[Avodah] ceremonies in halacha

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Nov 28, 2011 at 06:33:48PM +0200, Eli Turkel wrote:
:> So, "kedei laasos pumpei bedeavar" means that these things were
:> NOT halachic, and in fact practices done in the BHMQ only for their
:> ceremonial value.

: We also have the ceremony of cutting the Omer done to show up the Saducees.

Is that ceremony? I think RYBS is talking about things done just for pomp
and circumstance (to use words that hit on the Y-mi's "laasos pumpei"
again), IOW actions designed for "touchy feely" reasons that impact on
an emotional level without invoking intellect or reason. Like thinking
Shabbos is about white tablecloths and silver candelabras.

: However, more generally there are many ceremonies in Judaism. When many
: people do it we call it a minhag rather than a ceremony.

I mentioned how RYBS links his shitah about ceremonies to minhagim -- he
holds that every minhag must follow the matbeia of a mitzvah. Otherwise,
the minhag would be "ceremony", and leshitaso Judaism doesn't have those.

: One example is lighting the chanikyah in shul which even has a bracha
: though the origin is not very clear and even for those who do not recite a
: blessing on minhagim.

RYBS's position stands in my mind in contrast to the Brisker Rav.
RYZS ("R' Velvel") holds that when Ashkenazim perform minhagim with
such matbeios, eg lighting a Chanukah menorah in shul, they do make a
berakhah; and when performing ones that do not, eg Chatzi Hallel. I do
not claim to know how the BR defines a close enough imitation to qualify
as having the same matbeia.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When you come to a place of darkness,
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