Yes. I just heard a rav say that not eating pas palter is a minhag shepashat beKol Yisrael.
Never mind the fact that most elderly Jews from Europe who can remember the pre-war era never heard of this minhag (unless they are well versed in the mishna brura).
I pointed out to one of the people at shul that the Aruch HaShulchan sees this as a positive chumra which in non-binding - something which would have been impossible to him to say if the minhag was really so widespread at the time.
Whither the mesorah?
That sounds like the title of a Tradition article.
well, isn't this the basic gist of R' Chaim Soloveitchich Rapture and ...?
I guess so, although I don't think he really addresses the "And-this-is-the-way-it-always-was" syndrome.
"I don't think he really addresses the "And-this-is-the-way-it-always-was" syndrome."
What does it matter whether one hundred blasts (as opposed to, say, fifty) wasn't always the norm? This is hardly an earth-shaking revelation on par with, say, going bareheaded outside shul.
What do you mean by the latter? I assume you're kidding?
As far as whether it matters, of course it doesn't matter--but what I have dubbed "This-is-the-way-it-always-was" syndrome is indeed interesting and worthy of exploration.
Your syndrome... in the university we call it the crux of religion. So exactly what is your complaint? Consider it another form of metaphor, like... Hashem looked in the Torah and created the universe. These rebbes look in their breadboxes and create the facts of history.
I was alluding to the non-universality of an observant Jew covering his head outside shul before the twentieth century.
>So exactly what is your complaint?
Whose complaining?
Although why don't we level with each other? I've seen your comments on other blogs--it bugs you.
I was alluding to the non-universality of an observant Jew covering his head outside shul before the twentieth century.
Definitely wasn't universal even in the 20th Century (at least pre-1960s). It still isn't it (I know musmachim who don't wear them at work, but they tend to be old timers).
Remember, in the old country, everyone ALWAYS kept the proper shi`urim on Pessah (i.e. fourteen sheets of hand-made shemura matza in 4.5 minutes, and 1.5 liters of wine per cup).
Sorry for that outburst of leisanuth. In the Days of Awe, no less.
S.
Your point is very relevant and astute.What is the real masora?Very fascinating about the 100 kolos.
"I know musmachim who don't wear them at work, but they tend to be old timers"
There's a heter for that. I've even known some young frummies who have used the heter for particular jobs, but it's not that common anymore, especially with civil rights laws protecting religious freedom.
Anybody remember Rabbi Joseph Lookstein's description of the yarmulke as an "indoor garment"? As recently as 20 years ago, I visited an Orthodox friend at an "Our Crowd" law firm, and when he saw my kippah, he froze in horror and said, "Take that thing off!" But even then, and certainly since, yarmulke wearing was coming to be accepted not only as a matter of civil rights, but of ethnic self-expression.
>Anybody remember Rabbi Joseph Lookstein's description of the yarmulke as an "indoor garment"?
Sure--but he did expect wearing hats, rather than going bareheaded (although surely he knew full well that lots of kids were going bareheaded).
As I commented at Than Book's post:
1. Why not just blow the Talmudic 30 and be done with it? How did we ever increase from the 30? Isn't that "bal tosif"? That alone troubles me.
2. How were Jews "noheig" from Sinai to the time of Sisra's mom (and beyond...though I'm sure Charedim will disagree with me,I can't believe the 100 were instituted immediately after her cries).
3. This is a mitzvah d'Oraysa! Why do we allow i)a Midrash ii)about Sisra's mom to play ANY role in how we fulfill a mitzva d'Oraysa?
Help? Where's the Mesora when you need it?
Bal tosif, as we understand it, applies to literally adding mitzvot to the Torah. For example, if the laws of Purim were written into the Torah scrolls that would have been bal tosif. But they weren't. They are kept separate, their origin is not a secret. So long as clear lines exist between takanot, fences, custom etc and Torah law this isn't violated.
As for how they were noheg from Sinai until Sisera, the association of 100 kolot and Sisera apparently comes from the Arukh, that is to say it is less than 1000 years old. So naturally before Sisera, after Sisera and until that date 100 wasn't a thought at all.
As for why we allow a midrash to influence practice, its because derash is highly integrated with Judaism. It is no understatement to point out that the only authority in Judaism is obviously not the Torah.
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