Minhagim & Halacha
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the world of minhagim (customs) and their intersection with halacha. In this series we will cover: What exactly is a minhag? How do minhagim start? Can they be changed or abandoned? To what extent are we obligated to conform to local minhagim? Must one follow one’s father’s minhagim? Or one’s mother’s minhagim? What is to be done if bride and groom have divergent minhagim? What is to be done if host and guest have divergent minhagim?
Minhagim & Halacha: Minhagim & Halacha
The obligation to observe halacha is rooted in the Torah, Mishna, Gemara, and related sources.
Where do minhagim (practices of a non-halachic origin) come from?
Is it obligatory to observe minhagim? If so, why? And how can you determine exactly which minhagim are mandatory?
In this series, we will survey the opinions of the leading rabbis through the generations regarding the authority underlying minhagim and whether they can be changed or dropped.
Primary Hebrew sources are available through the link. In class we will translate and explain these sources.
In addition to being one of Rabbi Brovender's first students, Rabbi Dovid Fink is an outstanding expertᅠand teacher of Halacha. Rabbi Fink received his Rabbinic ordination from ITRI and the Mir and was awarded his Ph.D in Semitic Languages and Linguistics from Yale University. Rav Fink has taught thousands of students from all over the world for over 35 years.