- Torah and Jewish Thought
- Principles of Mitzva Observance
changing edah
Question
Can one smply decide to change family tradition and become Sefardi, or Ashkenazi?
Answer
Virtually all poskim agree that one should follow the customs of his ancestors, so as to maintain the unbroken line of
Jewish transmission. This would include such things as the way we pray, the minhagim of the holidays, or how long to wait between
meat and milk. However, there is such a principle as minhag ha-makom, respecting the local custom, so that if, e.g. one moves to a
kibbutz where the residents wait 3 hours, so should the newcomers, regardless of their previous practice.
Rav Ovadia Yosef – in a lone opinion that differs from the majority – held that an Ashkenazi could adopt Sefardi practices (but not vice-versa). However, he stresses that this person could not then “pick and choose” which elements of the tradition to observe; he would have to keep not only the leniencies, but also the stringencies (e.g. to rise early for Selichot; eat only glatt meat; follow the stricter laws of bishul akum, etc).
Of course, a woman who marries into a different culture than the one in which she grew up holds like her husband, but may – with hubbie’s permission – follow her original customs when at her parents’ home.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss

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Shemot 34
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Equal or Not?
Rabbi Chaim Tabasky | 5 Elul 5765

Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.

Length of Sleeves
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What is happening to me?
4 Cheshvan 5763

A Convert Who Does Not Keep Shabbat
23 Cheshvan 5763

Non-Kosher wine for cooking
7 Kislev 5763
Genesis 24: 2-9 – Put your hand under my thigh
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Glass Plates on Pesach?
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Kitniyot Oils
Rabbi Jonathan Blass | 27 Nisan 5764

Selling flour for pesach
Rabbi David Sperling | Adar II 26, 5774

Negel Vaser for Babies
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Adar 24, 5783

leather
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Adar 16, 5783

Judaism on Guns, Gun Control & Hunting
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Nisan 2, 5783
