<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/3/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Zev Sero</b> <<a href="mailto:zev@sero.name">zev@sero.name</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<a href="mailto:T613K@aol.com">T613K@aol.com</a> wrote:<br><br>Having a mechitza in a shul is a "custom" in the same sense that having<br>two sets of dishes is a "custom". Having two sets of dishes is only
<br>necessary if one eats both milk and meat at home, regularly enough that<br>one needs dishes for them. If meat (or milk) never enters the home, or<br>does so so rarely that it makes sense to use only disposables for it,
<br>then there's no need for two sets of dishes.<br><br>AIUI before about the 16th century women rarely went to shul, so there<br>was no need for shuls to be built with any sort of mechitza. Even today<br>not every shul follows the "custom" of having a separate women's section;
<br>some shtieblach don't need one, because women rarely come. (As RMF<br>writes, the practise in Lita was that even on those occasions when a<br>woman or two did show up no mechitza was put up for them; it's only
<br>required if there are a lot of women, or if it happens regularly.)<br><br>--<br>Zev Sero <br></blockquote></div><br>Rema mentiosn having an extra knife and marking milchig knives as a standard for all so taht each house conforms to the same practice
<br><br>There is NO mention of Mechita in Shulchan Aruch. That is problematic at best. It does not mean ther is no answer. It does mean that no one codified one.<br><br>-- <br>Gmar Tov<br>Best Wishes for 5768,<br><a href="mailto:RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com">
RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com</a><br>Please Visit: <br><a href="http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/">http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/</a>