[Avodah] Traditions Should not be Altered

[Moshe Y. Gluck]

R' Meir Rabi:
<SNIP> Reb Moshe was asked about a Paroches that opened and closed from and
to the centre. The shoel thought there may have been a problem on Shabbos of
Kosev and Mochek with the writing on the Paroches. Reb Moshe though
considered the entire Paroches to be an unacceptable change from the ancient
traditions and instructed that the Paroches must be altered to the
traditional single curtain.



A quibble: R' Moshe (which I was informed off-list is in OC IV, 40:22) says
that as a Lechatchilah. I'm not sure if in his final words on the matter he
is instructing the Sho'el to attach the two sides, or he is saying that
Lechatchilah one should attach them. 
This, though, raises the question as to what is a Shinui and what is not.
(R' Moshe calls this, "K'ein Shinui M'minhah Yisrael She'mei'olam Hayu Osin
Paroches Achas Al Kol Rochev Habinyan.") Here's an example: I remember
reading that in various European cities one went "down" literally, before
the Teivah, in which the Chazzan's Amud was lowered. I remember that in R'
Heinamann's shul in Baltimore I saw this, and one can argue that the
standard "Young Israel style" Shul (with a sloping, auditorium style floor)
is like this, but the vast majority of Shuls that I've attended are not like
this. 
Another example: All the new-fangled Segulos (forty days Perek
Shirah/Kneading Challah/Shir Hashirim/etc.).
Another example: All the Hanhagos (both active and passive) based on Sefer
HaZohar, that (I presume) were not practiced until the Zohar spread. Would
R' MF, had he lived at that time, Paskened against them?
Another example: What about the safes that many Aron Kodesh's now have in
them? They detract from the aesthetic and add enormously to the cost.
Mei'olam Lo Shamanu Mei'hem!   
I'm sure that the listmembers can come up with more examples. 

As an aside, I davened this Shabbos in the YI of Staten Island (whose Rav
was quoted in the article someone just posted on Areivim re: the Kosher
Dunkin' Donuts) and they have a very interesting Aron Kodesh. Here, the Aron
is covered by two wooden Luchos, which - on Shabbos - are slid apart
horizontally (with the effect of framing the Aron). Behind them there is
some sort of velvet/satin covered barrier (for fire purposes?). Behind
_that_ is a (standard, one piece) Paroches. What would R' MF say to that?
Also, I remember being told about a Shul in Wesley Hills (near Monsey, NY)
that had some sort of innovative Aron Kodesh. I didn't see it in action, but
IIRC, the entire Aron rotated to open, I guess sort of like a Lazy Susan
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_susan). 

KT,
MYG