Reply To: Minhag Hamakom

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jay11691
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People use the term “minhag hamakom” very loosely, and by loosely I mean incorrectly. R’ Moshe Feinstein wrote a tshuva dealing with the question of clothing as minhag: Should I be wearing a long Kappotah or a white shirt/black pants because it is Minhag Hamokom or because my father had this minhag? R’Moshe says that the responsibility to adhere to halachic minhag is very precisely defined. Just because your Zaidie & everyone of his friends did something doesn’t make it a minhag. “Minhag” happens when a cities Halachic authorities approve a specific practice for a Halachic reason.

It seems doubtful that your bungalow colony (a) has a Halachic Authority, (b) has a Halachic Authority who approved a specific minhag for a specific Halachic reason. So follow your own minhag; unless it is in a public forum where occasionally you may have “al tifrash” which is also not a simple Halacha and not always applicable……