[Avodah] what makes a minhag

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, May 03, 2011 at 09:45:59AM -0700, Saul.Z.Newman at kp.org wrote:
: the argument has long  been made  in certain circles  that   standing at 
: silent attention is not  a jewish minhag.   i wonder at what point  a 
: minhag becomes a  'jewish'minhag, since  it is now  a minhag of 
: approximately 4 million jews  on 2 specific days...

The Rambam, Mamrim 2:2, speaks of a BD that hinhigu minhag. It appears he
holds that a minhag must have rabbinic input. Might only require post-facto
justification by rabbinic logic; I suggested that as being the difference
between minhag and taqanah (taqanos are top-down, minhagim, grass roots
upward).

But whatever it is, if the practice isn't be sourced from the Torah by
one's poseqim, I don't think it's a minhag no matter how many Jews do it.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 14th day, which is
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