[Avodah] Problematic customs

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Jan 07, 2018 at 06:31:47AM +0000, RJR replied to RBW:
:> Sources that say that even if a certain custom's origin is problematic
:> or even treif, if enough Jews accept the custom, the custom becomes
:> kosher.

: I think it's more that ancient cUstoms are given the benefit of
: the doubt because if they were inappropriate customs older and greater
: Rabbis would not have allowed it. See for example not duchening in chutz
: laaretz. Source available on request

Well, not duchening in chu"l isn't about the source being treif; it's
wondering about the soundness of the rationale. No one is claiming the
source is Sabbatean, which *is* thought to be true of the Tu biShvat
seder.

Which is what I thought RBW was talking about when he wrote:
> (Thought of this withTu B'shvat coming up).

One could ask also of Purim costumes, which just happen to arise first
in a country that celebrates Carnivale around the same time of year,
or eating milchig on Shavuos and Wittesmontag.

However, I agree with you point... If a minhag or a pesaq is nispasheit,
and then makes it through generations of observant Jews and the scrutiny
of their rabbis, we work with the assumption that the minhag is more
sound -- either in source or in motive -- than it seems.

The textualist's defense of mimeticism. A stong motivator in the AhS --
he gets quite creative sometimes figuring out that the sevara for some
accepted practice must be. (The Torah Temimah's creativity had to come
from somewhere. The diffrence is, the father is working toward a known
conclusion. The son could end up anywhere.)

OTOH, a Gra or RCBrisker would simply tell you to chuck the minhag.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If a person does not recognize one's own worth,
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