekor to do the same

on the back of the right side.

2) Using a mirror to adjust the tefilin shel rosh. See shut Divrei Chaim that

it is a minhag Boros (amei haaretz). I personally have never seen

any of the gedolei talmidei chachomim using a mirror.

3) The chazzan ending Goaal Yisroel quietly is a new minhag which the

Mishna Verura wasn’t aware of. (Some claim that it was done in European

Yeshivos before the war). The only advice the M.V. has,

is to start shemonei esrei a few seconds before the chazzan.

4) Pointing the pinky finger at the sefer torah during hagbah and then

kissing it, is definitely not an ashkenazik minhag. Although R. Chaim

Palagi came up with a reason to do so, this is not considered a mekor.

In chutz laaretz, you won’t find ashkenazic, gedolei talmidei chachomim

doing so.

5) Saying  the ketores from a klaf is a fairly new minhag. Here again

even though   R. Chaim Palagi mentions this segulah, it has no mekor.

According to some Poskim writing the klaf is problematic, halachicly.

           6) For birchas hazimun, when then the mezamen says nevoreich elokeinu or

           

           The mezamnim answer boruch elokeinu they raise their behinds off the chair.

           

            This minhag has no mekor. (others are machmir even when there

           

             is no minyan and  elokeinu is not said)