[Avodah] bracha on megilla

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 10:09:38AM +0300, Eli Turkel wrote:
: it is a makhloket rishonim if we say a beracha on a minhag
: for example on hallel on rosh chodesh. However, to my limited
: knowledge this applies only on to minhagim mentioned in the gemara.
: I don't think we ever say a beracha on a minhag that is not mentioned
: in the gemara.

The machloqes rishonim became an Ashkenaz vs Sepharad thing.

Lighting Chanukah candles in shul is in the gemara? I thought the oldest
mention of the practice was the Smaq (which I only know via the Tur)
that says the menorah should be in the south side of the shul so as
to imitate the miqdash. The Levush quotes the Rosh (the Tur's father)
that the whole minhag comes from the notion of imiating the lighting of
the miqdash in our miqdash me'at.

If I'm right that it's not in the gemara, it would be a geonic era minhag
that we (Ashk) do make a berakhah upon.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
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