hello99: “MHY: “The ikkar yishuv of Ashkenazic Jewry, the spiritual center, was in Germany. That is where Rabbeinu Gershom Meor hagolah and those who followed after him were”
Actually in the times of Rashi and the Baalei Tosafos there were more people and Talmidei Chachomim in France.”
There are more Jews in the USA now than were in Poland, Hungary or Russia. But we still look back to our roots in Europe nevertheless.
“”Eastern Europe five hundred years ago was still shvach compared to what developed there later. By the way, can you name one rishon from Poland?”
500 years ago was NOT the Rishonim. Frankly I am shocked at your condescending tone toward the communities of Eastern Europe in the 1500’s that gave rise to the Rema, Levush, Bach, Sma, Maharam Lublin, Maharsha, Maharal, Shela HaKadosh etc”
You missed the point, which was that Poland’s Yiddishe yishuv was younger than that of Ashkenaz. There were great gedolim there, but they didn’t equal the rishonim of Ashkenaz.
“”In Ashkenaz they kept the old minhogim better.”
Dream on.”
It is true, fact.
“”The Rashba lived a long time before R. Yitzchak Karo”
My point exactly. The original minhag in Sefarad was NOT to wear tefillin, long before the Zohar was even discovered.”
As pointed out earlier, the Ritva, one of the gedolei Sefarad of that time, advocated tefillin on chol hamoed.
Rav Yitzchok Karo knew what he was talking about, he was there and you weren’t.
“The bottom line is it is impossible to determine that one set of minhagim is “superior” to the others”
Incorrect. Not all minhogim all equal. There are different levels of minhogim and we have expressions among the poskim reflecting this, such as ???? ???????, ???? ??????, ??????? ???? ????, ????? ????,
“and each individual should continue following his minhag avos unless it conflicts with minhag hamakom.”
Yes, they should continue to put on tefillin on chol hamoed, even in Eretz Yisroel, where, despite claims by some, there is no one minhag hamokom, due to the diverse population with multiple botei dinin. 🙂