[Avodah] Minhagim for Baalei Teshuva

[Akiva Blum]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: avodah-bounces at lists.aishdas.org [mailto:avodah-
> bounces at lists.aishdas.org] On Behalf Of Micha Berger
> Sent: Thursday, 28 March, 2013 7:18 PM


> Minhag is supposed to be by location. It's only because the norm has
> become that few locations have a minhag hamaqom that our ancestors'
> location became determinant -- we have no local custom to switch to,
> so we stick with the one we came from.
> 
> I would therefore think that someone who has to adopt minhagim needs
> to pick a community to affiliate with, and follow theirs consistently.
> Since the idea of minhag is to belong to something.
> 
> I am not as sure as RAM that this is usually the BD who was megayeir
> him.
> But I do think that following one's rebbe when one is learning is
> natural,

I have mentioned in the past, and sourced, that Rav Moshe Shternbuch has a
number of tshuvos, where he says a BT from irreligious parents follows the
customs of his mekarev, and not of his ancestors.

Akiva