גדר מנהג ישראל תורה

In a previous article, we offered a critical analysis of a popular סגולה for easy childbirth, namely to bite the פיטם of an אתרוג. Some responded to me that, although (as we showed there) this practice makes little sense and has little (if any) grounds in הלכה (and common sense), we should yet maintain this practice because of the principle of מנהג ישראל תורה.

In this article we cite a number of instances where this principle appears in halachic literature and see if this principle can reasonably be applied here as well or not.

1

There is an איסור to read documents on שבת. To this end, the בח prohibits a waiter from reading a list of guests at a meal. The מ"א [1] disagrees, saying that מנהג ישראל תורה and that חשבונות של מצוה are allowed.

2

בני יששכר has a lengthy מאמר on the מנהג of decorating ספרי תורה with flowers on שבועות, which he begins with the premise of מנהג ישראל תורה [2].

3

בני יששכר has a brief מאמר in which he explains the מנהג ישראל תורה of wearing costumes on פורים, based on המן's גזירה being a punishment for the Jews having bowed to נבוכדנצר's statue only prima facie; so too הקב"ה only "pretended" to make a גזירה. To this end, we wear costumes so that the identity of the wearer is only pretend. [3]

4

מטה אפרים brings a מנהג to make large candles that will stay lit the entire יו"כ on ערב יו"כ. There is an additional מנהג to daven while making the candles. מטה אפרים says not to make fun of or stop this מנהג, as מנהג ישראל is תורה [4].

5

פרי צדיק refers to eating fruits on טו בשבט as מנהג ישראל תורה [5].

6

האלף לך שלמה references מנהג ישראל תורה as a reason why he is opposed to machine מצה, namely because מנהג ישראל תורה that מצה is round, whereas machine מצה is square. [6]

7

לקוטי תורה has a lengthy Kabbalistic explanation as to why the מנהג ישראל תורה is not to dip מצה in salt, as one normally would do for their לחם משנה [7].

8

There were those who used to plant לולבים and הדסים in flowerpots in their homes. ערוה"ש offers halachic reasoning to the effect that these plantings were fit for use, followed by saying that מנהג ישראל תורה and people are behaving correctly. [8]

9

שפת אמת refers to חביטת הערבה as a מנהג ישראל תורה.

10

שפת אמת gives a lengthy and deep explanation as to the reason for פורים costumes, which he refers to as a מנהג ישראל תורה [10].

11

ערוה"ש observes that the ברכה on הפרשת חלה is להפריש חלה מן העיסה, as opposed to להפריש תרומה מן העיסה; and although it is not מעכב, still, מנהג ישראל תורה and, as such, the מנהג needs to be explained, which ערוה"ש immediately proceeds to do. [11]

12

בני יששכר gives a number of deeply kabbalistic reasons for various מנהגי אבלות that are practiced during ספירה, referring to them as מנהג ישראל תורה [12].

13

There are a number of מנהגים relating to the מוצאי שבת service for which various reasons are given. There are those who are מגמגם on these מנהגים; however, מנהג ישראל is תורה [13].

14

In general, the meaning of מנהג ישראל תורה is that there are lessons in יראת שמים and עבודה to be learned even from מנהגי ישראל, although they are not necessarily a חיוב originating in שס ופוסקים [14].

Conclusion

Nowhere (that I have found) is מנהג ישראל תורה used to mean, "there is a מנהג doesn't make any sense, but we should do it anyway, because מנהג ישראל תורה". Rather, the phrase is exclusively used to mean that while there is often no source for a particular מנהג in classical halachic and Talmudic reasoning, still, there is often an extra-halachic reason, such as a lesson to reinforce or the like, and, as such, the מנהג should still be kept.

Practically, this means that a מנהג that has a valid reason should be kept, even where it is not a חיוב per se, whereas a מנהג that does not make sense should not be kept. [15]

[1] שז:יז

[2] סיון ד:ז:א. This is brought down להלכה by כף החיים או"ח תצד:נט:א. See also בני יששכר סיון ד:ח:ה

[3] אדר ט:א. For an additional reason, see שם שם:ב:א

[4] תרג:ז

[5] לטו בשבט, ג:א

[6] השמטות לב, יא

[7] ויקרא ה, סו

[8] או"ח תרמה:כא

[9] דברים, לסוכות כב:ח; וע"ע שם טו:ד

[10] ויגש, ח:ו

[11] יו"ד שכח:ב

[12] ניסן יב:ח:א

[13] ערוה"ש או"ח רצה:א

[14] based on טעמי המנהגים תתעו:ד

[15] One may say that it doesn't hurt. Indeed, in Chelm they used to wear glasses without lenses because, after all, it doesn't hurt.