Minhag (Judaism)

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Minhag ( Hebrew מנהג) Means in Judaism custom , tradition and is of Hebrew verbנהג nahag : derived from “directing, guiding”.

The word occurs in the Bible ( 2 Kings 9.20  EU ) in the meaning of "driving style" (of a war chariot). However, it was used by the rabbis in the sense of "custom". In the context of this meaning there are numerous nuances. The term is applied to:

  1. Uses which are generally used in practice and which have acquired binding power as halacha . An example of this is wearing a kippah .
  2. locally limited customs whose validity is limited to a country or a specific municipality. The question of whether such local minhagim also apply to Jews who come from another place is dealt with in detail in the Talmud and in the legal texts.
  3. The word "Minhag" is also used for liturgical rites that have developed in certain regions. Examples: Ashkenazi Minhag, Sephardic Minhag, Polish Minhag.

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